Plymouth City Council’s Empty Homes Team has just secured its 85th property for its highly successful HouseLet scheme which provides much needed housing for homeless families.

The Southway property had been empty for more than a year until owners Philip and Teresa Thorniley decided to renovate it and hand it over to the Council to help ease the pressure on its social housing waiting list.

The Thornileys are the latest recruits to the HouseLet scheme which offers owners a guaranteed rental income and free professional property management in return for handing over their empty properties.

Other incentives for property owners include free inventory checks, a tenant finder service with no set up fees or service charge and interest free loans of up to £7,000 to bring properties in need of renovation up to the required standard.

Councillor Ted Fry, Cabinet Member for Planning, Strategic Housing and Economic Development, said: "HouseLet has proved incredibly popular with owners wanting to rent out their properties with the minimum amount of fuss, especially during these difficult economic times.

"It’s a fantastic scheme in which everyone’s a winner – the owners, the Council and especially those who are in desperate need of a roof over their heads.”

The scheme was launched in 2005 in response to the Government’s target to halve the number of homeless families living in temporary accommodation by 2010.

Since then HouseLet has seen more than 200 previously empty homes brought back into use in Plymouth, housing more than 450 homeless families.

During National Empty Homes Week, the HouseLet Team is appealing to more property owners to sign up to the scheme. The team is looking for good quality, unfurnished one to three bedroom family houses and flats with gas central heating and double glazing, preferably with a secure outside play area.

Plymouth City Council, 26 November 2009