Unoccupied properties prohibited by law

A property that is unoccupied is exempt from council tax if:

• the property owner has been served with a prohibition order. This prevents them from living in it
• the property is subject to a compulsory purchase order
• the property is unoccupied due to planning conditions

This means you do not have to pay council tax for the property. The property does not need to be unfurnished.

You need to have a MyGuildford account to apply for this exemption online. If you do not have a MyGuildford account you can set one up.

Register or sign into your MyGuildford account (opens new window)

If you have not yet registered to access your council tax account online, there are more steps. You can then link your online council tax account to your MyGuildford.

To complete this step, you will need the following information:

• your council tax reference number - found on your latest bill
• your name exactly as it appears on your council tax bill
• your postcode
• if you have applied for Local Council Tax Support or have been named on a council tax support application, you will also need to provide your national insurance number. This provides an additional level of security

Once you have linked your account, you can go into the 'account summary' screen. You will see a list of 'quick links' on the right-hand side. You should select the 'apply for or cancel an exemption' link.

You need to supply the following information:

• the date the property became unoccupied
• an image of a legal letter or court judgement that confirms that the property cannot be occupied. You will need to upload this.

You can tell us about any changes online if you have a MyGuildford account. If you do not have a MyGuildford account you can set one up.

Register or sign into your MyGuildford account (opens new window)

If you have not yet registered to access your council tax account online, there are more steps. You can then link your online council tax account to your MyGuildford.

To complete this step, you will need the following information:

• your council tax reference number - found on your latest bill
• your name exactly as it appears on your council tax bill
• your postcode
• if you have applied for Local Council Tax Support or have been named on a council tax support application, you will also need to provide your national insurance number. This provides an additional level of security

Once you have linked your account, you can go into the 'account summary' screen. You will see a list of 'quick links' on the right-hand side. You should use the 'apply for or cancel an exemption' link to tell us about the change.

If there is a change to your exemption, we will send you a new bill.

You will no longer qualify for the exemption if:

• the prohibition order is lifted and someone moves into the property