We were contacted by an owner in the middle of renovating a late relative’s property they inherited. With work costing more than they thought the project progressed more slowly than planned. The unoccupied property premium, also known as the levy, had been applied to their Council Tax bill. They also experienced further delays due to personal circumstances and the pandemic. Our advisers discussed the possibility of requesting discretion on the levy based on their circumstances. Discretion had been applied previously, so the owner was unsure if a further period would be granted. Whilst discretion is not guaranteed, our advisers helped draft a letter for them highlighting further extenuating circumstances. The owner’s review request was successful, and they received a refund of the Council Tax levy already paid. This helped give the owners some breathing space with work continuing to turn the property into their home.