We are committed to bringing long term empty homes back into use. They are a wasted resource in terms of housing available for people to live in. They can attract vandalism, fly-tipping and other criminal activity. These problems can be detrimental to nearby properties. Neglected properties can also decrease property values and discourage investment in the local area.
We are working as part of the ‘No Use Empty’ scheme run by Kent County Council. Subject to certain qualifying criteria, homeowners can apply for loans up to £25,000 per property to carry out renovation and reconstruction work to bring an empty property back into use.
When homeowners carry out work to bring their properties back into residential use, we can provide a VAT exemption certificate to reduce the owner’s tax liability. A £90 fee (as of 2025/26) is payable to us for this service.
Our Empty Homes Strategy 2023-2028 sets out in detail how we are working to bring empty homes into use.
For more information, please contact us.