“I have been very satisfied with the staff, time it takes to arrange and prompt payment of invoices. Thank you.”
Miss H of Maidenhead
“The officer who came to us was very helpful, efficient and friendly. We felt under no pressure and the whole process has gone smoothly.”
Contact your local authority
- Select your local authority
- Aylesbury Vale District Council
- Bracknell Forest Borough Council
- Buckinghamshire Council
- Cherwell District Council
- Chiltern District Council
- Milton Keynes Council
- Oxford City Council
- Reading Borough Council
- Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead
- Slough Borough Council
- South Bucks District Council
- South Oxfordshire District Council
- Surrey Heath Borough Council
- Vale of White Horse District Council
- West Berkshire Council
- West Oxfordshire District Council
- Wokingham District Council
- Wycombe District Council
These loans are currently unavailable
Five year bridging loans for the purpose of bring empty properties back into habitable use
How does the scheme work?
Empty Homes Loans may be regarded as 5 year, flexible, bridging finance secured by a first charge or, in some circumstances, a second charge on the property.
After the work has been completed you may let the property or use it as your own residence. During the term of the loan you can choose to make regular monthly payments, occasional payments or no payments at all. Furthermore, you are free to vary the arrangement at any time.
The loan, plus outstanding interest, must be repaid on the fifth anniversary of making the loan, or if the property is sold, whichever occurs first. The borrower will normally need to remortgage, or sell, the property to repay the loan. Interest will be charged at 2% above Bank of England rate, subject to minimum and maximum rates (please contact us for a quotation). Your account will also be debited with an annual charge of £15 to cover the cost of loan administration and statements.
The loan may be repaid, in whole or part, at any time before the end of the five years, without penalty. When the loan is completely repaid there is a flat fee of £50.00 for cancellation of our registered charge
It is good to get help you can really trust.
As a local authority we are tasked with putting measures in place to encourage owners of empty properties to bring them back into habitable use.
Many empty properties are likely to be difficult to mortgage through conventional lenders and it is our aim to provide assistance whatever the condition of the property.
All this is backed up with the peace of mind that the loan is provided by your local authority on a not-for-profit basis.
Who is eligible?
Empty Homes Loans are available to owners of empty properties.
Applications are processed on a non-status basis, although a credit check is carried out. A very poor credit history may result in the application being declined and bankruptcy will automatically prevent us from making a loan.
Are there any setting-up costs?
There will be a fee for loan documentation and registration of the legal charge. The fee will be added to the loan and is currently £80.00 for loans up to £50,000. In certain circumstances the Council may need to obtain a valuation of the property to confirm the equity is sufficient to cover the loan. This is unlikely to be needed in the majority of cases.
If you decide to engage a solicitor to act for you, they will almost certainly charge for their service. Any fees incurred may, if you wish, be added to the loan.