EAST Hampshire District Council is attempting to bring empty homes back into use with extra council tax charges for owners.

The levels of Council Tax Empty Homes Premium were agreed unanimously by the full council on January 16.

From April 1, 2020, a 100 per cent premium will be charged on top of the full council tax for a home that has been unoccupied and unfurnished for between two and five years.

Homes unoccupied for more than five years will be charged a 200 per cent premium.

On April 1, 2021, the extra charges will get even higher for those homes left empty for the longest periods.

The 100 per cent premium will still apply to those empty for two to five years, but the 200 per cent premium will only cover those vacant for five to ten years.

Homes without occupants for more than a decade will be subject to a 300 per cent premium.

During 2020 the council’s private sector housing team will contact the affected owners to inform them of the premiums and encourage them to avoid paying the charges by moving people into their empty homes.

The premiums had been recommended following the council’s cabinet meeting on December 17.

Introducing the report, finance portfolio holder Cllr Charles Louisson explained that the district contained 93 private sector homes which had been empty for between two and five years, 18 left unoccupied for between five and ten years and 13 vacant for more than ten years.

He said the premium would be “quite a small revenue raiser” – bringing in around £11,000 in 2020–21 and £13,000 in 2021–22 – and added: “We don’t want to get this money – the primary focus is getting these properties back into use.”