Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps the Government has taken to tackle owners of empty residential properties relabelling those properties as second homes to avoid the empty home Council Tax surcharge.

The administration of council tax, including the premium on long-term empty properties, is the responsibility of local government. Local authorities have their own inspection and enforcement regimes in order to satisfy themselves as to whether a property should be subject to a premium.