Empty Property Grants

There are over a million empty properties in the UK and through simply renovating them, the housing shortage issue could be significantly reduced. However, for many it is very difficult to find such properties, unless you simply happen to pass one, but once you do then there is help at hand to aid the renovation project.

If you do happen to stumble across one and are interested in renovating it, then the first thing you should do is contact the Land Registry. This will allow you to find out who the owner of the property is. It is sometimes the case that empty properties are part of a planning application, which you should also find out by contacting your local council.

Although, just because you may have found an empty property, doesn’t necessarily mean you can buy it. Even if the owner is willing to sell, you may come up against the council who often offer properties that are in deprived areas to those that are residents, or have a business in the area. In these cases, the potential owner would have to sign an agreement stating that they would stay in the area for a specified period.

This may seem like a bit of a hassle, but in return the council offer grants to help with the renovation costs. Renovation grants were introduced to provide financial assistance towards substantial repairs or improvements that need to be made to a property to make it fit for human habitation.

Homeowners, landlords and, in some cases, tenants, have access to a renovation grant, but they do come with very strict guidelines.

Granting Eligibility

These grants are provided at the discretion of your local authority and are means-tested. This basically means that the amount you will receive is dependent on your income, so the more you earn the less the grant will be.

There is, however, a maximum amount that can be awarded and this is £20,000 for owner-occupiers and tenants and between £10,000 and £15,000 per unit for landlords, although, this is dependent on the landlords overall plan of letting of the property.

To be eligible for the grant, the property itself must have been built more than 10 years ago, can’t be a second or holiday home and, in the case of owner-occupier applications, it has to have been occupied by you for at least three years before you make the initial grant request.

There are also some conditions to the grants being offered which have to be adhered to for 10 years by owner-occupiers and five years for landlords. If the conditions are breached at any point during this time then the grant must be repaid to the council that awarded it. This also applies if the property is sold within the condition period.

Work in Progress

Renovations that qualify for a grant are, basically, those that are needed to improve the property up to the Decent Homes standard. This can include improvements such as damp proofing, re-roofing, the replacement of windows and doors or improving insulation and heating.

When you apply to your local authority for a renovation grant, you will need to provide them with some additional details. These include, two itemised estimates for the work that you wish to carry out, plans and specs if they are necessary and a deed of agreement document. This information will then be supported by an application form that you can get directly from your local authority.

If you need any form of consent, whether it be planning permission, building regulation approval or listed building consent, then you must have approval from the relevant bodies before making an application for the renovation grant. The main thing that you must remember is that the renovation grant will not be awarded for any work that has already been started on a property, so make this your first stop!

Help For Landlords

If you own a property and it has been empty for more than one year, you have the option of being able to let it to council-nominated tenants on a long term lease - usually between five and ten years. If you do this, you could be eligible for an Empty Property grant.

This form of funding covers 50 per cent of the cost of renovation work, including any heating or insulation work. The grant can also be used for properties that are in a substantial state of disrepair or to convert a property from being a single household to a multi household.