This Authority has made a commitment to bring empty properties back into use for the good of the community as a whole. Leaving properties empty for years with no plan of bringing them back into use is no longer an option for you.
The cost of having an empty property is increasing and this Authority will be proactively targeting long-term empties that are being neglected and ignored by their owners.
Council tax
If your property is empty and contains no furniture, it will be exempt for the first 6 months from the date it became unfurnished. This date may be before you took over the property, which would mean you would only receive that part of the 6-month exempt period that applies to you.
Once this period has elapsed, your property then falls within the prescribed class of dwellings within Section 12, Local Government Finance Act 1992. This provides the Council with discretion whether or not to allow a discount. Caerphilly County Borough Council has resolved that no discount will apply in respect of this class of property. Therefore, a full charge is payable.
Enforcement action
Invariably, empty homes can be neglected and fall into disrepair. Properties that are being ignored and neglected by their owners can be subject to a number of enforcement options that require owners to take action to secure, repair, renovate or demolish problematic buildings.
The main enforcement options available to the Council include:
- Maintaining your empty property in good repair: if your property or land is causing a nuisance or is having an adverse effect on the community, the Council has a wide range of different powers to enforce you to undertake works to address the concerns. If you fail to do so, the Authority can carry out works in default. The costs of doing the work is then recoverable from you. This includes securing buildings against unauthorised entry; removal of waste; preventing damage by pests, repairing defective rainwater goods and drainage problems, as well as improvements to the external appearance; and even demolition of buildings.
- Enforced sale: if the Council completes work in default of notices served on your property or land, under Section 103 of the Law of Property Act 1925, we have the power to sell your property or land in order to recover the costs incurred.
- Empty dwelling management orders (EDMOs): if you are unwilling to bring your property back into use, the Council can apply to take over the management of the property. An EDMO allows us to carry out work to bring the property up to a habitable standard and then rent and manage your property for a maximum of 7 years. Any costs which have been incurred to bring the property back to a required standard will be recovered from the rental income received during this period.
- Compulsory purchase orders (CPOs): if we are unable to encourage you to bring your property back into use or you fail to comply with statutory notices to improve your property, the Council may consider a CPO. If there is a strong enough case and it is in the public interest, a CPO will allow us to acquire your property or land.
Don’t ignore, take control of your empty property today.
Contact private sector housing to discuss your intentions for the property on 01443 811378 or email privatesectorhousing@caerphilly.gov.uk
