There are around 950 long term empty homes in the Warwick District area. The Private Sector Housing team work with owners to bring these homes back into use. We recognise that empty homes are an important resource which can be used to meet the local housing need. The Private Sector Housing Team contacts owners to complete a survey of long term empty homes in our district, annually, to provide information on the reasons why homes are empty and to advise them that the Council monitors progress towards re-use. We can offer advice and support to empty property owners on renovation work, planning and building regulations, property standards, claiming reduced levels of VAT for renovations, selling, letting and leasing. 

Please note that due to data protection regulations, we are unable to provide lists of empty homes to the public.

Why bring empty homes back into use?

  • Long term empty properties will face premium rate council tax charges of up to 400%;
  • Empty homes can quickly fall into disrepair;
  • Empty homes attract crime and anti-social behaviour;
  • They can prove expensive for owners to insure and maintain;
  • The owners will also miss out on potential rental income or capital from selling.

Report an empty property causing nuisance

Private Sector Housing have limited powers around nuisance and aren't able to intervene with boundary fencing issues, overgrown gardens, trees, or hedges; which are classed as a private nuisance between 2 or more parties. In this scenario, we would recommend mediation services or seeking legal advice.

If there is a property which is causing damage to your property or is unsecured, you can report this to Private Sector Housing. We will ask for evidence of the nuisance caused to your property to help inform our investigation, this could be written reports from a surveyor, drainage company or pest contractor reports.

The Planning Enforcement Team also have powers around enforcement of properties which are in a very poor state and causing an eyesore, however there is a high threshold for enforcement action.  

Report a long term empty property causing a nuisance or damage to your property:

Report a long term empty property which is causing a detriment to the amenity (a nuisance by way of appearance):

Selling

Any property will be attractive to a purchaser at the right price, and selling is a good option where property owners lack the funding or the time to oversee renovations and may not wish to become a landlord. An alternative to using an estate agent is to sell at auction. Propertyauctionaction.co.uk provide a comprehensive list of property auctions. This is useful to achieve a quick sale and may appeal in particular where properties require substantial investment.

Letting

Warwick district has a strong rental market and properties can bring landlords a good income. There are many local letting agents who can let or fully manage your property for you. Caution is required in selecting a letting agent, as they can vary in their professionalism. If you intend to let a property, you must ensure it meets the legal requirements before you take on tenants. The Private Sector Housing Team can give invaluable advice and may be able to offer advisory property visits to ensure the property is ready to let.

Enforcement

The Council always seeks to work with owners to get homes back into use voluntarily and in line with our Enforcement Policy. Sometimes, owners are not responsive, or have unrealistic expectations and timescales for action. Where we have evidence the condition of the empty property is causing a serious nuisance to neighbouring properties, enforcement action may be taken. Private Sector Housing have legal powers that we can use to address specific nuisance :

  • Securing buildings which are unoccupied and which are not effectively secured against unauthorised entry (used for domestic AND non-domestic property) (Section 29 Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976)
  • Remedying Category 1 hazards (Section 11 Housing Act 2004)
  • Clearing overgrown gardens with proven current pest issues (Section 4 Prevention of Damage by Pests Act 1949)
  • Clearing accumulations of putrescible waste (Section 80 Environmental Protection Act 1990)
  • Empty Dwelling Management Orders (Part 4 Housing Act 2004)

The powers below will only be considered where empty home owners have failed to work with us informally and the Council has unpaid charges levied against the property due to prior enforcement action. 

  • Enforced Sale (Law of Property Act 1925)
  • Compulsory Purchase Order (Section 17 Housing Act 1985)

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