Advice about our Empty Homes
Over the past decade the issue of empty properties has gained prominence at both a national and local level.
Empty properties represent a wasted resource, financial expense and in many cases a missed opportunity to provide much needed affordable housing.
Not only are they a waste of a valuable housing resource but they can cause blight to communities and distress to residents, who are affected by their unsightly appearance and tendency to attract crime, vandals, squatters, unauthorised occupiers, and anti-social behaviour. They can also devalue neighbouring properties and represent a huge cost to the Council, Police, Fire Authority, and Community Safety Partnerships due to the time and resources spent in dealing with the problems that they create.
In Merthyr Tydfil we have approx. 540 long term empty properties (2024), which have been vacant for 6 months or more.
Our commitment
The Council is committed to working with empty property owners to encourage them to bring their properties back into use and, where possible, prevent properties from becoming empty in the first instance.
The Environmental Protection and Housing Enforcement team holds a database of all vacant properties within Merthyr Tydfil and has an Empty Homes Strategy which enables us to proactively tackle empty properties. We also respond to numerous complaints relating to empty properties and take appropriate action against owners where necessary, such action may involve:
- Locating owners of the property
- Securing properties that are open to access
- Cleaning waste and overgrowth from gardens
- Treating for rodents
There are several initiatives available to help owners bring their empty property back into use. We provide advice and assistance and can signpost you to any financial incentives that are available, this includes reductions in VAT payments, grants and loans.
Working with owners to help bring a property back into use is our primary aim, however, if an owner is uncooperative or obstructive then the Council will consider using the wide range of formal enforcement action available to bring the property back into use.
Formal enforcement action is always a last resort, but the Council believes that leaving properties stand empty for long periods when there is a shortage of affordable housing in the County Borough is not acceptable.
In 2022 – 2023, 39 empty homes were bought back into use through enforcement action, grants, loans or advice.