Empty properties are costing Kirklees more than £264,000.

Business rates for 33 empty properties are pulling on the purse strings, with the overall bill topping £159,397 this year.

And empty council houses cost £105,017 last year, which has to be bourne by Kirklees Neighbourhood Housing.

The figures can be revealed as Kirklees Council looks to off-load some of its property portfolio to save cash. In June, Kirklees Cabinet backed plans to sell-off 45 council plots or buildings at auction in a bid to generate £25m .

And Clr Mehboob Khan, council leader, warned there could be more council-owned buildings added to for sale list.

He said: “We have to pay business rates on empty properties just like everyone else has to, we’re not exempt from this, it applies to the council as much as the public sector, NHS and the police.

“The buildings we are selling off will save us money on rates and bring some revenue in.

“More buildings will be sold off as we continue to improve the efficiencies in our estate and when we have to cut services buildings will be sold if they’re not needed.”

Clr Khan said town halls and civic offices would be exempt from being added to the auctioneer’s list, but office accommodation which is used to deliver front-line services could be at risk.

“We’ll consider for sale what is appropriate to be sold as we consolidate the council’s costs.” he added.”

In 2013, Kirklees will pay out the £159,397 in business rates on 33 empty non-housing properties – the highest amount in three years – out of a total of 588 council-owned buildings.

In 2011, just  £17,263 was paid – but the figure was so low because a large number of refunds were given. In 2012 the figure topped £139,031.

Council tax on empty homes has varied in the last three years – in the 2011/12 financial year£99,640 was paid for empty homes.

A further £105,017 was paid in 2012/13 and so far this year the bill has reached £12,829.

Despite the pressures on social housing, of the 19,632 houses and apartments there are 356 empty.

But there are reasons for that – some are awaiting a decision on demolition or disposal while some face repairs or adaptations to make them liveable or more suitable.