Property owners, landlords and tenants

New properties and completion notices

A completion notice tells you the date you must start paying Council Tax. This is the expected completion date for the property.  We issue completion notices up to 3 months in advance.

How we decide on a completion date

The property will need to be near completion before it’s eligible for Council Tax. We visit and review homes that are under construction and determine a completion date when the: 

  • structure is complete
  • internal walls are up 
  • floors are down
  • installation of electrical cables and hidden wiring is complete
  • water, gas and electricity supplies are connected. This is sometimes agreed in advance if the developer has a date set for the connection

We may send a completion notice in advance, even if the work is incomplete. This includes:  

  • internal decoration 
  • bathroom and kitchen final fitting
  • the installation of electrical cables, back boxes, and hidden wiring is complete

The property is complete but unoccupied

We will issue a completion to the property owner when the property is almost complete.  This could be three months before completion. The property owner must pay the full Council Tax bill, even if unoccupied and unfurnished. 

Find out more about empty houses

Appeal a completion notice

A completion notice tells you the date to start paying Council Tax, as we believe the work will be complete. 

You may get a completion notice if we think: 

  • your new build home is complete 
  • you’re making significant improvements to your home

How to appeal a completion notice

Last Modified: 09/10/2023 13:13:30