Empty. Homes. Team. Newsletter December 2014 SERVICE OVERVIEW NATIONAL EMPTY HOMES WEEK OF ACTION

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1 Empty Homes Team Newsletter December 2014 SERVICE OVERVIEW The Empty Homes Team operates both a reactive and proactive service to tackle the problem of privately owned empty homes across the City. The team works with owners of long term problematic empty homes in a bid to try and get the properties brought back into use as soon as possible. If offers of support and assistance fail, the team are able to consider the use of enforcement options if necessary. The team consists of a Manager, three Empty Homes Officers and an Environmental Health Officer. Two Empty Home Officers are patch based, one being responsible for cases in the North and one for the South of the city. The third officer deals with empty homes with debt attached that is owed to the council. This includes Council Tax & Sundry debt invoices. In relation to Council Tax an equitable charge can be registered against the property which can lead to an Order for Sale being requested if the debt remains unpaid. An enforced sale can be requested for sundry debt invoices that remain outstanding. The Environmental Health Officer who can use statutory provisions under the Housing Act 2004 to service enforcement notices under the Housing, Health and Safety Rating System. The officer will use most appropriate statutory powers within the Housing Act 2004 available at the time to ensure long term empty properties are brought back into use. If you own an empty property and would like some assistance or advice bringing it back into use, please get in touch and a member of the team will be happy to help you. There are low interest loans and match funded grants available to help you to complete the required work on the property. Further information and contact details can be found later on in this newsletter. NATIONAL EMPTY HOMES WEEK OF ACTION This newsletter is being distributed throughout National Empty Homes Week (1 st to 5 th December 2014) to empty home owners within the City. Stoke-on-Trent City Council estimates that of the 4,395 empty homes in the City, 2,465 have been empty for over 6 months. It is essential, we maximise the use of empty homes to provide additional accommodation and at the same time reduce the negative impact that empty homes can have on the community. There are 4395 empty properties in the City of Stokeon-Trent 1

2 ADVICE AND ASSISTANCE FOR LANDLORDS AND OWNERS OF EMPTY HOMES What advice and help is available? We understand that returning an empty home to use can be very stressful and overwhelming. Our Empty Homes Team are here to provide you with tailored advice and support when returning your property to use. We can help you make the most of your property and provide advice and assistance to meet your needs. General advice Identify the most suitable use for your property Advice on the local housing market and demand for properties Advice on legal issues that could affect your property Renovation advice Help to identify the different funding options available Assistance to identify local contractors and suppliers Advice on renovating empty properties Selling your property Signposting to Registered Social Landlords who may be interested in buying empty properties. Access to a list of accredited landlords wishing to purchase empty properties Advice and assistance on selling properties at auction or on the open market Letting your property Help to identify a local letting agent Advice on becoming an accredited landlord Assistance to find suitable tenants Council rent deposit schemes Did you know Empty properties can lead to: Antisocial behaviour and crime such as vandalism, arson and fly tipping Fewer houses being available to the people who need them most Anxiety for owners and neighbours A blight on the environment Loss of rental income and council tax revenue for owners Increased costs for the owner, the City Council and other public services Did you know Benefits of bringing empty properties back into use include: The appearance of the neighbourhood improves Extra housing is made available to the people who need it most A reduction in crime an anti-social behaviour Income from rent No longer responsible for council tax if renting out the property Peace of mind and increased security 2

3 How much could I save every year? LOFT AND CAVITY WALL INSULATION Annual saving Detached Semidetached Mid-terrace Bungalow Flat Cavity wall insulation Loft insulation (0-270mm) (Source, Energy Saving Trust) If you are interested in finding out if any schemes are running in your area, please contact: British Gas Installation NOT income based - no financial contribution required N-Power Installation is income based and a financial contribution may be required EDF Energy Installation is income based and a financial contribution may be required Scottish Power Installation is income based and a financial contribution may be required E-On Energy Installation is income based and a financial contribution may be required Scottish Southern Energy Installation is income based and a financial contribution may be required For general insulation information contact the Energy Savings Trust on or

