City offering drop-in clinics to support residential property owners with Vacant Unit Tax declarations

HAMILTON, ON – Starting next week, the City of Hamilton will offer in-person, drop-in clinics in each Ward, where staff will provide personal assistance to help residential property owners complete their Vacant Unit Tax declaration accurately and on time.

No reservations are required. Residential property owners just need to bring

their Notice to Declare Letter or most recent property tax bill, which contains the roll number and access code needed to complete their declaration. Clinics will be hosted at the following locations, dates and times.

Vacant Unit Tax Drop-in Clinic Schedule

Monday, March 17

Tuesday, March 18

Wednesday, March 19

Thursday, March 20

Monday, March 24

Tuesday, March 25

Wednesday, March 26

Thursday, March 27

Monday, March 31

Tuesday, April 1

Wednesday, April 2

Thursday, April 3

Declaration Reminders

All residential property owners are required to declare the occupancy status of their properties for the 2024 tax year by Wednesday, April 30, 2025. Failure to submit a declaration by the deadline will result in the residential unit being deemed vacant, and the Vacant Unit Tax will be applied.

Full details on the different ways that residential property owners can submit a declaration, including online, via phone, email, and by mail, are available online at hamilton.ca/VacantUnitTax.

Quick Facts

• The Vacant Unit Tax aims to increase the supply of housing in Hamilton by encouraging residential property owners to keep their properties occupied rather than vacant. Following the recovery of administrative costs, revenues generated from the Vacant Unit Tax will be reinvested into affordable housing initiatives.
• The Vacant Unit Tax applies to all properties classified as residential under the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC), including single-family detached, townhouses, row houses, and multi-family dwellings (duplexes to sixplexes). In Hamilton, this represents approximately 180,000 properties.
• To date, approximately 49 per cent of property owners have made their declarations, with 93 per cent completed using the online declaration portal.