Renting your empty property

It’s not a secret that there is a shortage of suitable good quality rented accommodation within Caerphilly County Borough. If you are interested in renting your property, there is a wide range of information and support we can offer you and we will be able to point you in the right direction.

The table below shows a conservative approximate potential income that you could have earned over the period that your property has been empty:

Potential income based on number of years empty (based on Local Housing Allowance from April 21 – March 22)
	2 bed	3 bed
1 year	£5,385	£5,624
2 years	£10,770	£11,248
3 years	£16,155	£16,872
4 years	£21,540	£22,497
5 years	£26,925	£28,121
6 years	£32,310	£33,745
7 years	£37,695	£39,370
8 years	£43,080	£44,994
9 years	£48,466	£50,618
10 years	£53,851	£56,243

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Landlord Advice

Renting your property can provide a means of additional income, improve the condition of the property and reduce the likelihood of vandalism and crime that empty properties often attract. If you are thinking of renting your property, the Council can offer you advice on becoming a landlord, including:

• Responsibilities and obligations
• Landlord and tenant law
• Tenancy agreements
• Tenant finding
• Tenancy support
• The local housing market and rental incomes
• Supply and demand
• Future opportunities
• Rent Smart Wales
• Landlord forums & newsletter

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Caerphilly Keys private rental housing solution

Caerphilly Keys is a project led by our Housing Solutions team which helps private landlords find long-term tenants for their properties, whilst also preventing homelessness.

Benefits of the scheme:

• Caerphilly Keys co-ordinates the tenancy through engagement with landlords
• The service is free of charge
• A large caseload of people ready to move into homes
• All viewings arranged by Caerphilly Keys
• Quarterly monitoring visits
• Caerphilly Keys acts as the main point of contact for both tenant and landlord providing ongoing support to both

For more information visit www.caerphillykeys.co.uk or contact the Caerphilly Keys team on 01443 873564. Email keys@caerphilly.gov.uk

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Rent Smart Wales

The Housing Act (Wales) 2014 introduced a requirement for landlords to be registered, and for agents and self-managing landlords who let and manage properties to undertake training and obtain a licence. This requirement is governed by Rent Smart Wales, which aims to drive up standards in the private rented sector to protect tenants and support good landlords and agents.

All private landlords are required to register themselves and their properties. If a landlord wants to manage the property themselves, they must also be licenced, demonstrate that they are ‘fit and proper’ to hold a licence and successfully complete approved training. Alternatively, a landlord can appoint a licensed agent to manage their property on their behalf.

For more information on the requirements of Rent Smart Wales, to register, apply for a licence or to book a training course, visit www.rentsmart.gov.wales or contact 03000 133 344.

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Letting Agents

The advantages of letting your property through a letting agent include effective advertising of your property, knowledge of the local housing market, managing and conducting viewings, tenant finding, rent collection; routine maintenance, safety checks and inspections of the property, and dealing with the relevant paperwork whilst ensuring you are informed of any legislative changes. The extent of the services provided varies between agents and the price you will pay depends on the level of service you require but will typically be between 10% and 20% of the rental income. For example, you may just want an agent to find you a tenant, or you may want them to manage the rental agreement from start to finish. It is advisable to choose a letting agent that is a member of a professional organisation, such as the Association of Residential Letting Agents. It is a legal requirement that all letting agents dealing with the letting or management of properties be registered with Rent Smart Wales as a licenced agent. Please go directly to the following website for further information, costs and to find a local registered agent in your area.

For more information on the requirements of Rent Smart Wales, to register, apply for a licence or to book a training course, visit www.rentsmart.gov.wales or phone 03000 133 344.

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Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs)

If you own an empty property and wish to bring your property back into use by means of shared occupancy or single units and the property meets any of the following criteria the property will be classed as a HMO:

• An entire house or flat which is let to 3 or more tenants who form 2 or more households and who share a kitchen, bathroom or toilet.
• A house which has been converted entirely into bedsits or other nonself- contained accommodation and which is let to 3 or more tenants who form two or more households and who share kitchen, bathroom or toilet facilities.
• A converted house which contains one or more flats that are not wholly self-contained (ie the flat does not contain within it a kitchen, bathroom and toilet) and which is occupied by 3 or more tenants who form two or more households.
• A building that is converted entirely into self-contained flats if the conversion did not meet the standards of the 1991 Building Regulations and of more than one-third of the flats are let on shortterm tenancies.

Certain larger HMOs are also required to be licensed by the Council. Licensing is restricted to HMOs that are 3 or more storeys in height and house 5 or more tenants, made up from 2 or more households. (This is in addition to the RSW licensing requirements detailed above).

Any owner that wishes to convert their empty property into an HMO will need to consult with the Planning, Building Control and the Private Sector Housing Departments for specific advice and information before any works begin.