Empty Home Loan Scheme

Eligibility Criteria

 
Property & Ownership

Ownership

1. The applicant/s must be the registered proprietor of the property as per the land registry title register or as evidenced by an epitome of title should the property be unregistered.
Financial

Financial Capacity and Checks

2. The Applicant must provide such financial information, documentation, and evidence as the Council may reasonably require demonstrating that they do not have the financial capacity to self‑fund the project. This may include: bank statements, savings and investment summaries, loan or mortgage statements and credit reports.

Council Tax Band

3. The property must be within the Malvern Hills District Council region with council tax liable to be paid to Malvern Hills District Council (Band A – E).

Empty Duration

4. The property must have been empty (completely unoccupied) for a minimum of six months or more.

Inspection  

5.The property will initially be viewed by the Empty Property Officer to determine its eligibility for the scheme, e.g. size, condition and location. Where appropriate a further visit will be carried out by the Private Sector Housing team to prepare a schedule of works. Interim visits may be made where necessary and a final inspection will be made on completion of the works.

Companies

6. Developers, companies, or commercial entities are not eligible for the Loan Scheme.

 
Repayment & Recovery

Loan Limit

7. The maximum loan available under the Scheme shall be £7,500 per applicant, limited to a single eligible property. No applicant may receive more than one loan concurrently or across multiple properties.

Affordability

8. Applicants must evidence affordability to repay the loan for period specified.

Duration of Loan

9. The loan is repayable over a maximum of 3 years on monthly basis from the first payment date agreed. First monthly payment can be made up to 3 months from date funds are released by Malvern Hills District Council if agreed.

Defaulting

10. The applicant shall be liable for any reasonable costs incurred by the Council in enforcing repayment or remedying default.

Selling

11. If the property is sold during the repayment term, any outstanding amount must be paid in full on completion of the sale.

Mortgage

12. If the property is already mortgaged, there must be sufficient equity in the property for it to be considered for the loan. This will be decided by Malvern Hills District Council.

Early Repayments and Settlement

13. The applicant may make additional payments towards reducing the outstanding balance of the Loan but must communicate their intention to do so to the Empty Homes Officer.

 
Quotes & Completion of Works

Qualified contractor

14. Applicants are responsible for choosing and engaging qualified contractors who have UTR or are VAT registered to obtain quotes from and to complete the works.

Quotes

15. Applicants will submit at least two comparable quotations for the required work to Malvern Hills District Council.

Deadline

16. Applicant to complete all works part of the renovation project within the reasonable period specified and agreed upon.

Result

17. Property must be ready to be lived in by the end of the renovation project.

EPC

18. The applicant must provide a valid Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) with a rating of E or better at the end of the project.

  
£1000 Bonus Payment for Rented Properties

Tenant Finder

19. If property is to be rented out i.e. not lived in by the applicant and their family, the property owner can choose to request the assistance of Malvern Hills District Council in finding suitable tenants.

Incentive Terms and Conditions

20. Payment of the £1,000 incentive is conditional upon full compliance with the Council’s Empty Home Loan Incentive Terms and Conditions supplementary document, which shall define eligibility and entitlement.

 

I confirm that:

• I have read and understood the Eligibility Criteria for the Empty Homes Loan Scheme;
• I meet all eligibility requirements outlined in the Scheme documentation;
• The information I have provided is true, accurate, and complete to the best of my knowledge;
• I understand that providing false or misleading information may result in refusal of my application or withdrawal from the Scheme;
• I agree to comply with all Scheme terms, conditions, and ongoing obligations.

GDPR Consent

How We Use Your Data

Malvern Hills District Council will collect and process your personal information for the following purposes:

• To assess your eligibility for the Empty Home Loan Scheme.
• To administer and manage your loan application, including financial checks and property inspections.
• To comply with legal and regulatory requirements, including fraud prevention and audit obligations.
• To communicate with you regarding your application and any related matters.
• To share information with approved third parties (e.g., contractors, legal advisors, credit reference agencies) where necessary for the delivery of the scheme.

Your data will not be used for marketing purposes and will not be shared with unrelated third parties without your consent, unless required by law.

Data Retention

Your personal data will be retained for 6 years after the loan agreement ends, in line with statutory requirements, after which it will be securely deleted.

Your Rights

Under the UK GDPR, you have the right to:

• Access the personal data we hold about you.

• Request correction of inaccurate data.

• Request erasure of your data (subject to legal obligations).

• Object to processing or request restriction of processing.

• Lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).

  For more details, please refer to our Privacy Notice at https://www.malvernhills.gov.uk/privacy-policy .