Council seeking vacant homes for social housing

KERRY County Council has issued a call for properties which have been vacant for over a year for use as social housing.

The council needs homes to use as part of the newly launched Repair and Leasing Scheme which targets vacant properties as a possible source of social housing and provides property owners with an income stream that may be otherwise unavailable.

Under the scheme any repair and improvement works needed to bring the properties up to the necessary standard for rented accommodation will be funded by the local authority.

The cost of the works is then deducted from rent or lease payments over an agreed lease term of at least ten years.

Properties in all areas will be considered but the council says it is particularly anxious to lease properties in Kerry’s main towns and villages.

There are a number of requirements in relation to the scheme which include the following:

The property must be vacant for at least 12 months and there has to be a social housing demand for the property locally

The minimum lease term is dependent on the cost of repairs with a minimum lease period of 10 years and a maximum period of 20 years

The maximum cost of repairs allowable under the scheme will be €40,000

Benefits for property owners include an upgrade of their property with no capital outlay from their own resources and guaranteed rent for at least 10 years whether the property is occupied or not.

Property owners will not have to find tenants or collect rent and will not be required to carry out any routine maintenance for the tenants.

Application forms and further details are available on Kerry County Council’s website, www.kerrycoco.ie, or by contacting the Housing Department at 066 7183645.

Interested property owners should complete the application form and submit the relevant documents to the Housing Department, Kerry County Council, County Buildings, Tralee, Co Kerry on or before Thursday, June 1.