Advice for Owners
of
Empty Properties
in
Monmouthshire
On:
 Selling your Property
 Refurbishing
 Loans
 Renting
 Tax
Bringing Empty
Homes
Back into Use.
Introduction
Monmouthshire County Council wishes to work with owners of empty properties to
bring them back into use. We believe that the re-use of empty properties would
benefit the community by contributing to an increased supply and choice of
housing, while at the same time contributes to safe-guarding the environment and
economic prosperity of the County.

Our aim is to bring empty homes back into use through working with
owners by:


Providing guidance and support
Promoting the options available
Why we care about empty properties:
Because properties left empty for long periods are a waste of a home to both owners and
communities.


For the owner it may become a financial burden through its up-keep, mortgage repayments
and potential loss of rental income. There could be insurance implications too.
For the community it’s a resource that is unavailable for local people to rent or buy and can in
some instances attract vandalism, be vulnerable to break-ins and can become an eyesore in
the community.

Because properties that are brought back into use benefit both the community and the owner:-

For the owner, a well-kept and maintained property can increase its value and rental income.
It can also improve its security.
For the council it helps decrease the pressure on local housing need, and maintains the
popularity of an area.

Options
Monmouthshire County Council wants to help owners find the best way of bringing empty
properties back into use. The Council will assist you with advice regarding the range of options
available to you.

You can Keep it
You can keep the property empty and available for occupation when you are ready, however
we strongly recommend you take certain steps to minimise the risk of your property falling
into disrepair, becoming a nuisance to neighbours or suffering vandalism:


Make sure the structure is watertight;
Make sure it is adequately insured;

Make the property look like it is occupied by regular maintenance of the
gardens and the outside environment;

Make regular checks on your property and remove accumulations of post;
 You can sell it
You can sell your property privately, through an auction or by using a local estate
agency.
A good estate agent will:






Advertise your property;
Arrange and conduct viewings;
Negotiate the sale for you;
Give you advice on how much the property is worth;
Give you their opinion of the local housing market;
Tell you what minor improvements you need to make so that you get the best price.
Below is a list of agents in Monmouthshire who might be able to help you:
Estate Agent
Area
Telephone
Number
Archer and Co
Chepstow
01291 626262
Bairstow Eves
Monmouth
Abergavenny
Chepstow
Caldicot
01600 714874
01873 853640
01291 628215
01291 420630
Davies & Sons
Chepstow
Caldicot
01291 621212
01291 427000
Abergavenny
Chepstow
01873 855 551
01291 629292
Abergavenny
01873 859331
Caldicot
Chepstow
Monmouth
01291 430331
01291 626775
01600 712916
Julian Dyer
Moon & Co
Newland Rennie
Wilkins

Roscoe Rogers
& Knight
Monmouth
Properts
Magor
Chepstow
01600 772 929
01633 882282
01291 627268
Auction
This can be an efficient and cost effective way of selling property that is in need of substantial
refurbishment. Properties are sold ‘as seen’, legally formalised on the fall of the gavel, with
completion taking place usually within 20 - 30 days. For further information please contact the
Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors for details of auctions in your area.

Sell To A Housing Association
There may be an opportunity to sell your property to a Housing Association,
please ring the Housing and Regeneration Team for further details.

Do-it-yourself
If you plan on selling or renting out your property yourself, you can have
support from the local landlord forum or you may wish to use our Landlord
Toolkit.
Alternatively contact the following organisations:
National Landlord Association (NLA).
Telephone 020 7840 8900 or visit www.landlords.org.uk
Residential Landlords Association (RLA).
Telephone 0161 962 0010 or visit www.rla.org.uk

You can rent it out
If you decide to let your property you have three basic options to finding tenants and managing
the property: Use a letting agent, self-manage or use a leasing scheme.

Letting Agent

Letting agents offer three levels of service:



A basic letting service that will market your property, set rent levels and perform viewings
and tenant referencing services. You will normally be charged a one off fee:
An intermediate managing service that would include the basic service described above
plus rent collection. The agent will normally charge a percentage of the monthly rent
(around 5%) for this service:
A full management service includes all the above plus organising repairs, regular property
visits and tenancy possession at the end of the rental period. The agent will normally levy
a service charge of around 10 - 12.5% of the monthly rent for this service.
If you decide to use a letting agent choose one that belongs to The National Approved Letting
Scheme (NALS) .
Telephone 01242 581712, or visit www.nalscheme.co.uk
Alternatively you could contact the Association of Residential Landlords (ARLA) which self
regulates letting agents, arranges training for landlords, and provides information and guidance
for both landlords and tenants.
Telephone 0845 345 5752, or visit www.arla.co.uk
By signing up to these organisations the letting agent agrees to provide
professional standards of service to both landlord and tenant.
 ‘Seren Living Letting Agency
Seren Living is a letting agency being run by Charter Housing Association.
The advantage of letting your property through Seren Living is that you are
using a specialist organisation with years of experience renting and
managing properties throughout South Wales. The type of service they
provide varies from a simple letting service to a full managed service that
would include, amongst others, the following services :

