Empty homeowners across Rushcliffe are being urged to bring their property back into use with a range of assistance from Rushcliffe Borough Council (RBC).
As part of the national Empty Homes Week this week, the authority is again appealing to property owners to use the advice and help on offer in line with its Empty Homes Strategy.
Unoccupied homes can be detrimental to the lives of those in local communities and can cause problems such as vandalism, anti-social behaviour and nuisance and reduce the value of surrounding properties.
The Council offers a range of advice and support tools to assist owners over their empty home hurdle including:
- Free property appraisal, including current value, rental value if habitable and cost of refurbishment works
- Links to estate agents and property investors, in order to find the most appropriate sale route for the owner
- Links with letting agents to advise on letting the property to family units, students, or as a House of Multiple Occupancy (HMO)
- Advice on upgrades to the property, to ensure all current regulatory standards are adhered to
- Advice on VAT and tax implications of being a landlord
- Guidance on the reduced rate of VAT on refurbishments of properties empty over two years
- A referral to other Council departments, such as planning or housing standards where necessary.
RBC also has a dedicated Empty Homes Officer who is helping to put empty properties in the Borough back into use by identifying their homeowners and working with them to take action to prevent waste resources.
The Council’s Cabinet Portfolio Holder for Planning and Housing Cllr Roger Upton said: “This year’s National Empty Homes Week is celebrating the benefits of turning an empty home back into use which can help local people live healthier, better lives.
“It also highlights the environmental benefits of turning empty homes back into a liveable state for a sustainable and greener future.
“Our Empty Homes Officer Claudia Bowring is helping to promote the importance of dealing with empty homes and is working directly with homeowners to bring any derelict and abandoned properties within Borough back into use.
“Whether a property is struggling to sell, needs repairs to make it habitable, or is in the process of going through probate, there are often difficult and substantial reasons why homes remain empty but we’re here to help.
“Where an owner has plans for the property, and is actively implementing them,
we still make contact to see if we can further assist the plans to ensure they stay on track.”
If an owner fails to respond to repeated attempts to contact them, and there are no signs that the property will be occupied in the near future, the Council can consider a range of enforcement options.
They include compulsory purchase orders, an empty dwelling management order, enforced sale to recover debt or improvement notices where the Council can carry out the improvement works if the owner fails to themselves.
Residents who have a query on an empty home, are an empty home owner and want advice, or who wish to report an empty home can email emptyhomes@rushcliffe.gov.uk or visit https://www.rushcliffe.gov.uk/emptyhomes to find out more.
