Empty homes tax relief on way out?

COUNCIL tax breaks for empty homes are costing Oldham more than £2.1million every year.

Discounts given to second homes and properties lying vacant suck millions out of the local economy, increasing residents’ tax bills.

Ministers say they want to allow councils to abolish the discounts to spend the cash on services, although the power has not yet been handed over.

Yesterday, they claimed that ending the discounts would shave £20 off the average household’s council-tax bill. Currently, the owners of empty properties are entitled to The £2million figure includes a £23,000 subsidy currently being given to second home-owners, £1.87 million relates to homes that are long-term unoccupied and the rest is on properties being repaired or repossessed.



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