Newport City Homes
Empty Property Management
Policy (P9)
1.
Introduction
1.1
Newport City Homes is committed to making the most effective use of its
housing stock in order to maximise rental income, meet housing need and
maintain good estate management.
1.2
Newport City Homes will adopt a pro-active approach to property
management to ensure that empty (void) properties do not significantly detract
from a neighbourhood’s appearance, security or sustainability.
1.3
This policy details the arrangements for the management of empty properties
owned by Newport City Homes.
1.4
The term resident used in this policy applies to all tenants, leaseholders and
shared owners of Newport City Homes.
1.5
All policies have been developed jointly by members of the Board, Tenants’
Panel and staff.
2.
Policy statement
2.1
Residents will be made fully aware of their responsibilities and end of tenancy
obligations when signing their tenancy agreement. This will also be reinforced
at the new resident visit which takes place 6 weeks after the start of the new
tenancy.
2.2
Newport City Homes will ensure that procedures are in place to identify as
early as possible when a property becomes empty, and that the empty
property is re-let within an agreed target time frame.
2.3
In managing its empty properties, Newport City Homes aims to:




Minimise the length of time a property remains unoccupied
Minimise rental loss
Minimise empty property repair costs
Ensure that all empty properties comply with legal and health and
safety requirements.
 Provide clear and concise information to staff and residents
3.
Principles of the policy
3.1
Newport City Homes will deem a property to be empty in the following
circumstances:
 Where a resident has formally terminated the tenancy by written notice,
 On the death of a resident where there is no successor
 By abandonment of a tenancy, where the appropriate action has been
taken to end the tenancy
 By eviction where the relevant court action has been taken
3.2
Newport City Homes will ensure that all empty properties are repaired and relet in accordance with closely monitored target timescales to ensure efficient
and accountable management of empty properties.
3.3
Newport City Homes will have a published Lettable standard of repair and
cleanliness for its empty properties, drawn up and reviewed with residents.
3.4
Newport City Homes will require the outgoing resident to repay the cost of any
repairs necessary to bring the property up to the Lettable Standard that are
the outgoing resident’s responsibility or are due to their (or a household
members’ or visitors’) negligence or damage to the property.
3.5
Newport City Homes will not decorate properties, unless they are in very poor
condition, or if the resident is elderly or infirm. In all other cases, Newport City
Homes will provide assistance with decoration costs which reflect the need for
decoration.
3.6
Newport City Homes will undertake pro-active estate management to improve
environmental conditions, for example maintaining garden and common areas
during the period the property is empty.
4.
Relevant legislation and regulatory compliance
4.1
Newport City Homes will ensure that empty properties are re-let in
accordance with best practice and relevant policy and legislation, including
the following:
 Tenancy agreement
 Residents handbook
 Housing Acts 1988,1996,1998 and 2004
5.
Empty Property Management process
5.1
Termination of tenancies
5.2
Newport City Homes will:
 Request 28 days notice (in writing) from residents who wish to end
their tenancy
 Provide a termination of tenancy form for residents to complete which
records relevant information
 Put in motion empty property management procedures as soon as the
notice of tenancy termination is received
 Have guidelines covering the circumstances in which the notice period
may be waived, for example the death, hospitalisation/permanent care,
imprisonment of a resident, to be determined at the discretion of the
Housing Manager
 Provide the outgoing resident with information explaining the procedure
for terminating the tenancy and the resident’s responsibilities, with
regard to condition of property and any outstanding rent
5.3
Where a property is unoccupied and written notice has not been obtained, the
Abandoned Property procedure will be implemented, to allow for the tenancy
to be legally ended and the property to be re-let.
5.4
Wherever possible a pre-termination inspection will be carried out before the
resident vacates the property, to assess the work required to bring the
property up to the lettable standard. Advice will also be provided to the
resident during this inspection on clearing the property, handing in the keys,
rechargeable repairs and compensation for any improvements undertaken.
5.5
Inspection and Repairs to Properties
5.6
A full inspection of the property will be carried out to ensure the property has
been left in a satisfactory condition. Inspections will be undertaken within set
target timescales.
5.7
The inspection will identify the repairs required to the property to enable it to
be brought up to the Lettable Standard.
5.8
In recognition of the need to minimise re-let timescales Newport City Homes
will undertake some minor repairs after occupation. The resident will be
