Landlord incentives

Empty homes

Empty homes can be costly to both owners and the local community; the longer they are empty, the greater the waste and the harder it can be to bring them back into use. By owning an empty property there are costs incurred such as council tax, insurance and security; lost income from renting or selling the property; and reduction in the property’s value if the properties condition deteriorates.

If you are interested in bringing your empty home back into use we can offer you some advice and assistance in the following areas:

• Safety and security
• Renovation overview
• VAT discounts
• Energy efficiency
• Selling options such as estate agents, auction houses, property buying companies
• Private renting
• We operate a ‘buy back’ scheme (ex-Council properties)
• We operate a Matchmaker Scheme whereby owners can provide details of their property, this information can be passed to potential purchasers

Property Matchmakers scheme

We  operate a property matchmakers scheme for both empty home owners which ‘matches up’ sellers of empty properties with potential purchasers and also landlords who may be interested in selling a tenanted property to another landlord. We will provide the seller and purchaser with each other’s details to make direct contact. 

Not all empty home owners have the time or financial resources to return their property to use, and sometimes the best solution is to sell the property to someone who can.

Whether your empty home needs repair or is ready-to-move-in you are welcome to join the scheme.

Buying an empty home

If you are interested in purchasing an empty home, the property matchmaker can help you find the property (or properties) that are right for you. You can also let us know if there is a particular empty property that you are interested in purchasing and we can pass your contact details onto the home owner. The scheme aims for a suitable solution for sellers as well as buyers and acceptable offers and conduct is key to this.

Benefits for owners

• It is a free service
• Your home will be matched up with people who specifically want to purchase an empty property
• It can help you find a buyer if you’ve been having difficulty selling or the home is in poor condition
• It is a way of exploring your options if you’ve been thinking about selling but haven’t made up your mind

Benefits for buyers

• It is a free service
• An empty home needing repair can give people on a lower budget the opportunity to but at a more affordable price and can be an affordable opportunity to personalise the property to meet the buyers particular requirements and taste.
• There are a wide range of empty home types, ranging from modern to historic, move-in condition to fix-er uppers, large to small and rural to urban.

Landlord to landlord sales

The Homeowner’s Service (private sector) would like to highlight the option of landlord to landlord sales. If you no longer want to act as a private landlord this option may provide the best option for both you and your tenant. If the tenant wishes to remain in the property it limits the disruption to the them as they retain the tenancy, there is not void time and the new landlord doesn’t have to look for a tenant. In summary the benefits are:-

You don’t have to serve notice to bring the tenancy to an end;

No disruption to the tenant and their family,

No void period or lost rental;

The new landlord doesn’t have to seek a new tenant;

No long term empty property.

Some private landlords sell their property just for it to be bought by another private landlord who then has to start at the beginning again, whereas with landlord to landlord sales the tenancy is already set up for the new landlord.

Please contact the Homeowner’s Service (private sector) if you would like more information on this process.

Application form for sellers

Application form for buyers

Buying Back Council Houses

To increase the supply of affordable housing in high demand areas, consolidate our stock and to respond to identified community care needs, we can buy properties which respond to specific need as part of our Strategic Housing Investment Plan (SHIP) programme. Please see Buying back council houses · East Ayrshire Council (east-ayrshire.gov.uk for further information and to download an application form.

Council tax discount

In accordance with the Council Tax legislation an empty dwelling is a dwelling which is both unoccupied and unfurnished which has already received the appropriate 50% discount for the mandatory period and still remains vacant.  A levy has been applied  for properties that are unoccupied for more than 12 months and a 100% additional council tax charge will be applied to the property unless it is currently being:

• actively marketed for sale or rent
• undergoing structural repairs
• is classed as a second home

If you have an empty home in East Ayrshire or if there has been a change to this information please contact Council Tax to allow your records to be updated accordingly.

Private landlord advice

If you wish to consider becoming a private landlord we would provide potential landlords with a package of assistance to ease the transition from being an owner of an empty property to being a private rented sector landlord. This could include providing:

• Landlord guides, including model tenancy agreements etc
• Access to the available property list (private landlord public list)
• Registration assistance
• Ongoing advice and assistance