The abandoned mansions of London

It is also unfair that banding varies in different Councils but it is not always true that poorer areas have higher banding. I have just downsized to a cheaper and smaller house in a more expensive area and have moved from a D to F banding.

It is also a huge stumbling block (to say the least) for those trying to sell.

Myself and some fellow residents all got together and complained to our LA that we felt we had been conned and stuck in bands that do not and will never, reflect the real value of our homes. As I have said previously there are houses worth considerably more in much lower bands. We were basically told to "shut up and go away".

It does seem mean, I agree.
I pay pennies under £1500 pa on a 2 bedroom flat over two floors with bathroom, sitting room, kitchen, hall and utility rooms plus a 'courtyard/patio' area outside.
That is before the 25% single person discount is applied.
I rang my local council tax department to check my facts before writing the comment and they confirmed that the idea of re-rating properties was dropped when the true costs were realised and there is no prospect of the idea being revisited in my lifetime.

Yes they do set their own bands Gabriella which again is why those in poorer areas pay so much more than those in wealthy areas. A loose, loose situation.

Ironically though the councils with the multi million £ mansions are usually the ones that don't have high council taxes at all and certainly don't lack funds.

IMO, each council sets their own level of banding.
Bands ABCDE in one area would not be the same amount in every council area in every part of the country.

New builds are rated according to newer guidelines which is why there is often a stark difference between a two bed terrace and a million pound mansion, the former paying a higher level of council tax

Which is exactly the "trap" we have fallen into been pushed into GabriellaG paying a much higher level of CT than houses worth 5 times more in the same town.

When we downsized into this house we were told that ALL houses in the UK were being re-banded in the following year and everything would then be brought inline. This was later abandoned and we have been left stuck with this unfair and desperately incorrect banding .

If the government wasn't spending all its time quarrelling about Brexit they could be addressing the unjust land ownership situation we have in our country.
Empty shops owned by absentee landlords who still get to make a profit on their properties when they come to sell. It is a scandal. There are Buy-to-leave landlords. It's cheaper for them to have the property empty than to bother with letting it out.
I don't think people should be allowed to leave a property empty for a long time - even holiday cottages.

One of the issues is the levels of Council Tax. Band A properties pay around £1000 per year and the top Band H is around £3000 per year. A Band H house will be nice, maybe four bedrooms detached but not a mansion. There should be higher bands for very valuable houses and this would also help the Councils lack of funds.

Correct me if I'm wrong (which I'm sure someone will) but I have long held the impression that CT reflected the amount spent on amenities. Policing, fire service, libraries, rubbish collection, road and public place cleansing, etc.
The more businesses in an area, the less council tax is paid.
Westminster has the lowest rate of council tax in the country.
What was determined to be the 'rateable' value of a property years ago would now be much much more, however, the cost of the exercise to revalue properties would negate the higher charges which would subsequently be imposed.
New builds are rated according to newer guidelines which is why there is often a stark difference between a two bed terrace and a million pound mansion, the former paying a higher level of council tax.
BTW, it is your local borough councillors who set your council tax levels.

There's a building near us which has been left to rot. Absent owner. The council know about it but after literally years have only just got round to tracing the owner who has pleaded poverty!
The local gossip has it anyway that the council can tell him to repair it but if he refuses they will do the repàirs and send him the bill.
At the rate of progress it will be a local eyesore for the foreseeable future.
I think it should be compulsory purchased.

What I find obscene is the fact that houses worth tens of £millions in very well off boroughs, often attract much lower council tax than those worth a tiny fraction in the poorer boroughs like mine.

I was just thinking that gillybob. Only £3000pa? Bargain!

gilly the council tax on those houses would be around £3,000 pa

Is that all Riverwalk ? Blimey that's obscene considering what mine is !

As someone said vacant homes should have double or triple the normal council tax for that type of house in that type of area !!

gilly the council tax on those houses would be around £3,000 pa!

Looking at some of the graffiti on the walls I suspect there have been squatters EllanVannin although I think they have high security these days.

It's funny the squatters haven't moved in, although if they've seen it on the internet word will soon get around.

There are areas in Northumberland who have had huge problems with people buying holiday homes and leaving them empty for months on end, sucking the life blood from the area and pricing the locals out of the market. One area in particular has now put very strict restrictions on house purchases. Things like owner occupation etc. and it seems to do the trick.

They probably wouldn't spit on a mere millionaire these days Bellanonna !

Ironically I bet the council tax on them is less than what I pay for my 2 bedroom terrace in Tyneside.

When all's said and done, one cannot simply commandeer properties because they are not lived in most of the time, regardless of homelessness and the supposed paucity of housing stock.
I would tend to agree - where would this end? Holiday homes in areas like Cornwall are a problem too, some villages are deserted most of the years and young people driven out because they cannot afford the house prices which have risen as a consequence. Would they be commandeered too?
The issue is that there is not enough decent affordable housing to rent.
These mansions should be subject to a much higher rate of council tax which could be used to provide homes for those in need.

That road used to be called Millionares Row. It obviously needed upgrading.

I do believe that councils should be able to order owners to maintain their properties to an acceptable standard, however, it probably isn't cost effective to investigate who the owners are, as many overseas owners have assets in 'wrappers' for tax purposes.
Sorting it out could be a bit like unwinding a cat's cradle.
With most of society, councils do have the power to restore to a habitable condition, abandoned houses where the owner has not responded to requests to do so.
The owner is then billed by the council.
Whether that results in said councils getting their outlay back is another matter.
When all's said and done, one cannot simply commandeer properties because they are not lived in most of the time, regardless of homelessness and the supposed paucity of housing stock.
It would take huge amounts of money to convert mansions into individual studios or flats with separate gas, electricity and water supplies as well as the structural aspects.
Another consideration is area. Would other properties suffer a fall in value?
If many of the occupants were receiving benefits, that would be a double whammy for the council.
It's a shame to see beautiful properties not being looked after but there is a lot of legal stuff involved which councils may not want to or cannot afford to get involved in.

Money laundering.