Floods and water

We’ve launched a local flood relief scheme that offers financial support to Rutland households affected by the recent flooding.

This scheme offers a 100% Council Tax discount for up to three months if you were forced to leave your home because flooding made the property unliveable.

The property affected must be your main place of residence. Empty homes, second homes and holiday lets are not eligible.

About this scheme

Our locally-funded flood relief scheme offers:

• a Council tax discount of 100% for a maximum period of three months (1 January to 31 March 2025)
• if you are eligible, a credit will be applied to your Council Tax account
• if your account is in credit, a refund will be made to the taxpayer
• if you don’t pay your Council Tax by Direct Debit, we will contact you for bank details
• if your account is in debit, the credit will be applied to the account to reduce the sum owed - if the debt exceeds the award after the credit is applied the reduced sum remains payable
• only one discount will be awarded to an affected property

We can’t provide temporary accommodation to house families displaced by flood water.

Eligibility

You must meet the following conditions to qualify for locally-funded flood relief:

• the domestic property, subject to paying Council Tax, was internally flooded between 5 January 2025 and 7 January 2025
• the property was considered unliveable for more than 48 hours
• applications must be made by 15 March 2025 - we can’t consider any applications after this date
• the property must be the main home of the residents
• second homes, empty homes and holiday lets are not eligible
• businesses (rated properties) are not eligible
• flooding of gardens, garages and outbuildings is not eligible

Unliveable means key services like water, sewerage and power supplies were affected and there was significant damage to the property, leading you to vacate for more than 48 hours.

Make an application

We are already contacting households known to have been affected by the flooding, so they can submit information and evidence to apply for a Council Tax discount.

If you’re not already in touch with us about flooding inside your property and would like to apply for this Council Tax discount, please complete the application form below and return it by email to: ltaxation@rutland.gov.uk or by post to:

Rutland County Council
Local Flood Relief Scheme
Catmose
Oakham
Rutland
LE15 6HP

If you require a physical copy of the form, please contact our Customer Services team via email: enquiries@rutland.gov.uk or call: 01572 722 577.

Evidence can include photographs of internal flood damage, estimates from insurance companies of completion of remedial works and other correspondence with your insurer. We may inspect properties to check on validity of an application and remedial work in progress.

If your application is refused, you can submit an appeal in writing. This will be considered and a decision made within 14 days of the appeal being received. This decision will be final.