Residential landlords are being given an extra incentive to sign up to Charnwood Borough Council’s specialist website that aims to give a fresh start to empty homes.

The Authority’s Strategic Housing and Health Directorate has negotiated a number of discounts for property owners who register for the online Tenant Finder, Fresh Start and Landlord’s eForum.

A free Landlords Surgery is being held by the Council at its Southfield Road offices in Loughborough on Monday, 16 February between 4pm and 6pm for interested landlords to find out more and see how the website can benefit them.

Those signing up can take advantage of a reduction in property management fees with Strawberry Lettings, gas repairs and servicing from MGAS, insurance from Blythin & Brown and energy performance certificate discounts from Thermal Layers.

Two long-term empty properties have been sold through the website and 36 families have also found homes since it was launched.

Tenant Finder, says the council, aims to simplify what can be a stressful experience for private landlords looking for a tenant.

Landlords can register their details and the scheme takes them through the whole of the letting process from introducing a tenant through to signing the agreement.

Fresh Start has been developed to help owners of long-term empty homes who wish to sell their property.

They can advertise the details of their vacant homes on the website, providing they have been receiving a Council Tax Empty Property Reduction for six months or more.

The Landlord’s eForum has advice and guidance for landlords and if the answer to a particular question isn’t available, it can be submitted to Charnwood Borough Council Housing Officers.

They will aim to answer any query within 48 hours and all answers are posted online for everyone to see.

Cr David Slater, Charnwood Borough Council’s Cabinet member for Housing, said: “We’ve had a very positive response to the online services that we’re offering to landlords.

“Now that we’ve negotiated a number of discounts on services that all landlords need to use, we’re hoping that even more people will sign up and see for themselves the benefits the site has to offer.