4 CLUSTERS PROGRAMME 1 houses The Council s Clusters of Empty Homes Programme has received worldwide recognition for its innovative approach to bringing long term empty homes back into use. This programme looks to address housing and social issues in a traditional area of the city. The Portland Street area of Hanley has been in decline for a number of years; with low housing demand; poor housing conditions, high levels of vacancy and extreme social issues; including crime, vandalism and fly tipping. The Clusters Programme has taken over from the Housing Market Renewal Grant Programme to address the issues in this area. Instead of demolishing the 33 terraced houses transferred into Council ownership following the termination of the Housing Market Renewal Grant, the Council decided to sell them for 1 and a 30,000 low interest loan to households who would be willing to commit to living in the area for at least 5 years. The Council set strict criteria for those considering applying. Applicants bought the properties with the knowledge that they would not be able to sell within 5 years and any sale within 10 years would result in them paying back much of the profit on a reducing percentage during the ten years. After ten years of commitment, owners can sell and keep all their capital gain. Now all 33 properties have been allocated. Most of the families have moved in and are now working together with partners to improve their community. They are working to make the Portland Street area into a community; a place where people feel safe, happy and healthy. The team are currently on target to achieve 124 properties back into use during the current scheme. Interest Free Loans Building upon the success of the Clusters of Empty Homes 1 scheme, the Council is offering an Interest Free Loan and small Grant to owners of empty homes across the city. The maximum loan available is 20,000 to be repaid over 10 years. To be eligible the property must be located in Stoke-on-Trent and have been empty for longer than six months. The Council will inspect the property and draw up a list of works and help and advise owners on the renovations. Owners can select their own contractors to undertake the works. For more information on the loan product please contact or visit If you are interested in applying for a loan or grant, please see the guidance booklet for further information and complete the enquiry form found on and return it to Housing Standards Team, People Directorate, Stoke-On-Trent City Council, Civic Centre, Glebe Street, Stoke-On-Trent. ST4 1HH. Alternatively you can attend one of the drop in sessions throughout January and February For more information, see page 9. 4

5 LANDLORD ACCREDITATION SCHEME The Landlord Accreditation Scheme is run as a partnership between the scheme operators, which include: Stoke-on-Trent City Council Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council Stafford Borough Council Staffordshire Moorlands District Council The aim of the scheme is to improve the physical and management standards in the private rented sector. This will be achieved by providing encouragement, support and incentives to members. We will also work with accredited landlords and publicly recognise that they are willing to achieve and adhere to good property standards. There are several benefits in joining the scheme to include: Recognition that you are a landlord providing a good standard of accommodation. Access to information and advice at a half day Landlord Development seminar. Market advantage when letting a property. Free advertisement and promotion of your vacant properties on the Scheme s website: landlordaccreditation.co.uk Discounted landlord training events. Access to discounts from local participating companies. Improved access to other local authority departments and services, for instance, Housing Benefits, Empty Homes Team, Grants. Co-operation, support and advice from the Scheme Operators on all aspects of private renting. Provision of a certificate to promote and provide proof of your membership to the Scheme. Periodic inspections of properties registered with the scheme to offer advice on standards and ensure that they meet the Scheme requirements. Quarterly newsletter Empty Property Matching Service Empty Homes Accredited Landlord Grants 2014/2015 Stoke-on-Trent City Council has recently been given City Wide approval to supply match funded assistance for long term empty property owners. This consists of a grant up to a maximum of 5,000. In order to be eligible for the grant you must own the property, that has been empty for 6 months or more and be a current member of the Landlord Accreditation Scheme: North & Central Staffordshire. Please contact the Landlord Accreditation Team on (01782) or us at mail@landlordaccreditation.co.uk if you require any further information 5

6 CASE STUDIES Case Study 1 Charging order Both of the mid terraced two bedroom properties were in need of extensive renovation, the properties were unoccupied for four, and twenty years respectively. Members of the community were being affected by the poor condition of both properties and regular complaints were being received by the City Council. Empty Homes Officers contacted the owner to establish their intentions in relation to both properties. The Empty Homes Team offered the owner a range of available options to bring the property back into service and eventually used the relevant enforcement tool to force a sale of the property due to the large amount of council tax arrears attached to both properties. The properties were vested into the ownership of Stoke-On-Trent City Council and were placed into auction. A caveat was included in the sale stipulating strict terms to bring the properties back into use within a set timescale. Both properties sold to a new owner who carried out the required improvement works under the regular supervision of the Empty Homes Team. The properties were eventually brought back into use and remain occupied. 6

7 CASE STUDIES Case Study 2 Landlord Accreditation Grant In February 2013 the tenant of this property made a complaint to the Housing Standards Team. A poor electrical storage heating system, disrepair in the Kitchen and Bathroom and areas of damp were the main problems. Following the complaint, the tenants moved out of the property and it subsequently remained empty for 6 months, leaving the owner not sure on how to tackle the issue of the empty property. The Empty Homes Team approached the owner and worked with him to apply for a Landlord Accreditation Grant through the Landlord Accreditation Scheme: North & Central Staffordshire. The match funded grant helped the owner install a new Central Heating System, repair the poor chimney construction, a contributing factor to the areas of damp, and a new kitchen and bathroom. Once all the works had been completed the property was in perfect condition, helping to provide excellent accommodation to a family who still reside there. A property truly worth the badge of the Landlord Accreditation Scheme: North & Central Staffordshire The team s achievements to date: The Empty Homes team have brought 574 long term empty homes back into use since 2006 using a number of traditional and innovative voluntary and enforcement tools This year s target The annual target for 2014/15 is to bring 150 properties back into use, as of November 2014 the current number of properties back into use stands at 119 which is ahead of target. In previous years, this target has been exceeded, which highlights the effective service that the Empty Homes Team provides. 7

