Cardiff reveals plans to bring empty homes back into use

Plans to bring Cardiff’s privately-owned empty homes back into use have been announced by Cardiff City Council.

There are currently 1,355 privately-owned, empty homes in the city and the Council aims to see as many of them as possible back in use, offering much-needed housing.

In the city, owners of unfurnished properties which have been empty for longer than 12 months are charged a premium rate of council tax at 150% of the assessed rate, with the money from this ringfenced for bringing empty homes back into use.

The new policy will see an annual mailshot sent to all owners providing advice, owners directed towards developers, housing associations or the Council’s own leasing scheme to help bring the properties back into use, and promotion of the Council’s Houses into Homes Loans Scheme.

The Council has also announced that it will deal with neighbour complaints about the condition of properties and carry out enforcement action to deal with insecure properties or any issues of dilapidation causing nuisance for neighbouring properties.

Cllr Lynda Thorne, Cabinet Member for Housing and Communities, said: ‘It is commonly accepted that long-term empty homes are a wasted resource. This is a matter which has been thrown into sharper focus by the pandemic and the housing crisis. Empty properties can attract squatting, vandalism, drug abuse, anti-social behaviour, arson, rodents. They can cause damage to neighbouring homes and if properties remain empty, the inevitable deterioration has an impact on neighbours and blights communities.

‘While Cardiff has seen a decrease in long-term empty dwellings down from 1,568 in 2018/19 to 1,355 now, it’s clear that we need a focus and some fresh policies which can help get these properties back in use, housing people and families.

‘Working with Welsh Government we have developed an Empty Homes Policy and Action Plan which outlines the assistance that can be offered to owners to encourage them to bring properties – which have been empty for longer than six months – back into use. This policy also sets out the enforcement tools that are available where advice and assistance fails.’

In related news, the NewStart team headed to Manchester for the launch of Action on Empty Homes’ new toolkit, which helps local authorities and communities work together to bring empty homes back into use, delivering affordable and sustainable housing for local people.

Photo by Benjamin Ranger