Wiltshire homeowners face hefty council tax hike if houses are left empty
The council is hoping to tackle the county's housing crisis
The owners of empty homes in Wiltshire face a massive council tax hike as the council struggles to tackle the county’s housing crisis.
Wiltshire Council is introducing a new Long-Term Empty Homes Premium to discourage homeowners to let houses sit unused.
The proposal was enthusiastically supported by members of the council’s Liberal Democrat administration before Christmas. But on Wednesday (January 7) they had to persuade full council to adopt the policy.
Their proposal was that houses that stay empty for between one and five years would face a 200 per cent council tax charge – meaning homeowners would face twice the rates owed.
Between five and ten years, owners would be forced to pay three times the council tax owed.
And houses left empty for ten years or more would face a 300 per cent premium – meaning owners would have to pay four times the amount of council tax due.
Having suffered a bruising defeat at the hands of Conservative and Reform councillors when, earlier in the meeting, they tried to introduce a council tax levy on second home owners they were hoping this matter would prove less contentious.
Reform group leader Ed Rimmer said that for the reason his councillors opposed the second homes levy, they supported the empty homes charge.
“We want to encourage investment in Wiltshire,” he said. “I can’t see any good reason for houses being left empty. We want to discourage people from leaving homes empty.”
Conservative leader Richard Clewer expressed concerns over the premium kicking in after just a year of inoccupation. His colleague Philip Whitehead suggested an amendment for the extra charge to start two years after a property becomes empty.
The motion was not without its detractors. Cllr Elizabeth Threlfall (Conservative, Brinkworth) said there were often “good reasons” for homes remaining empty, while Cllr Bridget Wayman (Conservative, Nadder Valley): rather than hammering owners with an ever-increasing premiums why aren’t we going out and finding out why these houses are not being brought into occupation? This would be helping people, not hammering them.
But speaking in favour of the motion, Cllr Ross Henning (Lib Dem, Chippenham Lowden & Rowden) said he knew of one house in Chippenham that had been empty for 40 years and another that had been empty for 20, and that the policy could “act as a lever” to get the houses back into use.
And cabinet member Paul Sample: “Wiltshire has a practical opportunity to strengthen communities, reduce housing pressure, and improve neighbour outcomes.
“This is about tackling the environmental and social cost of homes left empty for long periods. Empty dwellings are a wasted housing resource in a county where many residents struggle to find a secure, affordable home.”
Voting on the amended motion, which will see fees applied after the second year of inoccupancy, councillors voted 87 for an three against, with one abstention.
The policy will come into effect from April 1 this year.
There are a number of exemptions in place for unoccupied dwellings, including:
• Where the resident has died (up to six months after grant of probate or letters of administration).
• Where the resident is in long-term residential care or hospital.
• Where the resident is living elsewhere to provide personal care.
There are also exemptions for armed services personnel posted away from home.
Wiltshire had 775 properties registered as empty from between one and two years as of the beginning of October 2025.
And sixty homes across the county have been empty for ten years or more.
The council estimates that the new system could raise £1.8 million a year – and encourage the owners of empty properties to get them back into use, or onto the property market.
Nearly 600 houses that have been empty for between one and two years are in the low-to-average A to D council tax bands.
And 58 of the 60 houses that have been empty for ten years or more are Band A to D properties.
Bringing them back into use, says the council, could help reduce the council’s 5,500-strong social housing waiting list by making homes available for sale or rent to local families.