Key Facts

• Councils can currently increase the premium depending on how long a property has been empty.
• Nearly every council uses the powers to charge extra council tax on homes left empty for more than two years.
• The amendment will change the definition of 'long-term empty dwelling' from two years to one year.
• Clause 72 takes effect in financial years starting April 1, 2024.
• Amendment 79 seeks to define how long a property must be empty to be described as occupied periodically.
• Amendment 80 aims to provide further definition around conditions of occupancy.
• The amendments aim to reduce the definition of a vacant property period from one year to six months.
• Residents in York have seen around 2,000 short-term holiday lets encroach on future housing use.
• A 45-hectare brownfield site in York is currently prioritized for luxury apartments that may not be lived in.
• Empty dwelling management orders allow local authorities to requisition an empty home and turn it into a social rented property for seven years.
• EDMOs act as a warning shot to other landlords, showing what might happen if they do not make good use of their properties.
• The process of using EDMOs is lengthy, laborious, expensive and difficult.
• The amendment seeks to address fraud in the council tax system.
• It aims to provide an incentive for people to declare properties accurately.
• The amendment could help local authorities recover extra revenue without increasing expenditure.
• Amendment 83 would extend the period for making arrangements following a bereavement.
• Amendment 84 aims to provide owners of dilapidated properties with one year after acquiring the property to refurbish before additional council tax rates apply.
• The amendments address practical and sensitive issues related to occupied dwellings.
• Amendment 83 aims to exempt inherited properties from a second homes premium for at least two years.
• Amendment 84 proposes an exemption of at least one year for properties requiring improvement.
• Current protections allow for a six-month exemption after probate is granted if the property remains unoccupied.
• Second homes can benefit local economies but also cause negative effects like hollowing out communities.
• The Government is investing £11.5 billion in the affordable homes programme to deliver up to 180,000 affordable homes.
• Proposed new section 11D(3) allows for variation of the maximum council tax premium on second homes through affirmative resolution.
• Amendment 85 proposes adding consideration of historical, cultural, and archaeological factors to clause 74.
• York has many streets named gates, bars, and pubs reflecting its layered history.
• Maskell meets regularly with archaeologists and historians in York.
• The amendment aims to replace a power for referendums on street names with requirements for local authorities to consult residents and the wider community.
• Community representatives include individuals or bodies appearing to represent people who live, work in, or visit the area.
• Local authorities must publish proposals on their website and erect notices in the affected streets.
• The Bill requires local authorities to run referendums before changing street names.
• Amendments 70 to 72 aim to provide practical alternatives that ensure resident consultation without mandatory referenda.
• Local Government Association research indicates there is no evidence of councils changing street names without consulting residents.
• The Government consulted on the reform of street naming, receiving 91% agreement that regulations should set out how local authorities seek consent for changing a street name.
• Changing residential street names can lead to significant costs for individuals in amending property titles and other documents.
• Secondary legislation will provide clear processes for consultation while maintaining flexibility for updates.
• Current legislation has not been reviewed since 1907.
• Three different systems apply depending on where people live in the UK.
• 75% of respondents agreed that electoral roll members should have a decisive say on street name changes.
• The discussion is regarding Clause 74 of the Bill.
• Schedule 5 has been agreed upon.