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

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Advertising your property
Property viewings
Rent collection
Property inspection
Tenant checks
Melin Homes Leasing Scheme
Leasing your property through a scheme run by Melin Homes can be an attractive option. Under
this scheme the property is leased to Melin Homes for a fixed term and is sub-let to homeless
households in Monmouthshire. In return for a negotiated level of rent you will receive a generous
package of benefits. The advantages of this option include, amongst other services:


Regular, guaranteed rental income for a fixed period,

Longer leases, effective management of the property,

And the return of the property to you in good condition.
Refurbish it
Bringing empty properties back into use can be costly, particularly when extensive renovations
are required. It may be possible to have any refurbishment work funded by a local housing
association or you may be eligible for an interest free loan through the Welsh Government’s
‘Houses to Homes’ Loan Scheme.
Houses to Homes (H2H) ‘interest free’ Loan Scheme
This is a scheme that has been developed to offer interest free loans to renovate and/or convert
empty properties so that they are suitable for reoccupation. Please contact the Housing and Regeneration Team for more information - see back page for address and phone number.
Tax
If you undertake the refurbishment yourself you may be able to take advantage of potential tax
breaks for refurbishing empty properties which could reduce costs.

Renovations and alterations to residential properties that have been empty for at least 2
years will be eligible for a reduced VAT rate of 5%. (See Section 8 of Public Notice 708 –
VAT: Buildings and construction, available from the HMRC website at www.hmrc.gov.uk
VAT).
For properties that have been empty for 10 years or more a developer or house
owner can claim back all VAT charged on the renovation of a building (See Public
Notice 719 The DIY Builders Refund Scheme available from the HMRC website
www.hmrc.gov.uk VAT)

Enforcement
We recognise that on some occasions owners may not want to work with us to
bring their property back in to use. In these instances the Council may use its
statutory powers to deal with the problems that can arise from long term vacant
dwellings. This section provides an overview of the main enforcement powers
available to bring a property back into use:-

Empty Dwellings Management Order (EDMO’s)
Under Part 4 of the Housing Act 2004, Empty Dwelling Management Orders allow local authorities
to bring empty homes back into use while legal ownership remains with the owner. We can take
over the management of a property, carrying out any work that is required and rent the property out
to recover our costs (management and refurbishment) with any balance going to the owner.

Compulsory Purchase Orders (CPOs)
Where it will be of economic, social or environmental benefit to an area, the Town and Country
Planning Act 1990 grants powers to the Council to make compulsory purchase of land and
properties.
The Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 reformed the regime for CPOs making it easier
for the Council to make a case for CPOs.
 Forced Sale
Under Section 103 of the Law of Property Act 1925, we can also use an Enforced Sale Procedure
(ESP) forcing the sale of the property either through an open sale or by auction. An enforced sale
can only be carried out where we have placed a local land charge on the property because of work
undertaken by us and we are either unable to trace the owner or the owner is unwilling to pay for
the work (Works in Default). Our costs would be cleared from the proceeds of the sale with any
surplus monies being paid to the owner.
 Other Powers
The Council has numerous other powers to deal with many of the problems that routinely arise from
empty homes. In each case the Council will need to establish which power is the most
appropriate to use.
Any action taken using these powers will be in accordance with the County
Councils Enforcement Policy.
Bringing your empty property back into use has
many benefits:

You will earn money from rental income;

You will increase its value when selling it on the
open market;

You will reduce long term repair costs;

You will protect and secure your property from vandalism,
squatters and crime;

You will provide housing for local people;

You will be contributing to the economic and social prosperity
of the neighbourhood.
For further information on the options explored in this
Booklet please contact Housing and Regeneration
Services, our contact details are on the back page.
Housing and Regeneration Services
Ty’r - Efail
Lower Mill Field
Pontypool
Torfaen
NP4 0XJ
Telephone:
(01633) 644455
Transforming Houses into Homes