Empty Homes
Empty properties are costly to their owners, to
their neighbours, and to the surrounding environment. They are also
a wasted resource that could be used to meet housing need.
Bringing empty homes back into use:
- Improves the local built environment by reducing numbers of
derelict properties and the associated risks of vandalism, rubbish
tipping and fire
- Reduces the need for greenfield development by using existing
property to meet housing need
- Supports regeneration: empty homes can reduce the value of
other properties in the area, leading to a perception that the area
is undesirable, and to further decline
- Helps to prevent or remedy a “downward spiral ”
- Enables housing need to be met across all tenures
- Provides a source of affordable housing
- Ensures economic stability in rural communities, and growth and
development in urban communities, as people are enabled and
encouraged to live and work in the area
- Improves quality and choice of housing by increasing numbers of
available properties of all types and tenures.
- Increases revenue from Council Tax, which in turn is used to
improve services to local residents
- Reduces the cost to public services of dealing with complaints,
crime, and damage including fire, that involve empty
properties.
Our aim when dealing with empty homes is to encourage
responsible ownership through a variety of methods:
- Advice to owners of empty homes, about options and assistance
to bring the home back into use
- Financial assistance to repair
empty properties and bring them back into use.
- Enforcement action on problematic or dangerous properties if
necessary.
The Empty Homes Agency is a
campaigning charity, and provides useful information about bringing
empty homes back into use.
Contact us
Please contact the Private Sector
Housing team if you are concerned about an empty home in your
area, or if you want to find out more about the help we can
offer.