The Empty Homes Loan scheme allows you to carry out essential work to repair or improve your empty home without making regular repayments.
It is for anyone who owns a property that has been empty for more than six months and wants to carry out repairs or improvement works to bring the property back into use, either through sale or tenants. Priority is given to properties that have been empty for two years or longer.
Benefits
- it allows you to get essential works on your empty home
- you have five years to repay your loan
- you don't need to worry about falling behind with repayments
- this is a council backed scheme
- we'll support you throughout the process
What is the loan for?
- essential repairs and improvements to your empty home such as fixing faulty electrical wiring or a leaking roof
- work to bring your home up to a standard so that it can be occupied again
We can also help you decide what work is needed, what help you can get and what can be covered by the loan. We'll help you all the way through the application process by:
- helping you to fill in your application
- keeping in touch and answering your questions
- making sure the loan is fully paid out and the work to your home is done properly
The amount you borrow (up to £15,000) is converted in to a percentage of the current market value of your house. After the loan has been agreed your contractor can start work. When the work has been completed to our satisfaction, we'll pay the contractor directly.
When you sell or no longer own the house, if your property has increased in value, we use the percentage to work out how much you should repay based on the value of your home at that time. If your property has fallen in value, then we would ask you to repay the original amount that you borrowed.
For example, if the work cost £10,000 and the value of the property increases from £100,000 to £120,000 (10 per cent) over the loan period, the amount to be repaid would be £12,000 (10 per cent of the new value).
If the loan isn't repaid by the end of the five years we reserve the right to undertake an enforced sale of the property to recoup the amount owed.
To find out more or to apply, please email emptyproperty@harrogate.gov.uk or call 01423 500600 x58594.