Engagement and enforcement

Advice for empty home owners

Returning empty properties to use is a priority for the council. We are proactively engaging with owners of empty homes to return them to use.

If you are the owner of an empty property and would like advice, please email: customer.services@westsuffolk.gov.uk

Council Tax premium

Since 2019, West Suffolk Council has implemented a Council Tax premium which is added to standard council tax rates for empty properties.

• Properties left empty for over two years are subject to a 100 per cent premium.
• Properties left empty for over five years are subject to a 200 per cent premium.
• Properties left empty for over 10 years are subject to a 300 per cent premium.

From April 2024, Council Tax changes will be implemented that will reduce the timeframe for changing the Council Tax premium for two years down to 12 months.

If you wish to appeal your Council Tax or have a change in circumstance, please visit the Council Tax page.

Enforcement

If property owners persistently avoid seeking a solution that would allow the occupation of the property, the council can take enforcement action. In these cases, we will review the most appropriate action to take. The council has a range of enforcement options available such as:

• compulsory purchase orders
• empty property management orders
• enforced sale of the property.