Empty Properties
Helping owners of empty properties to bring them back into use
Our officers are using their resources and enforcement powers to bring empty homes back into use. They are able to offer free advice and help to owners of empty homes. If you own an empty home, they can discuss a range of options to bring your property back into use. Any advice is given free of charge.
Our Empty Property officers work with many organisations, e.g. Housing Associations, Developers, Letting Agents, Social Services, Educational Establishments and Accredited Private Landlords. Between them, they have a wide range of expertise and a wealth of knowledge in issues regarding privately owned housing.
Why are empty homes an issue?
Empty homes may cause several problems:
- They can attract crime and anti-social behaviour
- They can have a negative impact on the image of an area
- They can devalue surrounding homes
- They cost us money to maintain through the loss of Council Tax revenue
- They are a wasted asset for owners.
- They deny homes to those in need, e.g. homeless and vulnerable people
- Empty homes increase the pressure for new housing in our green and rural areas.
What are the options for owners?
- To get the property reoccupied by family or friends
- To rent out the property and manage it themselves or through a letting or managing agent.
- To become accredited through Oldham Council’s Landlord Accreditation Scheme.
- To sell the property to an owner/occupier, agent, developer or housing association.
Other options are available. Contact our
Empty Properties Officers for further advice
What is the aim of the Empty Property Officers?
By bringing empty homes back into use, we aim to:
- help to provide safer and more attractive places to live
- provide good quality housing.
- support area regeneration programmes.
- improve the local environment, and attract further investment into the area
- ensure that housing needs of different types of people are met
- minimise housing development in our green and rural areas
Do you want to find out who owns an empty property?
If you are interested in an empty property and you want to find out who the current owners are, you should contact the
Land Registry, Lytham Office on 01253 849849. They will carry out a search on your behalf, and this will usually identify the owner. Please note there is normally a charge for their service.
Postal Contact: Land Registry, Lytham Office, Birkenhead House, East Beach, Lytham St. Annes, Lancashire, FY8 5AB
Website:
www.landregistry.gov.uk
Tel: 01253 849849;
Fax: 01253 840001
Do Oldham Council have an Empty Homes Strategy document I can look at?
The Council have recently introduced the
Empty Homes Strategy 2007-2009. This document details exactly how the Council plan to deal with the issue of empty homes over this period.
Enforcement
It is important to note that our Officers have enforcement powers where owners aren’t willing to communicate with them to help in bringing a property back into use. There are various enforcement routes which can be taken, and we will target problematic properties in particular.
Obviously, we are sensitive to issues where houses are empty for a good reason, i.e. where the owner is currently in a nursing home for example. These types of properties will not be targeted where we find that this is the case.
Reductions in Council Tax
From 1 April 2008, the 50% reduction in Council Tax charge for homes empty over 6 months will no longer apply. This is an incentive for owners to bring them back into use. Properties unfurnished and empty less than 6 months will still have no Council Tax payable.
There are some instances where properties may still qualify for the reduction after 6 months. Some of the exemptions which might affect a typical homeowner are as follows:
- Where the owner is a permanent resident in a residential/nursing home (provided they were the last occupier of the property)
- Where the owner had died, and their estate is in probate (also exempt for up to 6 months after probate has been granted)
- Where the property has been repossessed
There are other exemptions also. If you would like to clarify whether you are entitled to an exemption, please contact 0161-770 6622.
Do you know who owns these properties?
Our officers are trying to find the owners of these empty properties, as the Land Registry searches have proved unsuccessful:
- 25 Brookfield Street, Oldham OL8 1DD
- 52 Crete Street, Oldham OL8 1PG
- 69 Crete Street, Oldham
- 1 Markwood, Delph, Oldham OL3 5EE
- 213 Waterloo Street, Oldham OL4 1ES
Please email
empty.properties@oldham.gov.uk if you are able to help at all.
Would you like to know more?
- For information, or to report an empty property which is causing problems for your neighbourhood, contact our officers on 0161-770-4451/1663 or email empty.properties@oldham.gov.uk
- For advice regarding Council Tax exemptions, please contact 0161-770 6622.