Empty Properties

Long-term empty properties lead to social, economic and environmental concerns including:

• Creating eyesores which are a target for nuisance and anti-social behaviour
• Decreasing the value of neighbouring properties
• Contributing to a housing shortage in the neighbourhood
• Increasing pressure for housing development on Greenfield sites to meet housing demand
• Burdening the local authority with lost revenue from council tax and the time and resources spent by Public Health, Building Control, Fire Authority and Police Services

Empty property owners are also missing out on the potential income generated through letting or selling their property.

Enforcement

Where empty property owners are not compliant and all negotiations have failed, Torfaen Council may take enforcement action to ensure that the empty property is returned to a habitable condition and brought back into use. Enforcement actions may include empty dwelling management orders, enforced sale, compulsory purchase orders or voluntary acquisition.

We urge owners to consult the support links for advice and guidance on bringing their empty property back into use.

For more information about Empty Properties in Torfaen please visit the Torfaen Homes website.

Empty Property Landlord Loan

Torfaen Council in partnership with the Welsh Government are currently offering interest free loans to assist empty property owners to bring their properties back into use.

For more information about Empty Property Landlord Loans in Torfaen please visit the Torfaen Homes website.