Council urges owners to bring their empty properties into use

Redbridge Council is supporting national initiative ‘Empty Homes Week urging owners to take advantage of the significant grants and advice on offer to bring their empty properties back into use.

Returning empty homes to use adds to housing provision, reduces homelessness, and can improve the look and feel of the borough.

Last year, the council investigated hundreds of properties across the borough and returned 91 into use which had been empty for longer than 12 months.

Properties that have been empty for more than 6 months and where the home can be rented out to tenants nominated by the Council’s Housing Service are eligible for a grant which covers up to 50 per cent of the cost of the eligible renovation work required, with a maximum limit of £40,000 dependent on the number of bedrooms in the property.

A grant is also now available for owners to help renovate their properties which have been empty for more than 5 years, where they are planning on occupying the property themselves.

The grant is being further reviewed and consulted on, with a view to widening its scope and increasing take up.

With ambitious targets to increase the quantity and availability of high-quality affordable housing, bringing these empty homes back into use is a priority for the council.

The first aim is to work alongside owners but where they are unwilling to bring a property into use, the council may act to get the property renovated and re-occupied.

Neighbours are also being encouraged to help identify empty or abandoned properties by informing the council’s Home Improvement Team by phone, email or online.

Empty properties can often be identified through pointers such as untidy gardens, dereliction and neglect. Some empty properties are well-maintained and less easy to spot. If a resident knows of a property like this we encourage them to contact us.

Cllr Vanisha Solanki, Cabinet member for Housing and Homelessness said: We are committed to reducing the number of empty properties in Redbridge. With the UK experiencing challenging times as a result of the Covid pandemic, the war in Ukraine and the cost of living crisis and the impact this has had on the construction industry, it is particularly important that we can offer support.

If you leave a property empty, the condition and value of the property will depreciate, the property could be the target of arson, vandalism and squatters. Any property that has been empty for more than 10 years will now be charged a premium council tax rate of 300% to discourage owners from leaving a property empty.  

We can offer generous grants and incentives schemes to help owners bring these empty  properties back into residential use.  

By reducing the number of empty homes in Redbridge we hope to increase our housing supply and make our communities better and more attractive places to live. 

To access our advice service or request details of the grant, and to report an empty home, go to: https://www.redbridge.gov.uk/housing/empty-properties/ or email empty.homes@redbridge.gov.uk