Empty homes

What is an empty home?

A property which has been empty for six months or more is considered to be a long term empty property.

Why does a property become empty?

It is important to recognise that not all empty homes are a major problem and there are often good reasons for properties being left empty. For example they can be empty while there is a change of occupants, they are for sale, or they are undergoing refurbishment. However, there are increasing numbers of empty homes and properties which are left empty for longer than is reasonable. This is a particular issue during a time where there are fewer properties for sale on the housing market and a lack of rented accommodation.

Homes become empty for a variety of reasons, the most common situations being:

• the occupant passed away
• the occupant moved to a hospital, nursing home or residential care
• the resident has been evicted or had their property repossessed
• the owner has been unable to rent the property due to maintenance or property value issues

Since housing is in short supply it is important that as many homes as possible are being lived in.  

Why are properties being left empty?

There are a number of reasons why the property is being left empty, these include:

• the owner may be unwilling to consider leasing or letting the property
• the owner may be temporarily working abroad and intends to live in the property in the future
• the owner may not be aware of the property’s existence, for example where accurate property records are not kept
• unresolved ownership matters, for example following the death of an owner
• the owner may not fully appreciate the financial benefit of bringing their empty property back into use
• the owner may have acquired the property solely for speculative investment purposes and be unconcerned that the property is empty
• the owner may be a development company, with plans for its future redevelopment
• the property may be joined to a business property and the business owner does not want to let it
• the property may be in need of major repairs or renovation and the owner may not have the financial resource to make it habitable
• there may be problems with accessing the property
• there may be planning constraints which restrict the occupancy of the property
• the property has been repossessed

Why should I bring my empty home back into use?

An empty property is a wasted home that costs you money. A property should be a home and lived in by someone who needs it, as well as being an asset to you and the local community.

Your empty property will be costing you additional council tax, standing charges for utilities and increased insurance (if you can get it).

In addition, the property is likely to experience:

• deterioration and damage resulting in the value of the property reducing
• attracts vandalism, crime, squatting and illegal uses for the property
• vermin and fly tipping

If your property or land is causing a nuisance to the community and/or neighbours, the council may need to take formal action to resolve the issue. This means you could be served with a legal notice to undertake work or the council could undertake the work on your behalf. This is likely to result in you having to arrange for and pay for works yourself, being charged directly for the work carried out by the council, or a charge for the work being placed against the title of your property.

Benefits of having your property occupied

An occupied property is likely to prevent some of the issues above occurring and has other benefits such as:

• someone living in the property looking after it for you
• rental income
• not having to cover the cost of utilities and council tax
• giving someone a home who needs it
• property value being maintained
• reduced risk of fly tipping, squatting and vandalism

Empty homes and Council Tax

Related links to Council Tax Empty Property pages

Council Tax Empty Property Premiums

Empty Property Discounts

Why the Council wants empty homes to be used

By supporting the repair, improvement, adaptation or conversion of empty properties to bring them back into use as homes, we aim to:

• reduce the number of long term empty homes in our district
• increase the housing supply
• tackle empty property nuisance issues

We support empty home owners by:

• providing advice on repairs and maintenance
• providing advice on the options available to use the property
• in some cases providing grants or loans for repairs (subject to conditions and available funding)
• option to access a land and property auctioneer to help sell the property quickly.

Contact us if you need advice about your empty home, please email health@middevon.gov.uk

How to report an empty home to us

If you notice an empty home and want to report it to us, please email health@middevon.gov.uk

If you are being impacted by an empty home that is in disrepair, overgrown or causing an issue to your property, please complete a nuisance referral form and return it to health@middevon.gov.uk
Nuisance referral form.pdf
Nuisance referral form.docx