NLA Campaigns for Council Tax Exemptions
The National Landlords Association (NLA) is contacting all local authorities in the UK to ask for council tax exemptions for landlords whose properties become empty between tenancies. Currently, the policy for whether landlords are liable to pay council tax for their unoccupied properties differs across the UK, and with councils soon to be drafting their budget proposals for the next financial year the NLA is keen to negotiate exemptions for landlords now.
The task is being carried out by the NLA’s 37 regional representatives who operate across the UK in order to campaign at a local level.
Carolyn Uphill, chairman and former NLA representative for Manchester, said: “We have to remember that landlords have a legal responsibility to ensure the home they provide is safe and fit to be occupied and often essential maintenance or even larger scale renovation work may be needed before the property is suitable for new tenants.
“We often hear that more should be done to improve the standard of private rented property, yet councils still insist on making landlords liable for council tax between tenancies which is simply another business cost that the landlord is faced with.
“The NLA believe that councils must play their part by allowing a reasonable exemption period of council tax. This would demonstrate they are serious about encouraging better standards in the sector and mean landlords won’t rush to re let their properties without first ensuring they are up to scratch.”
As you can see from the press campaign currently being run by the NLA, Council tax liability is primarily the responsibility of landlords during empty periods between tenancies and very few London Councils are now offering any unoccupied and/or unfurnished discount exemptions to landlords when their properties are unoccupied, even for empty periods of less than 4 weeks. However, when you let your property to Central Housing Group, on our Guaranteed Rent scheme, which is operational throughout several London boroughs (e.g. LB of Enfield, LB of Haringey, LB of Ealing, LB of Hillingdon, LB of Hounslow), all council tax liability is paid for by Central Housing Group during unoccupied periods between tenancies.
To find out how we can help you to let your property to Councils please don’t hesitate to contact us today.
See details of our Guaranteed Rent scheme here
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