Empty Homes Assistance

A loan for owners to bring their empty homes back into use

Empty Homes Assistance is a loan of up to £10,000 to help owners to carry out repairs to bring their empty home back into use.

What repairs can you help with?

Typical repairs include:

• Heating and hot water
• Roof
• Damp proof course
• Plastering
• Gutters and drain pipes
• Windows / doors
• Electrics
• Fire safety measures
• Home security measures

A Housing officer will visit you to assess the repairs that are needed and tell you whether they fit our criteria.

How do I repay the loan?

The loan can be repaid in two ways - you choose which type of loan you prefer and we will carry out checks to make sure that it is suitable for you.

The first option is an interest-free monthly repayment loan. You start paying the loan back one month after we make the first payment for your home repairs, and you can pay it back over a period of up to ten years. We have produced a Rough Guide to Monthly Repayments (PDF, 176KB) showing how much you can expect to pay depending on how much you borrow. 

The second option is an equity share loan. We offer you a loan in exchange for a share in the value of your property. There are no regular repayments, and no interest is added to the loan. You don't repay the loan until you sell your home or it is transferred to another person.  The repayment will be based on the value of the property at the time that you sell or transfer it. For example, if we loan you £10,000 and your property is worth £100,000, we will have a 10% share in your property. When you come to repay the loan, the Council's stake is 10% of the sale price, so if the property is sold for £110,000, you repay £11,000.

Am I eligible for this loan?

To qualify for this loan, the main criteria that need to be met include:

• You must own the property to be improved
  
• The property must have been empty for at least twelve months
  
• You must be intending to:
  • live in the property yourself once it is repaired
  • let it to a tenant on a 12-month tenancy agreement, and you are a member of the Cheshire Landlord Accreditation Scheme
  • lease it to a management company for a period of at least three years

 How can I apply?

Please note that we are experiencing high demand for financial assistance for home repairs. Your details will be added to a waiting list, and enquiries will be prioritised to ensure we assist the most urgent cases first.

First, you need to complete the online Empty Homes Enquiry for Financial Assistance form. We will assess your enquiry and contact you to make arrangements to visit your property.

Contact us

To find out more, please contact the Decent Homes team on 0300 123 5017 (select option 4) or email privatehousing@cheshireeast.gov.uk.