Owners of hundreds of empty Lewisham homes will from April be charged double the amount of council tax, in a move expected to generate more than £400k over the next 12-months for the cash-strapped council.

Lewisham Council was previously able to charge a 50 per cent premium on empty homes, but the council’s plans include charging a further 200 per cent from April 2020 and, increasing to 300 per cent from April 2021.

The levy, which has been amended in local government legislation, involves homes which have been empty for two years or more.

This year’s increase is expected to raise £458,418 and push property owners to rent their empty homes.

A 200 per cent increase in 2020 would raise a further £917,000 for the council.

Lewisham Council cabinet member for housing, Cllr Paul Bell, said: “Ideally we would like these properties brought back into use instead of laying empty while families struggle to find affordable homes in the borough.

“In Lewisham, we will be doing everything possible to bring empty homes back into use. We are sending a very clear message that with the housing crisis and people facing being forced out of their homes, society cannot accept long-term empty homes.”

The rate of council tax you pay is determined by the market value of your home.

The legislation allows for homes to be empty for four weeks.

Council tax collection has been “steady” in recent years, but “remains challenging in the current uncertain economic environment” according to council documents.

Between April and June last year, 25,242 people were receiving some form of council tax relief, according to Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government figures.