List of empty local authority houses

LeinsterDub

Does anyone know if their is a list of housing owned by LA's that isn't currently in use?

Perhaps we should make a list ourselves?

Caranica

To what end? Unoccupied social housing is not fit for occupation, as soon as it is it will be brought back into the system.

Gumbo

LeinsterDub wrote: »

Does anyone know if their is a list of housing owned by LA's that isn't currently in use?

Perhaps we should make a list ourselves?

When a house is empty, it is placed into the list to get renovated and brought up to minimum rental standards. Most Local TD's or Councilors will have the list for their area.

Creating a separate list anywhere else will not achieve anything. Flow of funding and staff to get these properties up to standard quicker is what should be increased.

mikemac2

kceire wrote: »

Most Local TD's or Councilors will have the list for their area.

And inform the happy new tenants it was themselves who got the tenants housed even if they had nothing to do with it

power pants

mikemac2 wrote: »

And inform the happy new tenants it was themselves who got the tenants housed even if they had nothing to do with it

There is a 2 bed apartment local authority flat that is lying vacant 2 years now. The complex is relatively new, last 10-15 years

The flat has had 3 viewings that I know off in the last 2 years, but all 3 refused. Too small and wanted a house


I rang dcc and they said the flat is now being left as another complex needs rejuvenating so the flat will go to a tenant there whilst this is being done

I rang in Jan 2018

At present, still empty and going on 3 years now

LeinsterDub

Caranica wrote: »

To what end? Unoccupied social housing is not fit for occupation, as soon as it is it will be brought back into the system.

There is housing in the DCC area which has been unoccupied for nearly a decade

LeinsterDub

kceire wrote: »

When a house is empty, it is placed into the list to get renovated and brought up to minimum rental standards. Most Local TD's or Councilors will have the list for their area.

Creating a separate list anywhere else will not achieve anything. Flow of funding and staff to get these properties up to standard quicker is what should be increased.

When you have DCC talking about housing people on a cruise ship there is something seriously wrong with their priorities when we potentially hundreds of empty units in the city.

Gumbo

LeinsterDub wrote: »

When you have DCC talking about housing people on a cruise ship there is something seriously wrong with their priorities when we potentially hundreds of empty units in the city.

DCC had considered renting a ship for up to 150 homeless people to ease the crisis, before they shelved the idea.

Obviously some journalist has just gotten hands on lists or options prepared at some stage.

I don't think housing on a cruise ship ever was that close to reality.

LeinsterDub

kceire wrote: »

DCC had considered renting a ship for up to 150 homeless people to ease the crisis, before they shelved the idea.

Obviously some journalist has just gotten hands on lists or options prepared at some stage.

I don't think housing on a cruise ship ever was that close to reality.

Your really missing the point , how can we be in the middle of a housing shortage or crises ,I don't really mind what you call it and have hundreds of units all over the city lying idle.

Xterminator

the reason they are unfinished is because council budgets were slashed, and they dont have many tilers, electricians plumbers etc, as they were all let go, and now they have to either pay contractors or wait for the few personnel to get around.

if budgets were restored to pre crash levels, they could turn around the housing stock quicker.

if the councils were required to publish details of empty stock, and average turnaround times, we could hold them accountable.

Gumbo

LeinsterDub wrote: »

Your really missing the point , how can we be in the middle of a housing shortage or crises ,I don't really mind what you call it and have hundreds of units all over the city lying idle.

Slashed budget.
Slashed Staff.
Condition of said properties.
Getting contractors to carry out the work. Believe it or not, Private contractor are turning down council work now as private work is so busy and pays more, quicker.

LeinsterDub

kceire wrote: »

Slashed budget.
Slashed Staff.
Condition of said properties.
Getting contractors to carry out the work. Believe it or not, Private contractor are turning down council work now as private work is so busy and pays more, quicker.

I fully understand that. You're post are coming across very aggressive I'm not sure if that's your intention but that's how they are appearing.

