Landlords in Trafford have been asked to join a new council scheme that is aimed at bringing empty houses back to life. Trafford Council has already earmarked a number of houses which are empty but do not currently meet the necessary standard needed for renting.
There are many different reasons why a house can become empty but if they stay vacant for any length of time it usually has a detrimental effect on not only the property but the area in which it is situated. Empty houses can easily fall into disrepair and can also encourage crime and anti-social behaviour.
Revitalising vacant homes is an integral part of the council’s vision to make sure that people have access to decent affordable housing that enables a good quality of life. The majority of empty properties in the borough are privately owned and the council has a strategy setting out how to work with owners of empty properties so they can be reoccupied. Under the new scheme, the council will establish what repairs are required on houses that are privately owned. They will then carry out renovations and take over management and renting duties after allocating the property to people at the top of the council’s waiting list. The landlord will be required to protect the house with landlord insurance and the renovation costs will be recouped by deducting a set amount from the landlord’s weekly rent.
Executive Councillor, John Reilly, said: “Properties that have been empty for a number of years create concern within local communities and can often be targets for anti-social behaviour. This is just one of the ways we are working with private landlords to support them in renting their properties and I would encourage any landlord with an empty property to contact us so we can explore ways we may be able to assist. Bringing empty properties back into use not only provides valuable housing, but also means employment, education and training initiatives for local people including, but not exclusively for, those who are disadvantaged.”