The City of Ottawa issued a statement today regarding the start of the application of the Vacant Unit Tax, stating that an important notice of the Vacant Unit Tax (VUT) will be sent to mailboxes or inboxes of homeowners during the next week for each property they own.

This will provide information such as the registration number and access code and will specify the next steps in submitting the required occupancy status declaration for the 2022 calendar year.

Declarations must be submitted between January and March 16, 2023, where property owners must provide some basic information about the occupancy of their properties, including whether it was their primary residence.

It will only take a few minutes to submit the declaration online at ottawa.ca/vut.

To access the declaration form, you must enter your file number and access code which will be mailed in the coming days or can be found on the last tax bill.

Owners of My ServiceOttawa accounts can also log into their accounts and complete the declaration without needing to enter the registration number or access code.

If you had a property vacant for 184 days or more in 2022, you can indicate whether any of the following exemptions apply:

The death of a registered owner who was the property owner in a hospital or long-term care facility.

Sale of the property without restrictions, specific court orders prohibiting occupation or sale or leasing of the property, renovations.

Or expanded constructions used as a cottage rental with a valid permit for at least 100 days. If the property was vacant and not eligible for an exemption, it may be subject to a fee of one percent of the current assessed value of the property in the final property tax bill for 2023.

Declarations will be audited for accuracy.

Homeowners will also be required to submit a declaration each year, between January and mid-March.

The city has declaration options for those who need accessibility-related support or for those without a computer or internet connection.

More information will be provided in January.

The municipality said that revenues from the Vacant Unit Tax will help fund affordable housing initiatives, according to the city's ten-year affordable housing and homelessness plan, which is committed to capital funding to build up to 500 new affordable units annually.