new build dwellings that are unoccupied, unfurnished, and unsold for council tax purposes
Case reference FOI2025/01125
Received 16 December 2025
Published 22 January 2026
Request
Under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, I would like to request information regarding the treatment of new build dwellings that are unoccupied, unfurnished, and unsold for council tax purposes. Specifically, I would be grateful if you could provide information for the past three financial years.
1. For the purposes of serving a Completion Notice for council tax, at what stage of construction does the authority consider a property to be “substantially complete” or “capable of being completed within three months”? For example, is this considered only when final fixtures/fittings are outstanding, or when the roof, windows, doors, and main structure are in place?
1. Are full council tax charges applied to new build dwellings that are unoccupied, unfurnished, and unsold, or is a discount or exemption implemented?
1. How much council tax revenue has been raised from unoccupied, unfurnished, and unsold new build dwellings in each of the past three financial years?
1. How many instances in each of the past three financial years has a developer challenged the completion date set out in a Completion Notice served on a new build dwelling that is unoccupied, unfurnished, and unsold?
1. Of the instances in Question 4, in how many cases has the authority withdrawn the original Completion Notice and issued a new notice with a revised date?
1. How many instances in each of the past three financial years has a developer appealed the completion date set out in a Completion Notice served on a new build dwelling that is unoccupied, unfurnished, and unsold to the Valuation Tribunal?
1. Of the instances in Question 6, in how many cases has the Valuation Tribunal upheld the appeal by a residential developer regarding the completion date set out in a Completion Notice for a new build dwelling that is unoccupied, unfurnished, and unsold?
Response
1. For the purpose of issuing Completion Notices when they are considerably complete, ie no bare bricks internally, windows, doors, roofs, excluding fitting of kitchens and bathrooms
2. Unoccupied properties are currently subject to upto 3 month empty relief from the completion date,
3. Council Tax revenue on unsold properties in past three years? £266,217
4. Challenged Completion notices in past three years? - None
5. How many withdrawn Completion notices in past three years? - None
6. Developer appealed completion date – none
7. N/A
Documents
This is South Derbyshire District Council's response to a freedom of information (FOI) or environmental information regulations (EIR) request.
You can browse our other responses or make a new FOI request.