Advice for Carlisle homeowners
(Date of issue: Wednesday, 17 November 2010)
To coincide with National Week of Action (22 – 26 November),
Carlisle City Council is offering support and advice to local
homeowners who have empty properties.
There are more than 1,500 empty properties within the Carlisle
area, 700 of which have been out of use for longer than one year.
In addition to being a disincentive to anyone staying on or moving
to an area, they are also visually unattractive and create an
impression of neglect and decline.
As part of the City Council’s Empty Homes Strategy, the private
sector housing team aims to reduce the level of empty properties in
Carlisle and help meet local housing need by introducing
accommodation back into the market. The team:
- Respond to enquiries and complaints from local residents about
empty properties.
- Proactively identifying empty properties and their owners.
- Provide advice and support to the owners of empty properties
with the aim of returning the properties back into use.
- Offer financial support to empty property owners, in the form
of Empty Property Renovation Grants. Empty Property grants are
available for landlords, at 25% of the cost of the works, maximum
grant £5,000.
- Support a Private Sector Leasing Scheme with a local Registered
Social Landlord.
For further details on empty properties, or to report an empty
property, telephone 01228 817320, email housing@carlisle.gov.uk or
visit www.carlisle.gov.uk