I'm not having a go at the councils. I do however think we should know how many of these units there are, how much it would cost to repair them and how many they could accommodate.

mad m

DCC has roughly 30000 dwellings, with a mixture of houses and apartments. 1-2% can be vacant awaiting allocation or refurbishment.As Kceire stated contractors are turning away council work in favour of other more highly paid contracts plus they are finding it hard to employ and keep good trades. It’s a merry go round.

Gumbo

LeinsterDub wrote: »

I

I'm not having a go at the councils. I do however think we should know how many of these units there are, how much it would cost to repair them and how many they could accommodate.

You can and the info is out there somewhere.
Your local TD/Councillor will have the full list.

My local councillor posts it on Facebook every now and again.

You could also possibly request this info by FOI.

mad m

Xterminator wrote: »

the reason they are unfinished is because council budgets were slashed, and they dont have many tilers, electricians plumbers etc, as they were all let go, and now they have to either pay contractors or wait for the few personnel to get around.

if budgets were restored to pre crash levels, they could turn around the housing stock quicker.

if the councils were required to publish details of empty stock, and average turnaround times, we could hold them accountable.

Direct labour to refurb dwellings is virtually gone as you rightly stated above due to employment embargo and slashed budgets. They can hardly do general maintenance let alone refurbishing vacant properties. It’s mainly contractors now but they are out the door with others contracts

LeinsterDub

mad m wrote: »

DCC has roughly 30000 dwellings, with a mixture of houses and apartments. 1-2% can be vacant awaiting allocation or refurbishment.As Kceire stated contractors are turning away council work in favour of other more highly paid contracts plus they are finding it hard to employ and keep good trades. It’s a merry go round.

How does that explain long term vacant properties? Too expensive to repair?

Gumbo

LeinsterDub wrote: »

How does that explain long term vacant properties? Too expensive to repair?

Depends, are the 100% Council owned?
There was a few in Finglas recently (Kipure & Barnamore), and the Council had to attempt CPO's for them. They were vacant for over 10 years but they were privately owned so nobody could do anything about them.

riclad

DCC have a limited amount of staff to do work ,electricians, plumbers etc
if a flat is a few years old, when a tenant moves out they may remove everything,
press,s cubboards,sinks ,bath, etc and put in brand new units .
tenants have put in new showers etc and then they are thrown in a skip
when they move out.
i reckon at least 5 per cent of flats are empty .
A flat may be empty for years just because the walls need to be painted .
Maybe the government just just increase the budget of the council
at least for the section that deals with repairs

LeinsterDub

kceire wrote: »

Depends, are the 100% Council owned?
There was a few in Finglas recently (Kipure & Barnamore), and the Council had to attempt CPO's for them. They were vacant for over 10 years but they were privately owned so nobody could do anything about them.

I would assume so. The ones I'm thinking of are the style of apartments you see on Constitution Hill. DCC appear to have abandoned the bottom floor on a lot of these units.

mad m

LeinsterDub wrote: »

I would assume so. The ones I'm thinking of are the style of apartments you see on Constitution Hill. DCC appear to have abandoned the bottom floor on a lot of these units.

They are bedsits, plans to make them bigger by knocking into adjacent apartment. It was then knocked on head. I think there maybe plans to refurb and let back out as bedsits. Not sure though.

mad m

LeinsterDub wrote: »

How does that explain long term vacant properties? Too expensive to repair?

This maybe to do with structural problems. Some are not just a quick turn around like some think they are. Previous tenants can be in houses years and have taken down internal walls that can compromise house if there was a fire. Some have converted attics etc.

Sometimes also it’s left for longtime due to no one accepting it because of a certain area.

Mrs OBumble

LeinsterDub wrote: »

How does that explain long term vacant properties? Too expensive to repair?

