Financial assistance for home repair

We are no longer accepting new applications for the discretionary financial assistance listed below, whilst our focus is on our mandatory grants. Once we are in a position to accept applications, this page will be updated.

Do you need help with repairs to your home? We can help residents and empty property owners with financial assistance and advice.

Call the helpdesk on 023 9268 8369 to speak to our team about what works you may need, they will send out an application form for you to complete. Once returned, we will then arrange for a Housing Renewals Officer to visit you, survey your property and discuss possible financial assistance we may be able to offer.

You may be able to get financial assistance to help fund works to your property. We can potentially help with:

• Roof repairs and replacement if your roof is leaking
• Replacement windows if your windows draughty, single glazed  or hard to open and close
• Electrical upgrade if your electrics are dated
• Central heating upgrade if your boiler is inefficient, or if your radiators don’t function correctly.
• Damp treatment if you are experiencing damp in your property

If you would like to be considered for financial assistance for repairs to your property, please contact the Private Sector Housing Team on 023 9268 8369.

Home Energy Assistance top up grant – A small grant to fund the excess costs of a replacement boiler, in conjunction with the Council’s Energy Services Team, where the full cost cannot be met by existing funding available.

Home Improvement Loan – A variety of affordable loans of up to £35,000 to help vulnerable homeowners carry out works to improve their homes, there are 2 types of loan assistance, subject to your individual circumstances:-

• Interest Free loan
• Interest free repayment loan

(All assistance packages are discretionary and therefore are provided subject to funds being available)

Empty Property Loans – We have a loan available to help with repairs, improvements and help to promote rental properties and housing that is not occupied, helping the owner to bring the property back into use.

Loans are available to anyone who owns a residential property which has been empty for 12 months or longer. The loan is available for a maximum of £35,000 to pay for essential renovation and repair works, so that the home can be lived in by their owners, or rented on the open market, or through an affordable housing rent scheme.

We offer a Home Improvement Agency Service, where officers will help you through the whole process from start to finish. Help with making your grant application, creating a specification for the works required, finding suitable builders to do the work, and ensuring that the work carried out by the builder are in accordance with the specification. This service is chargeable, but the fee can also be paid for through the grant or loan.

A disabled facilities grant can help you pay for adaptations in your home. If you are registered disabled, you will be able to apply for a grant. It does not matter if you are a tenant or you own your own property.

1. Once you contact us, we will send you a short application form to complete and return to us, we will then confirm if you are eligible for financial assistance.
2. An Officer will visit you to carry out a survey and discuss the works with you, then get builders quotes for the work.
3. Approval of the financial assistance. You can then arrange a suitable date to start the works with the builder.
4. Once the works are complete, an Officer will check the works and with your agreement pay the grant to the builder.