What is a completion notice?
A completion notice is a document that specifies the ‘completion date’ for new properties. It is the date on which the property becomes a dwelling for Council Tax purposes and is entered into the valuation list.
Where a domestic property is complete or is expected to be within 3 months, a completion notice will be issued to the ‘owner’ of the property. If work on a property is not yet completed, the completion notice can be served specifying the final completion date for the property.
How is a completion date decided?
Council officers visit and review dwellings that are being built or altered to gather evidence, in order to make the right decision.
The Council considers a property to have reached a stage of substantial completion when:
- The basic structure is complete (for example all external walls and roof are in place)
- Internal walls are built (these do not need to be plastered)
- Floors laid (screed or top coat of concrete not required)
- Internal stairs installed (if relevant, can also be a temporary staircase)
In order to be considered ready for banding, the following work does not need to have taken place:
- Internal decoration of the property, including the fitting of internal doors
- Final fitting of bathroom and kitchen units
- Final fitting of electrical fixtures, plug points and switches
- Final connection of water, gas and electricity (although services should be laid to the site)
What if a new build property is unoccupied
If the property is complete, the council will serve a completion notice on the owner as soon as practicable.
New properties, which are not occupied and unfurnished will be subject to a full charge when brought onto the Council Tax list, Wealden District Council no longer offer a discount for unoccupied and unfurnished properties as of the 1st of April 2023.
What if the new build property is occupied already?
A new dwelling does not require a completion notice once it becomes occupied. Instead the date that will be used to enter the property into the Council Tax list will be the date of occupation.
Appeals against a completion notice
If you do not agree with the date on the completion notice that has been issued, you should contact us in the first instance, using the contact details that can be found on the completion notice you have been issued.
If you still wish to appeal the completion notice after contacting us, you should appeal to the Valuation Tribunal Service, within 28 days of receiving the notice For more information please visit the Valuation Tribunal website