Dorset Council is highlighting the problem of long-term empty properties during Empty Homes Week, 15 – 21 February 2021.
Throughout the week we will be using our Facebook and Twitter feeds to highlight the issue of long-term empty homes and showing examples of how the council is taking a wide range of steps to bring them back into use.
We estimate there to be around 400 long-term empty properties in Dorset. Each one is a wasted home. Demand for housing in the Dorset Council area is extremely high, with over 6000 people looking for a suitable home on the housing register.
Empty homes also have the potential to damage communities by becoming derelict, overgrown or by attracting anti-social behaviour.
What is Dorset Council doing about empty homes?
Our Housing Standards Team is urging people to come forward to report or seek help to deal with a long-term empty property.
We employ a dedicated Empty Homes Officer to investigate cases, help us identify the worst properties and then take the most appropriate action.
Help and advice for owners
We always start by offering owners of empty properties advice and assistance about how they can bring a property back into use.
Loans of up to £25,000 are also available from Lendology Community Interest Company to help carry out repairs to bring the property back into use
Owners of properties that have been empty for two years or more may be able to claim a reduced rate of VAT on renovation or alteration works.
Enforcement action
If offers of help and assistance haven’t worked and a property is affecting the local community, robust enforcement action will be considered to bring the property back into use.
This can include compulsory purchase or taking over the property by an Empty Dwelling Management Order. We are now actively working on over 30 of the worst empty properties where such action is either being progressed or considered.
Increased Council Tax premiums
From April this year, houses which have been empty for 10 years or more will be charged 400% or quadruple Council Tax. This will mean an increase from £2,000 to £8,000 a year for a typical band ‘D’ empty home.
Cllr Graham Carr-Jones, Dorset Council Portfolio Holder for Housing and Community Safety said:
“The Council is now taking a wide range of action to bring long-term empty homes back into use. We need more housing for Dorset and empty homes can play a key part in helping us achieve that.
“Where empty homeowners don’t want to work with us, we won’t shy away from taking enforcement action to achieve our aims of creating more homes and improving our communities.
“If you know of a property that has been left empty for a long time or if you own an empty home, let the council know about it by registering it online at www.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk/emptyhomes.”
More about empty homes
Long term empty homes are defined as those being empty for two years or more.
Properties can be left empty for several reasons including:
- insufficient funds to carry out repairs
- a lack of knowledge
- inheritance issues or unsettled probate
- family disputes
- development problems
- the complexity and expense of renovating listed buildings
- waiting for a change in property prices
What’s so bad about living next door to an empty home?
Living next door to an empty home can be stressful and leave you feeling vulnerable. Read our real life case study about the blight of living next door to an empty property and the help offered by Dorset Council.
Does this include empty second homes?
Hi Jo,
Thanks for getting in touch.
The team do indeed look into whether properties are genuine second homes or whether they are in fact empty homes. This is a complex area of law and not an easy issue to solve.
Kind regards,
Imogen
Hope that includes second homes that are only occupied for 2 weeks a year or even less
Hi John,
Thanks for getting in touch.
The team do indeed look into whether second homes are genuine second homes or whether they are in fact empty homes. This is a complex area of law and not an easy issue to solve.
Kind regards,
Imogen
Presumably by non payment of Council Tax(CT) or application for CT reduction you are aware of these houses and the Owners. Are you approaching them immediately to determine the outcome?
Hi Anthony, thanks for getting in touch. Yes we use the council tax records and notifications from the public to identify long term problem empty properties.
Kind regards,
Imogen
In line with your concern about private sector empty homes please advise on the number of empty council owned domestic dwellings and how you are planning to work to close to 100% occupancy if this not already the case
Hi Mike,
Thanks for your question. No council-owned domestic properties are empty.
Kind regards,
Imogen
Might just one such home be made available for rent (fully funded) to a Syrian refugee family (supported by local refugees charities) dislocated by war?
Thanks for your question Kevin. The work to bring long-term empty homes back into use can be a very drawn out process. In the meantime we have a scheme to encourage private landlords to provide homes for Syrian refugees. Find out more about this and what else we are doing to help Syrian refugees here: https://www.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk/your-council/equality-and-diversity/refugee-resettlement.aspx
Kind regards,
Imogen
Presumably this only applies to domestic properties?
Weymouth (my home town) alone has a plethora of empty, derelict, commercial properties. Some of them have been empty certainly in excess of five years. All the problems outlined above for empty, derelict domestic properties apply to commercial property. They are eyesores. They could be an asset to the town instead of yet another boarded up property on the High Street sprouting weeds. Yet still they are ignored.
Thanks for your comments Ms Moore, we appreciate what you are saying and the council is keenly aware of the issues you mention in Weymouth. Currently the housing team’s work applies mainly to empty domestic properties as this is where the team is legally empowered to act, although they do look at wasted space, empty flats above shops etc.
Kind regards
Imogen
What about a Victorian property which has been empty and deteriorating for a few years because the owners, a family with two small children, have had their planning applications repeatedly blocked by English Heritage and Dorset Council Planning Department? The family has been forced to live in the garden in a self built cabin. What help are DC giving them??
Hi Gordon,
As mentioned in my email to you I have forwarded your concerns to our building control team for them to look into. Anyone with a public safety concern about the condition of a building can find information and get in touch with our building control team online here: https://www.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk/planning-buildings-land/building-control/derelict-properties.aspx
Kind regards,
Imogen
The property is in Mill Lane, Chetnole, alongside the River Wriggle. The barn roof is collapsing and loses a potential flood risk. This an appeal by a neighbour to Dorset Council to help the family to move forward.
I applaud your actions. Too often unused houses are just left because it is easier to build new. There is only so much land and we need to use it all wisely.
Thanks Helen,
It is genuinely lovely to hear some positive feedback. Keep sharing the love.
Kind regards,
Imogen
Excellent news, there is a large 4 bedroom chalet house in a shocking state in Wincombe Drive, Ferndown. Disgraful as empty for 10 plus years and most unfair on neighbours having to live next to it. Would be pleased to see a complusory purchase, pure selfishness or laziness.
Please, please, please; can someone take action, anything. This house is a disgrace and is a source of rats running openly now across neighbours gardens. Surely with the resources of DCC something can be done other than ignore the situation. Surrounding neighbours should not have to consider selling their own properties to escape such irresponsibility and laziness.
Irrespective of how much DCC charges in extra Council Tax, this is totally unacceptable for other responsible neighbours who also pay DCC rates. Some form of prosecution should and must be possible to get this now scrap property back into use for the community at large. I will contact my MP at the end of May if nothing active has been forthcoming. Thank you in advance.
My mother has had her retirement flat on the market for nearly 2 years. She has dropped the price by £30K (nearly 25% of the asking price) but unable to sell. Not realising that she would not be able to sell the property she bought another flat. Will she have to pay double council tax on the unoccupied flat? She is sick with worry. Bizarrely McCarthy and Stone is building a new retirement block nearby but there are 9 empty retirement flats in the block my mother occupies.