Grants for Property Repairs

What is it?

Homeowners have responsibility for ensuring their homes are properly maintained.  The role of the Council is to provide advice and assistance to help homeowners repair and maintain their properties. 

If the Council has identified a project as a strategic priority and owners agree to take part in the repairs on a voluntary basis, then financial assistance may be considered, subject to the availability of resources.  For further information about financial assistance, please refer to the Scheme of Assistance.

Who is it for?

Advice and assistance is targeted at all owner occupiers and landlords in tenement buildings who are required to have common repair works carried out to their property.  Priority will be given to owners/landlords in Pre 1919 tenement properties which are in a state of serious disrepair or are in danger of falling into disrepair and require works to the common parts.

Please see below types of Assistance available.

Large Scale Voluntary Tenement Repairs

In the first instance, where owners are willing to carry our repairs on a voluntary basis, financial assistance will be directed towards tenement properties in priority areas and towards those properties which have an appropriate property management arrangement in place.  Should a property not have a factor in place owners must agree to appoint a factor and enter into a common block insurance policy, prior to any assistance being provided by the council. (Refer to Scheme of Assistance)

Repair costs under £5,000 (per owner) will not be eligible for this grant assistance and all applicants regardless of status and financial circumstances will be expected to at least meet this cost in full.

Owner Occupiers (sole or main residence)

Owner occupiers may be eligible to apply for grant assistance at the rate of 50% of approved costs over £5,000.

Private Landlords

Landlords may be eligible to apply for grant assistance where the following criteria are met; the landlord and property are registered with the Private Landlord Registration Unit and no prosecutions are pending in relation to their registration nor must the property be subject to any action taken by the Housing and Property Chamber First-Tier Tribunal. A distinction will be made between 'Amateur' landlords and 'Professional landlords' who have a portfolio of properties and clearly run them as a business. Amateur landlords (who own and rent out 1 property only) may be considered on the same basis as owner/occupiers.

Professional landlords may, in exceptional circumstances, be eligible to apply for grant assistance up to a maximum of 50% i.e. where their co-operation is essential to enable major tenement repair works to be carried out on a voluntary basis and this meets the strategic aims of the Council.

Under any other circumstance private landlords will not be eligible for grant consideration.

Commercial Proprietors

Where a commercial premise is situated within a tenement building and is responsible for a share of the common repair costs, owners or tenants on a full repair and insuring lease may be eligible to apply for grant assistance up to a maximum of 50%, on the same basis as professional landlords. Only in exceptional circumstances will larger businesses be eligible for consideration i.e. in addition to the above where they have to pay a vastly disproportionate share of the common repair costs.

Under any other circumstance commercial proprietors will not be eligible for grant consideration. 

Small Scale Repairs

The main purpose of the small repairs grant is to assist owners in appointing a factor for their property and to bring their property up to a factoring standard.   Where an owner's share of a common repair cost is less than £2,000, a 50% contribution may be available in certain limited circumstances:

• When work is required to bring a tenement property up to an acceptable standard required by a factor, before they would be willing to take on the property.
• To allow self-factored tenements to undertake small common repairs, allowing them to put a maintenance plan in place.
• To allow owners to take advantage of Home Energy Efficiency Programme funding by undertaking small scale essential common repairs at the same time.

In priority areas, the amount of financial assistance may vary.