Support and advice for Wirral residents and landlords with empty homes

24 February 2023

A stock images showing a row of terraced houses set against a blue and cloudy sky

Owners of empty properties can access a wide range of support from Wirral Council to help bring them back into use.

As part of efforts to increase the supply of much needed housing the authority works with those who own long term empty properties to get people living in them.

And now as National Empty Homes Week gets underway the council is using this opportunity to remind any owners to contact the authority at emptyproperties@wirral.gov.uk to discuss what help they can get.

National Empty Homes Week (Monday 27th February to Sunday 5th March 2023) is a national campaign organised by the Empty Homes Agency to raise awareness of the negative impact of empty properties.

Cllr Tony Jones, chair of Wirral Council’s Economy, Regeneration & Housing Committee at Wirral Council, said: “Making the best use of our existing housing stock is good sense – not only is it a more sustainable choice but it is often a quicker and cheaper option than building from new, and it is also good for the local community and the surrounding area.

“In Wirral we are fortunate to have many good quality properties and the council is ready to help those who own property which can be brought back into use and provide a decent home. National Empty Homes Week is a great opportunity for us to continue to highlight the support and advice Wirral Council can provide.”

There are a number of options which Wirral Council’s Housing Standards Team can offer to owners to improve, let or sell their empty properties including:

Empty Property Grant – Up to £7,000 is available to help with structural and improvement works. For example, a typical terraced property could benefit from a contribution towards double glazing, plasterwork, rewiring, or a new kitchen, bathroom or boiler, dependent on eligibility and availability of funds.

Letting the Property – We can help find a tenant for a property, including by advertising it to thousands of potential tenants through the Property Pool Plus website.

Selling the Property – Our developer list can be used to market and sell your property to a private developer. Interested developers are then invited to submit sealed bids for owners to consider.

Over the past year Wirral Council has assisted more than 30 owners of empty properties to bring them back into use via the Empty Property Grant scheme. In one case an owner secured £7,000 towards the renovation costs of a long term empty property in Birkenhead. They were able to access empty property grant funding to assist with the cost of a full electrical rewire, a new kitchen, a new boiler and plastering work for their property. The council was then able to help the owner to place a tenant at the property.

To find out more about support towards bringing empty properties back into use call 0151 691 8132 / 8186 or email emptyproperties@wirral.gov.uk.

The Wirral Council Plan 2025 includes an aim of bringing long-term empty properties back into use to improve the quality of Wirral’s housing offer and meet the needs of residents.

For more information about empty homes and how the council can help, please visit www.wirral.gov.uk/emptyproperties