Grants and help for empty homes

We are committed to reducing the number of empty properties in Brent. We can offer generous grants and incentive schemes to help owners bring these properties back into residential use.

If you leave a property empty, the condition and value of your property will depreciate, the property could be the target of arson, vandalism, squatters and attract pests. You may be faced with high insurance premiums, and you will receive no rental income.

If your property remains empty and unfurnished for more than two years, a 100% premium will be added to your annual Council Tax bill. After five years, a 200% premium applies and this increases to a 300% premium after 10 years.

If a property remains empty for a long time there are legal powers we can use to take it over.

Tell us if you know of any empty properties in your area. It might be empty if the windows have been broken for a long time, post has not been collected, windows and doors have been boarded up and the rooms are always in darkness.

How to report an empty property:

Email: empty.property@brent.gov.uk, or call 020 8937 2384 choose option 1, then option 4.

Apply for Empty Property Grant

If you have an empty property and want to apply for a grant, or need help and advice to bring it back into use, email: empty.property@brent.gov.uk or call 020 8937 2384 choose option 1, then option 4.

A grant can be given to refurbish an empty property to a standard ready for letting. In return, the owner will sign an agreement with the council or one of our partner housing association letting schemes to take tenants for a period of three or five years.

Refurbishment grant

This grant may cover works such as faulty and unsafe electrics, inferior heating system, windows that are so faulty as to be very poor insulation, inadequate kitchen food safety or food preparation arrangements and bathrooms that are very old.

It may also cover work to provide additional bedroom(s), subject to relevant planning and building control approval.

Conversion grant

This grant can help pay for converting a large empty home into smaller units or a commercial premises into residential properties. This is always subject to full planning consent.

Commercial grant

Grants for empty commercial properties can help towards the cost of conversion into residential units.

We can provide grants of up to:

• £156,000 for 4 units or more
• £39,000 for each 3 bedroom unit
• 70 per cent of reasonable cost of works

The Empty Property Team can also provide support with planning applications.

Who is eligible? 

To be eligible to apply you must be: 

• the owner of the freehold or leasehold of the property
• a UK citizen, or have the power of attorney to act on behalf of the owner of the property

What types of property are eligible?

Grants are available to improve houses, flats or commercial units that cannot be occupied because of disrepair such as damp, faulty wiring or rotten timbers. Grants can also be used for converting commercial properties to residential use.

Grant conditions

• The property must be empty and in Brent.
• When the works are completed, the property must be let to the council for a period of five years.
• The property must conform to planning and building control standards.
• The property must meet the council’s terms and conditions of letting. 

What types of property are we looking for?

We are looking for:

• family sized accommodation for example with two and three bedrooms; (but we may consider other sized properties.)
• each property must be self contained
• we will not consider properties with shared cooking facilities

Will improvements such as a new kitchen and bathroom be considered for a grant?

Yes, improvement such as a new kitchen or bathroom may be considered alongside other works that would qualify for a grant. 

The amount of grant you will receive is dependent on the size of the property and the number of people that can occupy it.

You may receive a grant of up to 70 per cent of the cost of repair works, or a maximum of £6,500 per person that can occupy your property, whichever is lower. The grant is not means tested, companies as well as individuals can apply.

A one-bedroom property is at 50 per cent, two bedroom properties at 60 per cent and three bedroom and larger are 70 per cent, or at the level of £6,500 for every person that could be accommodated.

The approved grant would be the lower of the two calculations and a decision on what may be grant aided will be made only after our surveyor has visited the property.

For example: for a two bedroom property, you could get up to £26,000 in grant aid for refurbishment or conversion works and a potential average rental income of £14,500 per year.

If you have an empty property and want to apply for a grant, or need help and advice to bring it back into use, email the Empty Property team: empty.property@brent.gov.uk or call 020 8937 2384.

A grant can be given to refurbish an empty property to a standard ready for letting. In return, the owner will sign an agreement with the council or one of our partner housing association letting schemes to take tenants for a period of five years.

Once you have signed and returned the application pack and works are complete, you will need to supply us with:

• gas and electrical certificates
• a final invoice
• EPC certificate
• a three or five-year lease nomination agreement from your chosen housing managing agent

For the grant to be paid, Brent’s Empty Property Team must have a completed and fully signed three or five year lease or nomination agreement for the letting scheme you have chosen. Please send a copy of the final agreement to your Empty Property Case Officer.

Managing the property

You can opt for a managed scheme, either through the Council or Housing Association (Resident Social Landlord), alternatively you could choose to manage the property yourself.

Who will pay rent for my property?

This is dependent on the letting scheme that you chose, but we offer both guaranteed and non-guaranteed rental schemes. 
To discuss the letting options available to you, email landlords@brent.gov.uk, or call 020 8937 2777.