Council Tax dwellings: April 2018 to March 2019

Main points

• The total number of dwellings liable for council tax in Wales for 2018-19, is expected to rise by 5,227 or 0.4% over the previous year to 1,375,172. For calculating Revenue Support Grant, this total is equivalent to 1,233,371 band D dwellings. Vale of Glamorgan shows the highest increase of band D equivalent dwellings at 1.2%.
• Rhondda Cynon Taf has the highest number of band A dwellings (44,221). Blaenau Gwent has the highest proportion of dwellings in band A (59%), Monmouthshire has the lowest (1%).
• Around a third of dwellings in Wales receive a 25% discount, generally due to being occupied by only one person liable for council tax.
• There are 57,700 dwellings in Wales that are exempt from council tax. This represents 4% of all dwellings. The largest exempt category is empty and unfurnished at 17,659, followed by student dwellings at 16,555, with 5,839 dwellings being exempt as a result of being vacant on death.
• 6 local authorities are charging a long term empty home premium and 6 are charging a second home premium. 16,567 long term empty homes in Wales receive a 50% discount.