Campaign to bring empty properties back into use

Campaign to bring empty properties back into use

A new campaign launching this week which aims to bring empty properties back into use.

‘Empty to Plenty’ is a Greater Manchester-wide initiative which aims to stamp out the problems associated with empty properties by refurbishing homes and finding tenants on behalf of landlords.

The scheme gives landlords the opportunity to rent their property to a housing association who will refurbish the home and find a tenant. The housing association will recover the cost of refurbishment and management fees from the rental income and at the end of the lease period they will hand the property back to the landlord.

‘Empty to Plenty’, which is funded by local authorities and the government’s Homes and Communities Agency along with the Department for Communities and Local Government, is also open to landlords whose homes are in a good condition but who want the housing association to find tenants on their behalf.

Councillor Sultan Ali, Cabinet member for Housing at Rochdale Borough Council, said: “Empty properties are a blight on the landscape and attract anti-social behaviour and vandalism. We’re confident that by working with landlords we can go a long way to addressing these problems which have a huge impact on communities, while at the same time combatting the housing shortage across Greater Manchester.

“I’d encourage landlords to take advantage of this great opportunity. They can turn an empty property into an attractive home which benefits the community and earns money at the same time.”

There are currently more than 3,000 empty properties in Rochdale borough and 3,500 people are waiting for a home. The scheme aims to address housing shortages and tackle other problems associated with empty properties, including neglect and vandalism.

And, as part of empty properties week, landlords are invited to find out more about the scheme at a drop-in session run by Rochdale Council, housing association, Aksa Housing and Groundwork Oldham and Rochdale, all of which are offering schemes to landlords that include grants and interest-free loans.

The drop-in event will take place at Touchstones Rochdale on Thursday (26 September) between 4 and 8pm. Landlords are invited to call in for informal discussions.

Mushtaq Khan, Director of Aksa Housing, said: “Renting out a property can be fraught and many people worry about damage, debt, costs and legal fees as well as finding a suitable tenant and having a reliable agency to manage the property. By attending the Empty to Plenty drop ins, landlords can get answers to all these questions.”

More information about the scheme can be found at www.rochdale.gov.uk/fullhouse or by calling 01706 924 281.