How to avoid paying council tax on an empty property

Owning a second property can be a great thing. Whether it’s an investment in the future, a recent refurbishment, or you have acquired a second home through inheritance, it can be tricky to know what exactly to do with it. Let alone what the legalities of the whole thing are!

If you have a second property that is currently standing empty and leaving you with maintenance concerns, the last thing you want is to pay double your usual tax amount on a building that isn’t even in use.

Read on to discover why you may have to pay council tax on an unoccupied property, and what our amazing property guardians can do to help you avoid this unnecessary cost.

When do you have to pay council tax on empty properties?

You will usually be required by your local council to pay tax on a property that stands empty. Your council may decide to give you a discount on this – if this is a property that is not your main home. Furnished second homes or holiday homes can get a discount of up to 50%. However, you can be charged up to double the normal council tax amount if your home has been vacant for two years or more in England.

Council tax does not relate to you personally, rather to the funding of local services such as rubbish collection, schools, roads, planning, libraries and more. So the amount you pay on your second property pays for the upkeep of the area – a great thing, but still a cost you don’t need if you aren’t living there.

If you have been refurbishing your second home, you won’t have had to pay council tax during this process. When your second property is fully refurbished, though, you will be required to begin paying on it.

You don’t want to risk not paying your council tax – this can result in fines and perhaps even legal proceedings. So what can you do to avoid this unnecessary bill and keep your investment safe and sound?

How can property guardians help?

If this is a cost you didn’t consider when acquiring a second home, you are not alone. The idea of paying this tax on a house, and in an area, where you do not live is not many people’s idea of money well spent.

That’s where property guardians come in.

Our company matches one of our property guardians with your home or property. We hand select only the best guardians to come and live in your building. This not only eliminates the need for you to pay that second council tax bill, it also protects your home against intruders, burglary, and simply falling into disrepair from standing unoccupied. Pests, burst pipes and other such maintenance issues are easily avoided when the property is lived in.

Having your property lived in by one of our guardians means that they will be onsite in case of any maintenance issues that might occur. This means you can be certain your home remains in the best condition, saving you money and worries. Your asset is fully protected even when you can’t be there.

What are property guardians?

If you want to keep your property safe and bring down your own running costs, they could be a great choice for you. Our property guardians are high quality and extensively vetted so that they perfectly match your property. Each guardian is screened so that we know they will be a good fit for the whole time you need someone to be living in your home.

So, how do we know that our guardians are a great fit for you? We require our guardians to have an annual salary of at least £16,000 so that they will never be late on making payments. We also request that they provide two character references from the past two years. With a full credit check and reference check completed, as well as a DBS (Disclosure Barring Service) check, you can be sure that you will have only reliable, respectful people living in your property. As well as this, we only accept UK/EU citizens, or those who can provide proof of their right to stay in the UK.

With no pets or dependents permitted, you will be safe in the knowledge that your home will remain in superb condition. We can provide guardians for any sort of building or house. Whether that is a house or a flat, residential, retail, or even office premises, we can provide occupation for any length of time – even if you need an emergency or temporary guardian for your property. Our guardians pay a reduced rent when compared to privately renting from a landlord because they are taking on the special responsibility of caring for your space.

We also carry out regular inspections and provide ongoing maintenance when needed, and can help to prepare your asset for whatever you want to do with it next.

Don’t waste your money and have sleepless nights, when this can be easily avoided. Make a saving and enjoy peace of mind when you choose to put a property guardian in your place.

 

If you require any further information, don’t hesitate to contact us using the form below