National Empty Homes Grants
The Welsh Government has prioritised and is committed to supporting individuals to bring empty homes back in to use to help re-generate communities and provide much-needed affordable housing for individuals across Wales.
Eligibility Criteria
- The empty home must be located within a participating local authority area, click here to see if the grant is available in your local authority area
- The home must currently be registered with the authority’s Council Tax Department as vacant (unoccupied and unfurnished) and have been so for a minimum 12-month period at the date of application.
- Applicants must be owners or prospective owners, who intend to occupy the empty home as their main and only residence, for a minimum 5-year period from the date of the certification of grant aided work. (Grant condition period).
Please note that additional local connection criteria will apply to the following Local Authority areas- Isle of Anglesey, Gwynedd, Ceredigion and Swansea (Gower Ward). Further information on this criteria can be found in the application form.
What you need to know
Potential applicants who meet the above criteria will be considered for grant aid towards the cost of repairs to the empty home, subject to the following conditions:
- Grant limit is set at £25,000 cost of works (ancillary fees added on top).
- Energy efficiency improvements will be a requirement as part of the works undertaken on the property.
- Homeowner applicants are required to make a mandatory contribution of 15% of the total cost of eligible works up to £25,000 (capped at £3,750). The mandatory contribution will be waived for applicants in financial hardship.
- Grant aid will only be awarded for eligible work identified by the Local Authority’s surveyor. All works identified by the surveyor will need to be completed to ensure all hazards are removed from the property. Only essential repair works required to make the home safe, secure and free from any category 1 hazards will be considered.
- Not all applicants will receive the maximum grant award. No grant assistance will be awarded where the total assessed work is under £1,000.
- The completion of all eligible work is a requirement to grant payment being released. If the cost of eligible works exceeds the £25,000 grant maximum, you would be responsible to finance the excess cost. You should ensure that you have the finance available to complete the eligible works.
- Any work completed prior to the survey and grant approval will not be eligible for grant aid.
- Repayment of the grant aid awarded is required if the home is sold, or not occupied as intended during the 5-year grant condition period.
- It is a requirement that a full Legal Charge be registered against the property title at the Land Registry in favour of the Local Authority.
- Grant payment will only be released on certification of works to the satisfaction of the Local Authority AND once the Legal Charge is placed.
If you require a reasonable adjustment throughout this process, you are able to specify needs in the application.
If you have any queries, Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council are working with Rhondda Cynnon Taff who are administrating the scheme on our behalf, please contact the team at EmptyHomesGrant@rctcbc.gov.uk or 01443 494712