Empty Homes
An empty property
Information on Empty Homes
An empty home is an asset and a risk. When you leave a property empty it can deteriorate rapidly. Not only can the fabric suffer water penetration, your house can become the target for graffiti and vandalism.
Any property which has been unoccupied for more than two years will be charged an additional premium of 50% in addition to the full annual council tax charge. Also you will be receiving no rental income and might be subject to an increase in insurance.
The council has a range of measures that can help bring your empty property back into use.
Why is the council interested?
Within the Aylesbury Vale District there are estimated to be over 400 private homes which have been empty for more than six months.
At the same time, the council's list of people seeking suitable homes continues to grow. There are around 4500 households on the housing register.
All of this demand puts pressure on the need to build new homes within the district and yet at least a part of that demand could be met by using homes which already exist but are being left empty.
But apart from that...
Empty properties are seldom as well maintained as occupied ones and may well stick out from their occupied neighbours. If they become dilapidated then they can have severe adverse effects on the confidence of the area. They can experience vandalism, squatters and crime which can lead to fears over security for people living nearby.