8 ENFORCEMENT ACTION The Empty Homes Team will always endeavour to resolve cases through voluntary measures, it is however recognised that sometimes enforcement action is necessary. When a property is having a detrimental effect on the community and there is no commitment by the owner to remedy the problem, we will then decide upon which is the most appropriate type of enforcement action to take. The decision to use a particular power will be dependent upon the condition and location of the property, the circumstances of the owner and the level of public funding available to the local authority. All enforcement action will be in accordance with the City Council s Enforcement Policy. To date the team have obtained 8 Compulsory Purchase Orders. The decision is taken to carry out this type of action to increase the number of houses available in the area and to improve poor condition housing. The Council has the power to acquire houses or land compulsorily with the consent of the Secretary of State under section 17 of the Housing Act Since September 2012, the team have used powers to enforce council tax charging orders for the recovery of council tax arrears. Council tax debts for 19 long term empty properties have been registered via charging orders. Three of the long term empty properties were sold via an order from the court. The team has developed an enforced sales policy to enforce the sale of long term empty homes where there are debts registered and the owner is not willing to take action to bring the property back into use or to make arrangements to clear the debt. The team are currently working with the legal department to proceed with several cases. PUTTING OFF RENOVATING YOUR EMPTY PROPERTY WILL COST YOU MORE Empty Homes Council Tax Premium Recent changes to Council Tax law now allows Councils to use a long-term empty premium of 50% on domestic properties that have been empty for over 2 years, increasing the charge to 150% of the normal rate. Stoke-on-Trent City Council is one of many local authorities that have seized this opportunity to create an added incentive for empty properties to be returned to use. Properties that have been empty for a long time have the most detrimental effect on communities and can contribute to their decline. They often become targets of vandalism, theft and other antisocial behaviour. When their maintenance is neglected, they devalue along with neighbouring properties and so become increasingly difficult to return to use. The additional charge will apply to empty homes. However it may be that the owner still needs to renovate the property and to support these people, the Council has chosen to award exemption from Council Tax for up to 12 months while they undertake major repair works making them fit to live in. 8

9 KEEPING YOUR EMPTY HOME SAFE AND SECURE Managing your empty home Even if your empty property is in good condition now, empty properties are more likely to be at risk of vandalism and criminal damage, and to have higher maintenance and repair costs than occupied properties. While your property remains empty, it is important that you take the time to ensure it does not deteriorate. As a bare minimum you should ensure that it is secured and maintained and make every effort to ensure that it does not become a nuisance to neighbours. We recommend that you: Maintain gardens and exterior spaces Check the property regularly Repair any accidental damage or vandalism Hang curtains or blinds so it looks occupied Ensure property is adequately insured Leave a contact telephone number with neighbours Every effort should be made to prevent deterioration of your property, especially over the winter months when there are a number of increased risks. In particular, water pipes can freeze and split, and pipes can burst: when a property is empty this can go unnoticed for some considerable time. If a burst pipe leaks and water comes gushing through the ceiling, it can cause real damage to your home. Even worse, burst pipes and leaks can be complicated to fix, and repair work may involve digging up your lawn, tarmac or paving. Don t let your property become an easy target for metal theft. DROP IN SESSIONS FOR EMPTY HOME OWNERS If you are interested in speaking to a member of the Empty Homes Team for advice, or you are interested in discussing your empty home in more detail, we are holding a number of drop in sessions throughout January and February The sessions are booked for the following dates: Wednesday 07 th January :00 16:00 Wednesday 21 st January :00 16:00 Wednesday 04 th February :00 16:00 Wednesday 25 th February :00 16:00 All drop in sessions will be held at the Civic Centre, Glebe Street, Stoke-on- Trent. ST4 1HH. Please go to main reception and ask for a member of the Empty Homes team. For more information on crime prevention, please contact Staffordshire Police on 101 USEFUL CONTACTS Empty Homes Team Council Tax Planning Bond Scheme Landlord Accreditation Scheme North & Central Staffordshire

10 Empty Homes Team Housing Standards Floor 1 Civic Centre Glebe Street Stoke-on-Trent ST4 1HH housing.standards@stoke.gov.uk 10