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In this issue:
Welcome to the first edition of the Coventry Landlord Newsletter for 2023.
The Property Licensing and Housing Enforcement Team is collecting Equality and Inclusion data from landlords, agents and tenants with the aim of analysing the data provided to improve our services to ensure we can meet the specific needs of our diverse range of service users. If you would like to take part, please complete The Equality & Inclusion Survey to tell us more about you. It should not take any longer than a couple of minutes. Thank you for your participation.
We have recently implemented a new payment system. The online payment system can be access via our webpage. Alternatively, it can be accessed from to https://www.coventry.gov.uk , select “Pay for it” option on the top, select “Other Payments / Business and Licensing / Mandatory or Additional HMO Licence”.
If you are having any issues with the payment system, you can call our team and we can take the payment over the telephone.
We are still working on linking the new payment system with new licensing software, so you can pay for your HMO applications directly through the Online Portal. We hope to resolve this within few weeks.
Two Coventry landlords have been fined £30,000 after being found guilty of failing to maintain health and safety standards on a property. Read the full news story.
During 20-26 February 2023 it was National Empty Homes Week and Coventry City Council is encouraging residents to report empty homes across the city.
An empty home is defined as a property that has remained unoccupied and unfurnished for six months or longer. Empty properties do not normally include second homes, holiday lets or student accommodation which are only occupied for part of the year.
As part of the Coventry’s Empty Dwellings Strategy 2021-2026, our Empty Dwellings Officer (EDO) is responsible for investigating empty dwellings and encouraging owners to bring them back into use. This helps to free up space for those starting out on the property ladder, families looking to buy or rent homes, reduces rates of crime and anti-social behaviour, regenerate communities, as well as improving the overall health and wellbeing of communities and individuals.
Regionally, across the West Midlands, the number of long-term empty homes rose by 11%, to just under 29,000, while a further 13,000 West Midlands homes were classed as vacant and furnished ‘second homes’ - at 0.5% this is the lowest regional level of second homes in England, however Coventry has a notably higher level than that nationally with 2,485 second homes and furnished vacants.
Across the two categories of long-term empty and second homes around 1 home in every 36 in Coventry is out of residential use long-term (the wider West Midlands level is 1 in 62 and the national level 1 in 50).
Overall Coventry’s level of empty homes at 1.15% is minimally higher than that of the West Midlands regional level of 1.11% and the national level of 1%.
During the National Empty Homes Week, Coventry City Council was using its Twitter and Facebook accounts to highlight the work the Empty Dwelling Officer carries out and how residents can help the Council spot the signs of an empty property; how to report a suspected empty property and the benefits of bringing an empty property back into use.
As well as using the online reporting tool, anyone who wishes to report an empty property can also call 024 7697 5495 or email emptyhomes@coventry.gov.uk and include:
- the address and current condition of the suspected empty property
- the approximate date the property became empty
- contact details or information about the property owner
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any details of any estate agents previously involved in renting the property.
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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