Empty homes
There are approximately 2200 (April 2011) empty homes in
Knowsley. Many of the empty homes in the borough do not cause
a problem and do not result in complaints. However, empty
homes can be a nuisance and act as a focal point for anti-social
behaviour and vandalism. They can also detract from the
amenity of a neighbourhood.
Reporting an empty home
You can report an empty home online or
contact the Empty Homes and Enforcement Officer on 0151 443
5837.
If contacting us by telephone, please provide:
- The full address of the empty house
- Details of problems that the property is causing, such as
accumulations of refuse at property, penetrating damp to
neighbouring properties etc
- The name and address of the owner (if known)
Bringing your property back in to use
It rarely makes sense for a property to be kept empty and can
represent an opportunity for the owner. By keeping the property
empty you are:
- Losing potential rental income (£5,000 to £9,000 a year)
- Facing liability to pay council tax and utilities (£1,300 -
£2,000 a year)
- Risking attracting anti-social behaviour, including criminal
damage, vandalism and arson
- Attracting squatters to the empty property and possibly having
a negative effect on the area
How we can help
We can work with you to find the best way bring your property
back into use. This can include:
- Financial and non-financial assistance
- Maximising the property opportunities e.g. conversion into
flats
- Offering guidance on how best to sell your home
- Providing guidance on how to rent your property out
- Offering advice on how to find suitable builders
What we can do if you refuse to bring your property into
use
The council has a number of ways it can deal with empty
properties whose owners are unwilling to unable to bring it back in
to use, including:
Matchmaker scheme: matching empty homes with buyers
The matchmaker scheme matches empty home owners with people who
want to buy an empty home. If your empty home is in need of
repair or ready to move in to you are welcome to join the
scheme.
The matchmaker scheme is a free service and the sales process
takes place between the seller (and agent if appropriate) and
buyer.
The empty home owner is expected to keep us up to date with the
progress of any sale. If your property is already for sale
with an estate agent, the council would recommend that you refer
any sale through that agent following a 'match' through this
scheme.
Your home must have been unoccupied for at least six months to
take part in the scheme.
What are the benefits of using the matchmaker
scheme?
- An empty home needing repair can give people on a lower budget
the opportunity to buy at a more affordable price
- The empty property for sale will be seen by buyers specifically
wanting an empty home
- An empty home gives the buyer an advantage of vacant
possession
- Builders looking for suitable properties to renovate can view
details and a photo of empty properties for sale
- Instead of building new homes, this helps re-use homes which
lie empty
- eighbours and local communities should benefit from empty
properties becoming occupied sooner
How do I join the scheme?
To sell your empty home
please complete this form (Microsoft Word), and email it to
emptyhomes@knowsley.gov.uk.
To buy an empty home please let us know what you are looking for
by completing this form
(Microsoft Word) and emailing it to emptyhomes@knowsley.gov.uk.
- When we spot a 'match' between an empty home for sale and a
buyer's requirements, the empty home owner will receive the buyer's
details to follow-up
- Or if a buyer sees an empty property on the website which they
might be interested in, they can contact us to pass on their
details to the seller.
Renting your property
You could return your property to use by renting it out.
Our landlord accreditation and tenancy bond schemes can help
you get started renting your property.
Enforced sale
The local authority has the power to enforce the sale of a
property under the Town & Country Planning Act 1990. The
act provides a local planning authority with the power, to take
steps requiring land to be cleaned up when its condition adversely
affects the amenity of a neighbourhood.
If it appears to the local planning authority that their
area is being adversely affected by the condition of neighbouring
land and buildings, they may serve a notice on the owner requiring
that the situation be remedied. These notices set out the
steps that need to be taken, and the time within which they must be
carried out.
The local planning authority also has powers to undertake the
clean up works themselves and to recover the costs from the
landowner. The local planning authority will consider,
for example, the condition of the site, the impact on the
surrounding area and the scope of their powers.
The scope of works that can be required by serving a notice
under this act is wide and includes planting, clearance, tidying,
enclosure, demolition, re-building, external repairs and
repainting.
What if you don’t comply with the notice?
The local planning authority has the option to prosecute for
non-compliance and /or to carry out the works themselves. The
course of action pursued will be dependent on the circumstances of
the case. Where the local planning authority undertakes the works
in default, then formal debt recovery procedures will be followed
including:
- Securing a charge against the property and recovery of the debt
through the County or High Court bailiffs
- Enforced sale of the property
We will always endeavour to try and resolve matters in order to
avoid more formal measures. However, where owners fails to
engage constructively with the local planning authority, then
formal notices will be served.
Empty Dwelling Management Orders
In 2011 Knowsley Council were successful in their application to
approve an interim Empty Dwelling Management Orders (EDMO), this
was the first time this power has been used in Knowsley in order to
bring an empty property back into use. .
The power of an EDMO was introduced by the Housing Act 2004, and
allows councils with housing responsibilities to take over the
management of some residential properties that have been empty for
more than six months.
What is an Empty Dwelling Management Order?
An
Empty Dwelling Management Order (EDMO) gives the council the
right to take possession of the property. Once an EDMO has
been made, the council may do anything you would normally be
entitled to do with the property, such as entering it to inspect
its condition. The council does not take over ownership of
the property, but is entitled to take possession of it and can
prevent you from using it or letting someone else use it whilst the
order is in force.
There are two types of EDMO. An interim EDMO lasts for an
initial period of 12 months, during which time the council must try
to work with you to agree a way of getting your property back into
use. It may ask you for permission to let the property to
someone. If no agreement can be reached with you, the council
may seek to make a final EDMO, which can last for up to seven
years. You will have fewer rights to decide how the property
is brought back into use under a final EDMO. If the council
cannot reach an agreement with you and decides not to make a final
EDMO, it must hand back possession of the property to
you.
Compulsory Purchase Orders
Compulsory Purchase Orders are an important tool for local
authorities.
An integral part of the Councils Private Sector Housing Strategy
involves encouraging and persuading owners of substandard
properties to improve and return them to permanent residential
use.
There are situations where owners of tenanted properties fail to
comply with statutory notices and owners of empty properties resist
all encouragement to bring them back into residential use. In
these circumstances the only remaining and realistic option is to
threaten the use of compulsory purchase. This threat is often
enough to ensure that an owner will carry out improvements and
return a property to beneficial use.
Where the threat fails to achieve the desired result, the
Authority must make use of Compulsory Purchase Orders (CPOs) as a
last resort measure. A CPO should only be made where there is a
compelling case in the public interest and the authority should be
satisfied that the CPO sufficiently justifies interfering with
the human rights of those with an interest in the land
affected.
Empty Homes Strategy 2011-2014
The council has developed an Empty Homes Strategy 2011-2014 to
reduce the number of empty properties in Knowsley.
We are committed to tackling the waste of valuable resource
which is represented by empty homes and to increasing the supply of
available housing in the borough.
View our Empty Homes Strategy
2011-2014 (PDF 416KB).