Civil & Administrative

#2026/169The Council Tax (Variation for Unoccupied Dwellings) (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2026

🇬🇧United Kingdom··Statutory Instrument·Medium Impact·View source ↗

AI-generated summary for informational purposes only. Not legal advice. See the original source for the authoritative text.

🇬🇧 English

This statutory instrument amends the Council Tax (Variation for Unoccupied Dwellings) (Scotland) Regulations 2013. It updates the powers and rules allowing Scottish local authorities to apply different council tax rates or discounts to properties that remain empty for long periods. The changes are made under section 33 of the Local Government in Scotland Act 2003 as amended by later housing legislation. The instrument was made on 24 March 2026, comes into force on 1 April 2026, and follows required consultation and parliamentary approval procedures.

AI-generated summary. May contain errors. Refer to official sources for legal decisions.

Key Changes

  • Amends the Council Tax (Variation for Unoccupied Dwellings) (Scotland) Regulations 2013
  • Updates rules for varying council tax on long-term empty properties
  • Comes into force on 1 April 2026

+ 3 more changes with Pro

Obligations

What this law requires

high

Scottish local authorities must implement the amended council tax variation rules for unoccupied dwellings as set out in the amended 2013 Regulations, effective from 1 April 2026

Scottish local authorities
operational
high

Scottish Ministers must consult associations of local authorities and other persons they deem fit before making regulations under section 33 of the Local Government in Scotland Act 2003

Scottish Ministers
operational
high

Scottish Ministers must lay a draft instrument before the Scottish Parliament and obtain approval by resolution before implementing regulations under section 33(6) of the Local Government in Scotland Act 2003

Scottish Ministers
operational

Affected Parties

Scottish local authoritiesowners of unoccupied dwellings+2 more…

Tags

council tax,unoccupied dwellings,empty homes