The owners of homes in Chichester which have stood empty for more than ten years will have to pay a 300% premium on their council tax bill.
The decision was made during a meeting of the district council on Tuesday (November 19) and will apply to the 2025/26 billing period.
For those empty for between five and ten years, the premium will be 200%, and 100% for those empty for between two and five years.
There will also be a new 100% premium on those empty for between one and two years.
Data from Action on Empty Homes shows that there are 216 long-term empty homes in the district, up from 181 in 2023.
The premiums will generate an additional £37,000 of council tax income for the council, £13,000 of which will be from properties empty for between one and two years.
A report to the council said: “The government has recognised that there will be circumstances where it would not be appropriate for the empty homes premium to apply.
“[It] intends to legislate to create ‘exceptions’ to the premium where it may not be appropriate for a premium to be applied.”
The exceptions will come into play in April 2025 and give a 12-month break to homes undergoing probate, those being actively marketed for sale or let, and those undergoing major repair or structural alterations.
Probate can take three years