Help offered with empty properties

Horsham’s council is looking to reduce the number of empty homes in the district.

Within the Horsham district there are some 350 homes that have been empty for six months or longer.

The council said it is keen to bring as many properties as possible back into use to ease local housing shortages.

A spokesman said: “Homes left empty long term can be a blight on the neighbourhood and attract anti-social behaviour. There can be emotional and complex reasons surrounding why homes are left empty, but there are many incentives to turn an empty house into a future home.

“Making the house a home again will reduce the costs of owning an empty property, such as deterioration in value and regular bills including Council Tax.

“Leaving properties unoccupied can attract the attention of vandals, squatters, and complaints from neighbours, as well as causing the decline in its condition. The biggest incentive for bringing the home back into use is to gain regular rental income from letting, or a lump sum from selling your property.”

The council’s Environmental Health team said it can offer advice to owners of empty homes and information on the options available to help bring homes back into use.

This includes grant assistance if improvement work is needed for the empty home and it will then be let, or the services of the council’s Lettings Officer who works with families hoping for homes to rent in this area.

Cllr Tricia Youtan said: “With a shortage of housing in our District, giving preloved empty homes a new lease of life as a family home, with the added attraction of either a regular rental income or a healthy lump sum, makes not only good economic sense but is also great news for our community as a whole.”