Do I have to pay Business Rates if my property is empty?
When a property is empty (apart from fixtures and fittings), empty rate is charged. This is 100% of the full business rate for a property.
For the first three months that a property is empty (6 months for industrial properties), there is no charge at all and the 100% charge starts at the end of this period. If you have just bought a property which is to stay empty for a while, you need to let us know:
- the date you have bought the property (completion date of sale)
- your name and home address
- the address of the property you have bought
- why the property is empty
If the previous owner of the property has already claimed the first three month exemption, the empty rate will be payable by you straightaway.