Council tax bill threat on empty properties, Telford letting agent warns
Landlords in Telford need to start planning ahead as they potentially face paying hundreds of pounds a year in council tax on empty properties when rules change next year, a letting agent warned today.
A landlord currently receives a Class C exception on any empty and unfurnished properties which means they do not pay any council tax.
However, from April government will be axing the exemption and charging landlords full council tax on all properties when they are vacant.
Gary Preston and Aidan Forth, of Annabel Church Lettings in Telford said: “All landlords in Telford will now have to factor in this potential charge.
“The change coming into force from April could cost landlords hundreds, if not thousands of pounds a year unless they put plans in place now.
“They need to plan to ensure they have their properties let without any void periods where the property is empty whereby they would not only lose out on rental income but also have to pay council tax for that period.
“We have seen a spike in the number of landlords now using our Perpetual Landlords Income Guarantee in order to banish void payments and maximise their profits.”
This unique guarantee also means the landlord receives their first payment within one month and no longer has to deal with excuses of uninhabited properties and the time of chasing unpaid rent as they receive rent every month regardless of whether someone is living in the property.
“The rental market is booming in Telford at the moment and we are letting properties within 48 hours of taking them on which is fantastic,” he added.
Mr Preston said problems for landlords could be increased as the council tax benefit is also restructured leaving many people either without the benefit or seeing it significantly reduced.
“The change in the council tax benefit system means people’s personal finances and the management of those finances will be affected, thus potentially putting extra pressure on rent payments,” Mr Preston said.
“All of these changes need highlighting now and plans put in place by the landlord to ensure they do not lose out.
“We are already working with our current landlords to address their needs and would advise other landlords as a number one priority to contact us in order to do the same.”