Also look at who else is in the immediate neighbourhood: it may be that the ferals have taken over and no one else can face living there.

power pants

riclad wrote: »

DCC have a limited amount of staff to do work ,electricians, plumbers etc
if a flat is a few years old, when a tenant moves out they may remove everything,
press,s cubboards,sinks ,bath, etc and put in brand new units .
tenants have put in new showers etc and then they are thrown in a skip
when they move out.
i reckon at least 5 per cent of flats are empty .
A flat may be empty for years just because the walls need to be painted .
Maybe the government just just increase the budget of the council
at least for the section that deals with repairs

Always found this puzzling, how they are able to refurbish their social houses to 5star standards with their granite tops, oak floors

Loves_lorries

Xterminator wrote: »

the reason they are unfinished is because council budgets were slashed, and they dont have many tilers, electricians plumbers etc, as they were all let go, and now they have to either pay contractors or wait for the few personnel to get around.

if budgets were restored to pre crash levels, they could turn around the housing stock quicker.

if the councils were required to publish details of empty stock, and average turnaround times, we could hold them accountable.

i let an old house to one of the city councils , contrary to what id heard , i actually found the inspectors and the council as a whole very good to deal with , i have the place leased out for ten years so i pay insurance , property tax and deal with structural issues .

however , i think there needs to be a more practical approach to old houses , its difficult to retrofit air vents to a 2018 spec in many old houses , in my case i put in ducting through the roof and piped in via attic for upstairs but downstairs had to go with window trickle vents which dont meet spec but for which the council overlooked as they need properties , i could not be confident that drilling through a foot of stone wall would work out and both drill specialists i asked were vehemently opposed to the idea .

to conclude , i believe in bringing houses up to a good spec but a one size fits all approach is not practical .

the_syco

LeinsterDub wrote: »

There is housing in the DCC area which has been unoccupied for nearly a decade

Look at the neighbours. Most people will, and if they don't like what they see, they won't take the place. Also, how close is said housing to shops, schools, etc?

LeinsterDub wrote: »

How does that explain long term vacant properties? Too expensive to repair?

Some of them, yeah. I know people who are having difficulty getting tradesmen to do work on their houses. They didn't even get to the price; they can't get the people. With such demand, why would you think there'd be people willing to work for the council at not great rates fixing all manner of sh|te?

LeinsterDub wrote: »

You're post are coming across very aggressive I'm not sure if that's your intention but that's how they are appearing.

You're still talking about the "cruise ship" housing idea, so your post is coming across as someone who is listening to pub talk as opposed to the facts.

LeinsterDub wrote: »

Your really missing the point , how can we be in the middle of a housing shortage or crises ,I don't really mind what you call it and have hundreds of units all over the city lying idle.

Lack of habitable units means that DCC can't shove the homeless into decrepit houses that the previous tenants left in such a state we wouldn't house animals in them!

power pants wrote: »

Always found this puzzling, how they are able to refurbish their social houses to 5star standards with their granite tops, oak floors

Because carpets stain too quickly and the tenants moan until they're replaced, and the granite tops are less likely to break. There's a standard that if the council doesn't follow, the usual politicians will moan and campaign for the council budget be slashed further.

LeinsterDub

the_syco wrote: »

Look at the neighbours. Most people will, and if they don't like what they see, they won't take the place. Also, how close is said housing to shops, schools, etc?

Constitution hill , between 2 luas lines , access to thousands of jobs and school places

the_syco wrote: »

You're still talking about the "cruise ship" housing idea, so your post is coming across as someone who is listening to pub talk as opposed to the facts.

The Irish Times ran a story on the cruise ship idea just yesterday

the_syco wrote: »

Lack of habitable units means that DCC can't shove the homeless into decrepit houses that the previous tenants left in such a state we wouldn't house animals in them!

I never suggested they would do such a thing.

LeinsterDub

mad m wrote: »

They are bedsits, plans to make them bigger by knocking into adjacent apartment. It was then knocked on head. I think there maybe plans to refurb and let back out as bedsits. Not sure though.

The aren't bedsits. They are small perhaps but not bedsits . There a sitting room , bedroom and kitchen if I recall correctly but am open to correction.

antoinolachtnai

Fitting granite top kitchens and oak floors are specialised skills, unlike fitting a standard kitchen and putting down laminate flooring. Even in high end rental oak flooring is a bad choice. It just won’t stand abuse and will become marked. Laminate flooring will last 20 years in a rental in my experience and the newer products are far better than the old ones. A standard kitchen will last 30 in my experience.

