Birmingham City homes – the council has threatened the owners of the growing number of empty and abandoned properties in the area.
City council bosses have set up a £4.6 million fund to buy up properties that have been left derelict and unused to put them back on the market for new residents.
There is a current shortage of affordable homes in Birmingham and the council’s report has identified that there are more than 5,000 private homes that have been empty for more than six months. Nearly 2,000 of these have been empty for more than three years.
The neglect of these properties has resulted in overgrown gardens, litter, graffiti and damaged windows – causing a negative impact on the visual appeal of some residential areas.
It has been proposed that instead of building new housing, housing supplies already built should be fully utilised first.
Birmingham city homes
The council’s empty homes team was originally set up in 2007 with the aim of getting homes back into use by working with absent owners and landlords – in some cases paying renovation costs which the landlord could pay back from subsequent rent income.
The fund can be used for compulsory purchase orders (CPOs) when owners ignore the pleas. The councils would then repair and renovate properties before putting them up for sale – any proceeds then go back into the fund.
If you are a property owner in an area with absent properties, you can email the council and they will provide you with guidance on steps to take. Once you have your property back on the market and ready for renters, it is important to have a full inventory to minimise tenancy issues.
Skribes, Birmingham’s leading independent inventory and property services specialists, provide landlords with inventory reports, check-in reports, interim reports, check-out reports and legionella reports.
To find out how we can help make it easier to manage your property, call us today on 07891551905 or email info@skribes.co.uk.