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In this issue:
Welcome to the fourth edition of the 2022 Coventry City Council Landlord newsletter.
In August 2022, the council recruited a dedicated Empty Dwellings Officer as part the Empty Dwellings Strategy 2021-2026. The Empty Dwellings Officer (EDO) will be responsible for investigating empty properties and encouraging owners to bring them back into use.
All properties require ongoing maintenance to ensure they stay in good condition and maintain their value. An empty property can cost its owner as much as £135 per week or just over £7000 per year, when lost rent, dilapidation, insurance, and the ongoing Council Tax liability are considered.
In most situations, it does not make economic or social sense to leave a property empty for any longer than necessary.
What is an empty property?
A property is classed as empty after it has remained unoccupied and unfurnished for six months or longer.
Homes that are left empty for a long time tend to deteriorate. Long-term empty homes can also cause problems for neighbours and the local community. An overgrown garden, missing roof tiles, and a generally neglected appearance can attract vandalism or crime.
Empty homes do not include second homes, holiday lets, or student accommodation which is only occupied for part of the year.
What signs indicate that property could have been empty for a long time?
- the property has wooden boards or metal screens over the doors and windows
- no one is ever seen entering or leaving the property
- the front and back gardens are very overgrown
- there is rubbish dumped at the front or back of the property
- there are pests and vermin
- there is evidence of squatting or illegal activities
- the property looks derelict, with broken windows and doors
- large amount of uncollected post
What are the benefits of bringing an empty property back into use?
Empty properties are a wasted resource that can quickly fall into disrepair and become blights on our neighbourhoods. Often, they become magnets for fly tipping, anti-social behaviour, vandalism, and arson.
Bringing an empty property back into use has several benefits:
- Providing of much-needed homes
- Generating additional income for the owner
- Contributing to the regeneration of an area
- Potentially increasing the market value of surrounding properties
- Reducing the risk of crime and anti-social behaviour at the property
- Reducing the need to build new homes in the area
Do you live near or know of any empty properties?
Sometimes the council might be unaware of empty properties, which are causing concern for the local community.
You can report concerns about an empty home to the council’s Empty Dwellings Officer, who will investigate further and try to contact the property owner to discuss their options.
To enable us to offer the appropriate advice and assistance, it would be helpful to know:
- The address and current condition of the property
- The approximate date it became empty
- Contact details or information about the property owner
- Any estate agents who have been involved in previously renting the property
How will the Council assist with empty properties?
The council will provide advice and information to encourage or require owners to bring their properties back into use.
If there’s no response from owners or they refuse to carry out work required, the Council may need to take enforcement action to reduce the risk or remove the issue.
Some properties are empty for a long time for a justifiable reason. For example, the owner could be in hospital or caring for an ill or elderly relative elsewhere. Delays in bringing empty properties back into use could be caused by backlogs of planning applications, or deceased persons properties awaiting a grant of probate. Under these circumstances, it is unlikely the council will be able to take action.
Unfortunately, some empty property cases can be very complex, and it is important to understand that they can take a long time to resolve.
Please report any concerns about empty properties via our online reporting form, calling 024 7697 5495 or emailing emptyhomes@coventry.gov.uk
Do you have properties to rent in Coventry?
We offer guaranteed rent and other benefits to private sector landlords who want to work with the Council by providing tenancies in order to alleviate homelessness in the city. This includes a payment of up to 5 weeks' rent as a deposit.
Let’s rent is a completely free service.
We will guarantee rent payments up to the Local Housing Allowance (LHA) rate for the period of the tenancy (up to 2 years).
We will make a bonus one-off payment of an additional month’s rent at the end of each successful year.
For more information visit: https://www.coventry.gov.uk/letsrentcoventry
Email the team: LetsRentCoventry@coventry.gov.uk
The NRLA has its first face to face Landlords' Conference taking place locally to you at the Coventry Building Society Arena on Tuesday 15 November. It is a great opportunity for local landlords and letting agents to learn about practical guidance on future housing law reform, legislative impacts and upcoming energy efficiency regulation.
Read more information about the event.
Coventry City Council is seeking to remind landlords of the importance of evicting tenants legally having this month issued formal cautions to two local landlords who illegally evicted their tenants.
Both landlords gave their tenants incorrect paperwork instructing them to leave their homes which the tenants believed was correct and therefore proceeded to leave.
In both cases the tenants contacted housing enforcement after presenting themselves as homeless. Neither landlord reinstated the tenant when invited to do so.
Coventry City Council’s Housing Enforcement and Property Licensing Team are keen to remind landlords that in order to legally evict tenants they must serve a valid notice to quit and then use this to obtain a possession order at court - anything other than this is likely to constitute a criminal offence.
Formal cautions may be offered to perpetrators who admit wrongdoing at an early stage and accept responsibility for their offences. They can only be offered where there is the required amount of evidence to realistically gain a prosecution. Landlords can also face a prosecution in court where appropriate.
The formal caution may prevent the landlords from obtaining various licenses in Coventry, including the ability to manage Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMO). The tenants also have the option of now bringing a civil action.
Councillor David Welsh, Cabinet Member for Housing and Communities said: “Tenants have legal rights, the right to stay in their home until an official eviction process is completed, we will not stand for landlords trying to force tenants out of their homes.”
Anyone who is unsure over the eviction process is advised to seek legal advice or can contact the council at housing.enforcement@coventry.gov.uk for advice.
The Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Regs 2022 have now come into effect, which requires a CO detector in any room used as living accommodation which contains a fixed combustion appliance (excluding cookers). The regulations apply to private and social landlords.
We have recently gone live with our new software for submitting and processing HMO applications.
In order to submit a new/renewal HMO application and TEN applications, you will be required to register on the online portal. You will be able to save your details, to avoid inputting them every time when applying for a licence. Please note that even if you previously had a Coventry City Council account you will still be required to create a new account on the new software.
We have implemented an HMO application triage which will help you identify which type of application you should submit.
Online Portal:
https://planandregulatory.coventry.gov.uk/
HMO application triage:
https://planandregulatory.coventry.gov.uk/licences/apply.html?fa=menu&id=5
We want to work with you to improve housing in the city. If you want to get in touch with any questions please, contact the team:
Email: hmo@coventry.gov.uk
Telephone: 024 7697 5467
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