If this is really what DCC are doing it’s no surprise if they can’t get these specialised tradesmen to do their refurbs.

Gumbo

LeinsterDub wrote: »

The aren't bedsits. They are small perhaps but not bedsits . There a sitting room , bedroom and kitchen if I recall correctly but am open to correction.

Ground-floor bedsits are blocked off with metal sheeting, the stairwells are dark and littered. Residents say there are persistent problems with damp, so roofs sag overhead.

The flats are due to be re-developed and renovated. The process was announced this year, but like all tenancies, you cant just end a tenancy unless you have somewhere to house the tenants. Similar to Dominick Street flats, you move people as you can. This means there a period of blocking up existing units which looks crap, but that's how it goes. Its part and parcel of developing Council owned multi units.

Same thing happens in the UK.

There are now 88 homes including bedsits in the Constitution Hill flat complex, says Sean Smith, the housing manager for the northwest inner-city area. The plan is for 100 homes there after the redevelopment.

The bedsits haven’t been let and aren’t fit to let, says Smith. “So we have 60 let-able units, rather than 88. We’ll be replacing 60 units with 100,” he says.

For Constitution Hill, once the Department of Housing has approved the designs and funding, the council asks the public what they think – through the process known as “Part VIII”. After that, it’s out to tender and then to contract.

LeinsterDub

kceire wrote: »

The flats are due to be re-developed and renovated. The process was announced this year, but like all tenancies, you cant just end a tenancy unless you have somewhere to house the tenants. Similar to Dominick Street flats, you move people as you can. This means there a period of blocking up existing units which looks crap, but that's how it goes. Its part and parcel of developing Council owned multi units.

Same thing happens in the UK.

Fair enough if DCC call them bedsits. I'd not of called them such but they know best

power pants

antoinolachtnai wrote: »

Fitting granite top kitchens and oak floors are specialised skills, unlike fitting a standard kitchen and putting down laminate flooring. Even in high end rental oak flooring is a bad choice. It just won’t stand abuse and will become marked. Laminate flooring will last 20 years in a rental in my experience and the newer products are far better than the old ones. A standard kitchen will last 30 in my experience.

If this is really what DCC are doing it’s no surprise if they can’t get these specialised tradesmen to do their refurbs.

No this is not what dcc are doing. This is what some of the destitute, poor people who move into are doing.

Just baffling how they can afford to do their council property to such a high standard when they are mostly claiming poverty and in need

jayobray

In many cases local authorities will not refurbish a house until someone accepts it. There is no point in refurbishing it and then offering it, as it will take someone a few weeks to move in, and an unoccupied refurbished property can be destroyed in those few weeks.

Brian?

power pants wrote: »

No this is not what dcc are doing. This is what some of the destitute, poor people who move into are doing.

Just baffling how they can afford to do their council property to such a high standard when they are mostly claiming poverty and in need

So you came on to have a go at social housing tenants?

the_syco

LeinsterDub wrote: »

Constitution hill , between 2 luas lines , access to thousands of jobs and school places

http://www.thejournal.ie/constitution-hill-flat-dublin-luas-works-2685640-Mar2016/
If you come across obvious drug use in the corridors, and around the apartment block, you won't want your kids to live there.

LeinsterDub wrote: »

The Irish Times ran a story on the cruise ship idea just yesterday

From said article;

The local authority had explored renting a cruise ship from a private operator, to house between 100 and 150 single homeless individuals, before shelving the idea.

In early September, DCC chief executive Owen Keegan told Minister for Housing Eoghan Murphy the plan could be “revisited” to help deal with the ongoing homelessness crisis.

So the plan was shelved, although Mr OuttaIdeas is still grabbing at straws. As for the "potentially hundreds of empty units in the city" - how many can actually be used right now? Big difference in a unit that can be used right now and is empty, and a unit that is in a bad state, and can't be used.

the_syco

power pants wrote: »

Just baffling how they can afford to do their council property to such a high standard when they are mostly claiming poverty and in need

What the fcuk are you on about? The CC will be the ones doing refurb of the apartments before the homeless can move in.

power pants

the_syco wrote: »

What the fcuk are you on about? The CC will be the ones doing refurb of the apartments before the homeless can move in.

