As part of National Empty Homes Week, Wirral Council’s housing team have been offering residents and landlords support and advice on getting properties back into use.
In the last 5 years, the team have helped to bring over 1250 homes back to life ready for local people to move into.
Empty Homes Week is a national campaign organised by Action on Empty Homes (the Empty Homes Agency) to raise awareness of the negative impact of empty properties on the surrounding area. Through an online event and ongoing advice, the council’s housing standards team have been signposting landlords, property owners and residents to the range of support they can access that is most suitable for their circumstances and property.
The assistance available, falls into three categories for property owners and one for residents affected by an empty home:
Empty Property Grant
An Empty Property Grant of up to £5,000 (or up to £7,000 if the property is within a designated Selective Licensing area) is available for eligible properties in the borough to help return them to use.
Properties need to have been vacant for at least six months to receive a grant and works would need to be completed, and the property reoccupied, within six months of the grant approval date.
View maps and addresses of the Selective Licensing area on the borough by visiting the council’s website.
Letting your property
Accredited properties can be advertised to thousands of potential tenants through the council’s Property Pool Plus website and the Housing Options Team can also help find a tenant for the property along with providing support packages.
Selling your property
Wirral Council’s Developers List can be used to market and sell your property to a private developer. After a short property inspection, interested developers are invited to submit sealed bids for property owner’s consideration. There is no obligation to accept any bid.
Reporting an empty home
If you are aware of and affected by an empty home near you, you can report this to the council through the council’s website.
To find out more about any of these assistance schemes, visit the council’s website or contact the team by emailing emptyproperties@wirral.gov.uk.
Whether you are a resident or landlord with an empty home or have an empty home in your area that the council could help support and bring back into use, support and advice can be accessed at any time on the council’s website https://www.wirral.gov.uk/housing/information-and-advice/empty-properties.