advised of any outstanding works at the sign-up interview.
5.9
The Inspector will identify any outstanding Rechargeable repairs and note any
remedial work required resulting from resident damage, in line with the
Rechargeable repair policy. Photographic evidence of the condition of the
property will be recorded.
5.10
Appropriate cost effective security measures will be put in place as necessary.
5.11
A post inspection will be carried out following the completion of repairs on all
properties before re-letting, to ensure the works have been completed to a
satisfactory standard.
5.12
Low Demand Property
5.13
Newport City Homes will closely monitor demand for its properties. Where
low demand has been identified, an assessment will be carried out to identify
the reasons for the low demand.
5.14
This assessment will include consultation with local residents.
5.15
Where the assessment identifies property condition as a factor affecting the
demand of an empty property, repairs may be carried out over and above the
Lettable standard.
5.16
Newport City Homes will consider implementing innovative letting solutions
aimed at reducing empty properties and meeting specific local needs.
6.
Risk implications
6.1
A failure to manage empty properties effectively will have a negative impact
upon the reputation and image of Newport City Homes, leading in turn to a
loss of public confidence.
6.2
Properties which are left empty for long periods of time are at risk of damage
and vandalism. Vandalised properties affect the visual appearance of the
environment and may impact upon the ability of Newport City Homes to let
other properties in the surrounding area.
6.3
If properties are left insecure, there is also a risk of unauthorised occupation,
which could in turn lead to lengthy legal proceedings to repossess the
property from squatters.
7.
Financial Implications
7.1
A failure to manage empty properties effectively and to bring them swiftly back
into the housing stock will result in a direct loss of rental income to Newport
City Homes.
7.2
If damage or vandalism has been carried out to an empty property, this may
result in higher than expected expenditure to the empty property budget.
8.
Equality Implications
8.1
Newport City Homes is committed to giving an equal service to all. Any action
taken under this policy will comply with current equalities legislation.
8.2
Newport City Homes’ staff will operate within the Equality and Diversity Policy
and meet any specific needs which may arise in respect of ethnic minorities,
people with disabilities, the elderly or vulnerable residents.
8.3
Newport City Homes will in all reasonable circumstances make information
available in a variety of information formats, including:
 large print
 audio tape
 community languages
9.
Welsh Language Implications
9.1
Newport City Homes recognises the right of people to conduct their business
through the medium of Welsh.
9.2
Newport City Homes will meet the requirements of the Welsh Language Act
1993 and offer a choice of using English or Welsh when communicating with
Newport City Homes.
10.
Resident Participation Implications
10.1
Newport City Homes will provide performance information to residents so they
can measure and evaluate the quality and effectiveness of the services
delivered.
10.2
Residents will be involved in drawing up and reviewing the Lettable standard
for empty properties. Residents will also monitor the standard of works
carried out to empty properties in partnership with the Quality Control team.
10.3
Newport City Homes will listen to residents’ views at every opportunity to
enable continuous improvements to services, in line with its Resident
Participation Strategy.
11.
Policy monitoring
11.1
To help achieve our aim of being a continuously improving organisation and to
ensure that we meet all statutory obligations, Newport City Homes has
systems and processes in place which allow us to monitor and evaluate our
performance.
11.2
A record of progress will be kept, with target times set, of each empty property
to ensure that every stage of the process is followed and completed on a
timely and consistent basis.
11.3
The Board and City Wide Residents’ Panel will receive quarterly updates
detailing the following information:









Empty properties as a percentage of total stock
Empty property turnaround times
Empty property rent loss
Cost of works against approved annual budget
Number of terminations of tenancy and number of re-lets
Offer refusal rates and reasons
Any empty property trends identified
Any demand trends identified
Achievement against target timescales
11.4
Newport City Homes will benchmark its performance against other similar
housing associations with the aim of achieving continuous improvement and
to ensure compliance with best practice.
12.
Links to other relevant policies/documents
12.1
This policy links closely with the following policies and documents:





Repairs and maintenance policy
Abandoned property policy
Allocations policy
Re-chargeable policy
Complaints policy
 Compensation policy
 Resident Participation Strategy
13.
Review
13.1
This policy will be reviewed by the Board every three years unless there is a
change in legislation.