Eighty-three empty properties have been brought back into use in Cardiff since April 2021, with support through the council’s empty homes policy.
Empty properties are a blight on local communities, as they can cause issues to adjacent and neighbouring properties, attract antisocial behaviour, as well as fly tipping and issues with vermin.
The council has up to 300 properties in Cardiff that have been highlighted as an issue, and although the onus is on the private property owner to deal with these issues, council officers actively pursue them to ensure the properties can be brought back into use as quickly as possible.
Cllr Lynda Thorne, Cabinet Member for Housing and Communities at Cardiff Council said:
“Empty properties are caused through a variety of reasons, whether they have been inherited in the state that they are in, the owner cannot afford to fix the problems, or the owner could be living abroad or in long term care, with the property left vacant for a significant period of time allowing it to go into a state of disrepair.
“On a case-by-case basis, officers from the Shared Regulatory Service provide advice and possible funding opportunities to property owners. When this is not possible, and property owners refuse to engage with us, we do have enforcement powers available, including the use of compulsory purchase orders when all other avenues have been exhausted and there is compelling reason, in the public interest to do so.
“Bringing private properties back into use is mainly market driven, as if the value of the property is increasing, there is more incentive for the owner to correct the problems, so that the property can be sold on the open market. For property owners that are ‘land banking’, other powers are also available which allows the council to charge 150% council tax on these properties, if they are unfurnished and vacant for over 12 months, as an added incentive on the owner to rectify the issues.
“Our advice to those who own vacant property and don’t know what to do with it, please contact the Shared Regulatory Services on 0300 1236696, so they can provide advice and assistance, and together, we can bring these properties back into use, so they are not a blight on the landscape.”