Why swear? Childish

People who move in then gut the place to their own standards

power pants

Brian? wrote: »

So you came on to have a go at social housing tenants?

No, I gave one explanation dcc gave me for places being left vacant

Bring it up with them if you have a problem

riclad

IF a flat is empty, the council will board up the windows and make sure the door is secure .
i think most people will choose to accept a flat if offered one,
the council only offer you a flat when its cleaned ,
the units, bathroom etc are in good condition.
The problem is they have limited maintenance staff and a limited budget
to carry out repairs .

LeinsterDub

the_syco wrote: »

As for the "potentially hundreds of empty units in the city" - how many can actually be used right now? Big difference in a unit that can be used right now and is empty, and a unit that is in a bad state, and can't be used.

That's what I came here to find out.

If someone set up a website that tracked empty council house and the length they were empty it would be a genuine piece of activism that might achieve something by putting the councils under pressure to do something.

mad m

mariaalice wrote: »

If someone set up a website that tracked empty council house and the length they were empty it would be a genuine piece of activism that might achieve something by putting the councils under pressure to do something.

What makes you think they are not doing anything. The council knows exactly how long a flat or house is vacant. There is numerous things that are out of councils control. They have to follow procedure.

splinter65

LeinsterDub wrote: »

There is housing in the DCC area which has been unoccupied for nearly a decade

That’s because nobody wants it.

fxotoole

OP, since you’re so interested in finding out how many units are sitting unused, why don’t you put in an FOI request to DCC, rather than moaning about it on the Internet?

mad m

LeinsterDub wrote: »

The aren't bedsits. They are small perhaps but not bedsits . There a sitting room , bedroom and kitchen if I recall correctly but am open to correction.

The dwellings on ground floor are bedsits.

mad m

mad m wrote: »

What makes you think they are not doing anything. The council knows exactly how long a flat or house is vacant. There is numerous things that are out of councils control. They have to follow procedure.

Then the issue outside of the council's control could be highlighted as well and something done about it, it would put a spotlight on the issue.

LeinsterDub

splinter65 wrote: »

That’s because nobody wants it.

Square the cycle of homeless crisis and empty houses people don't want?

LeinsterDub

fxotoole wrote: »

OP, since you’re so interested in finding out how many units are sitting unused, why don’t you put in an FOI request to DCC, rather than moaning about it on the Internet?

I'm not moaning about anything. I'm having a discussion on a discussion board about it. Since opening this thread I've contacted my local TD and councillor, found out why the Constitution hill units are empty and that DCC are very under staffed (I knew this before but not to the degree that has been shown)

mad m

mariaalice wrote: »

Then the issue outside of the council's control could be highlighted as well and something done about it, it would put a spotlight on the issue.

Person passes away in house or apartment. Sometimes next of kin are in another country or they are never found. DCC need a permission to dump personal items, but if no next of kin is found this can be done at local level . The other scenario is person passes away, next of kin are given time to go through personal stuff and remove if need be. This can take up to 3 or 4 visits.

This is just one issue.

Believe me there is huge emphasis on getting a vacant flat turned around as quick as possible by DCC.

Edgware

kceire wrote: »

When a house is empty, it is placed into the list to get renovated and brought up to minimum rental standards. Most Local TD's or Councilors will have the list for their area.

Creating a separate list anywhere else will not achieve anything. Flow of funding and staff to get these properties up to standard quicker is what should be increased.

That would be the sensible approach

Mrs OBumble

mariaalice wrote: »

If someone set up a website that tracked empty council house and the length they were empty it would be a genuine piece of activism that might achieve something by putting the councils under pressure to do something.

You think the councils are just sitting on their hands doing nothing? Really???

Mrs OBumble

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

You think the councils are just sitting on their hands doing nothing? Really???

No of course not, but its a bit like A and E how come some hospitals are better than others at managing it.

If council x can turn over a tenancy in say 15 days and council y takes 90 days on average there must be a reason. More staff is not always the answer as per the situation in health care.