Empty properties
Empty homes can be a valuable tool if they are brought back into use. They can help to minimise the number of new homes that need to be built each year and provide much needed homes.
Poorly maintained empty properties attract vermin, cause damp and other problems for neighbouring properties and are a magnet for vandals, squatters, drug dealers and arsonists. Empty homes which are simply left, can restrict housing supply, detract from the quality of the local environment, cause significant problems for local residents and reduce the value of adjoining properties.
What help can I get for my empty home?
That is why the Government and the independent Empty Homes Agency are working with local authorities and encouraging them to help property owners to bring their privately owned empty homes back into use. This can take the form of offering incentives such as grants or loans, or advice on selling, leasing and tax issues. Click here for information on incentives In the Greater Norwich region and how we could use your property for private renting through our Greater Norwich Leasing Scheme.
Apart from the help from your local authority, if you own an empty home you are entitled to VAT relief on certain renovation costs associated with bringing a property back into use. If the property has been empty for 3 years or more the standard rate of VAT is reduced (contact your local authority to obtain a letter to state how long the property has been unoccupied). There are also other exemptions with regard to VAT, such as properties which are listed. Click here to find out more.
What happens if I just leave the property empty?
Your local authority will depend on your good will and co-operation to effectively bring your property back into use. However, your local authority may resort to enforcement action if you have not cooperated and brought your property back into use. Local authorities have for many years been able to call upon statutory last resort powers to require the sale or renovation of empty homes. The most commonly known powers are compulsory purchase and enforced sale. More recently, the Government has introduced an alternative last resort power - Empty Dwelling Management Orders (EDMO).
If a property has been left uninhabited for six months or more, the council may apply for an EDMO, if it is apparent that you have no intention of bringing the property back into use. Once the order has been made, the council effectively acts as the owner and will take steps to ensure that it is re-occupied. However, there are a number of important safeguards to ensure that the property rights of owners are respected.
Can Empty Dwelling Management Orders apply to homes where the owner has recently died?
An EDMO cannot be made whilst a property is going through probate following the death of a property owner or six months after probate has been obtained. Neither can it be made if the new owner wants to sell the property or has plans to bring it back into use in another way.