Sheffield council tax could double for empty and second homes

Sheffield City Council is to consider a major council tax increase for empty and second homes

Council tax is set to double for properties in Sheffield which have been empty for a long period or which are a second residence.

The increase would be for properties empty and "substantially unfurnished" for at least a year, a report said.

Currently, a 100% increase in council tax for empty homes only kicks in after two years.

More than 1,000 "empty" properties would be affected if the rule change was adopted, the council said.

At present, the increase for empty homes in Sheffield also rises to 200% after five years and up to 300% after 10 years.

People who owned second homes in the city would also see a 100% rise in council tax, according to a report to the city council's finance committee.

If given the go-ahead, new powers granted to the council are expected to come into effect from the start of the 2024-25 financial year.

The aim of the increase was to "encourage more empty homes to be brought back into use" which might lead to reductions in the amount of anti-social behaviour "associated with areas with high levels of empty properties", the report added.

It also stated that there were 1,491 dwellings in Sheffield that had been empty for between one and two years, but a number of them were exempt due to the resident dying or being in a care home.

The council added that the new powers would "increase the amount of council tax that it is able to collect, leading to an improvement in the council's financial position".

Councillors are due to consider the matter on 21 February.