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Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Empty Homes Campaign



It’s a week for banners, chanting and marching on the streets. Have you chirped up about anything yet this week?

The deadline for signatories to the Empty Homes Campaign is coming up soon, 21 April 2009. If the sight of boarded up houses makes you want to cry or it makes you want to roll up your sleeves, get quotes for repair, put an offer in, get a mortgage, rent it out, then go on to the next one .................................this is the petition for you. No need to get arrested.

Here is
the petition and there is lots of information from the Empty Homes Agency and on David Ireland's blog about unlocking the potential of vacant property. The campaign has three main aims: for VAT on refurbishment and renovation to be cut to 5%, grant aid for social landlords to buy and repair empty properties and clearer guidance to help councils to get Empty Dwelling Management Orders off the ground.

VAT on refurbishment cut to 5%? Maybe this will be in the budget.
Grant aid for social landlords will help ease the demand for affordable rented property and help bring some derelict properties into use.

The last aim in this campaign has already been agreed to and Councils should soon be better
able to make use of their powers to take on the management of residential property that has been empty for years. There are estimated to be over 1 million empty properties in the UK this year and, in theory, if more and more Empty Dwelling Management Orders are used rental demand in some areas will reduce as more properties come on the market to rent. But, anything that can help streets and neighbourhoods blighted by boarded up houses and neglect can surely help any local economy and the rental market reflect the true state of affairs in an area, once and for all.

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