The following types of properties are exempt from council:
- An unoccupied property owned and previously used by a charity. The maximum exemption period is 6 months
- An unoccupied property which was the previous residence of someone now detained in custody
- An unoccupied property which was the previous residence of someone who has moved permanently into a residential home or hospital to receive care
- An unoccupied property which is waiting for probate or letters of administration to be granted. The maximum exemption is for 6 months after probate or letters of administration have been granted
- A property which is unoccupied because the law forbids occupation
- An unoccupied property reserved for a minister of religion
- An unoccupied property which was the previous residence of someone who has permanently moved into another property (not a residential home or hospital) to receive personal care
- An unoccupied property which was the previous residence of someone who has permanently moved away to provide personal care to another person
- An unoccupied property which was the previous residence of someone who is now a full time qualifying student and who now lives elsewhere
- An unoccupied property where the mortgage lender is in possession
- Student halls of residence
- A property occupied only by full time qualifying students
- An armed forces barracks
- Accommodation for visiting forces and dependents
- An unoccupied property which is controlled by the trustee in bankruptcy following insolvency proceedings
- A vacant caravan pitch or boat mooring
- A property occupied only by people aged under 18 years
- An unoccupied annex which may not be let separately without a breach of planning control
- An occupied property where all of the residents are deemed to be severely mentally impaired, as confirmed by a registered medical practitioner
- A property occupied by a foreign diplomat
- An annex occupied by a dependent elderly or disabled relative
The above classes are only a broad summary of the legislation. Within each class there may be a number of conditions which have to be met before the exemption is satisfied
