Tilburg’s city council agreed to introduce an annual levy from 1 April 2027 for buildings that have been vacant for more than 12 months. The measure was proposed by PRO, CDA, Lokaal Tilburg, SP and 50PLUS, despite an initial recommendation against it from the mayor and aldermen’s college. PRO said around 500 homes in Tilburg had been vacant for more than six months.

The levy is intended to encourage owners who deliberately leave properties empty to put them back into use. Exceptions or exemptions may apply, including when a renovation takes longer than expected or an inheritance still needs to be settled. The parties had initially aimed to introduce the measure on 1 January 2027, but alderman Buck-Veldhoven said that date was not feasible.