Financial support for owners
We offer free independent advice to owners of empty properties on ways of bringing their properties back into use. If you own an empty property and are not sure what to do with it the following are some of the options available
Renovation grants may be available where substantial works are required to the dwelling to make a dwelling fit to live in. To be eligible, the property:
- must be within Council Tax bands A to D
- currently not meeting the fitness standard for a habitable dwelling.
The grant assistance available is £4500 per bedroom for any empty property which meet the above criteria and the type of property is identified as a need by our housing options team.
Are there any conditions attached to the grants?
In return for the financial assistance provided there are various conditions attached.
- the property must be let for 5 years from the completion of the grant.
- the landlord must accept nominations of suitable tenants from the council.
For each dwelling the details of three tenants from our waiting list would be provided. The landlord would then choose the most appropriate:
- the rent level will be set in line with the local housing allowance rates for the area, to make it affordable to households in receipt of housing benefit
- the landlord must accept a written bond or a cash deposit bond from the council, where a cash deposit bond is paid this must be held in an approved tenancy deposit scheme
- all tenants must be issued with an Assured Shorthold tenancy (AST).