Empty property review

We are contacting property owners with property which is currently registered as being unoccupied for council tax, or is a second home.

To ensure that our records are accurate and that the the correct amount of council tax is being paid, please complete this online review immediately to either notify us of a change in circumstances or to confirm there is no change and the property remains unoccupied. You should also complete this review if you recently told us about changes, but have not had these confirmed by us yet.

Please respond within 14 days of receipt of the letter.  Failure to respond will result in an inspection being carried out on the property and you may be subject to a financial penalty.
 
Please note that if you have been contacted with regards to multiple properties you will need to complete a separate review for each property.

Before you start the review, please read these guidance notes:

If the property is now rented – You will need to provide a copy of the tenancy agreement or agreements as you complete this review when prompted. We will be unable to complete your review without it.

Uninhabitable Properties – Please be aware that the uninhabitable property discount is only valid for 12 months. If you have previously received this discount, please do not request it again.

If your property is uninhabitable, we will require you to provide us with a statement of works along with photos of the works being undertaken. We will be unable to complete your review without them.

A property is considered uninhabitable if it meets the following criteria:

The property is currently undergoing major repair work to make it suitable to live in or Work is underway to make structural alterations and the majority of this work has not been completed.

The following types of repairs DO meet the uninhabitable criteria:

Roofs

• Major repairs to roof structures
• Rebuilding defective chimney stack(s)

External Walls

• Rebuilding external walls, for example to extend the property
• Foundations
• Repair/renewal of foundations
• Underpinning substandard foundations

Floors

• Replacing defective solid floors
• Replacing defective solid floor joists

Internal

• Property totally gutted including removing most internal walls (not stud/partition walls)
• Replacing defective ceiling joists
• Rebuilding defective walls (not stud/partition walls)

Repairs and alterations that DO NOT meet the uninhabitable criteria:

• Plumbing or heating
• Replacement/repairs of bathroom and kitchen or any other fitting/fixtures
• Rewiring
• Timber or damp-proof treatments
• Re-plastering
• Drainage
• Repairs or renewals of services
• Maintenance, e.g. re-pointing, window/door replacement
• Redecoration

How to complete your review

You will need the council tax account number for the property. You can get this from the letter we recently sent you, or from your council tax bill.

Your review will be completed using the 'ask elie' chatbot - it will ask you a series of questions about your property and allow you to send us relevant information.

To start the review, click on the button below and then click on the 'ask elie' icon (see images below) in the bottom right of the page that will appear.

Start your Empty Property and Second Home Review

The 3 images below show you (1) where to click after using the button above, (2) what the icon looks like, and (3) what the chatbot looks like when you have started the review.


Read the Revenues and Benefits Privacy Notice
 

Need help?

For any other council tax queries please contact us on 0345 600 6400
 

Why is the council reviewing empty properties?

To help tackle the shortfall in national housing, the council is reviewing empty properties in the county. We are also doing this to fulfil our duty to maintain accurate records for Council Tax.
 
We have specialised empty homes officers who are able to provide advice and support around empty homes. The empty homes officers work throughout Northumberland. They are based within the private sector team.

Information regarding the private sector team, including contact details.