the lights are on but 700,000 homes stay empty in britain

In England alone there are close to 700,000 empty homes, a staggering number given the scale of the UK’s housing crisis. 261,471 are classified as long-term empty, meaning they’ve been vacant for over six months. Experts claim the number is as high as 1.2 million if you count the homes exempt from council tax, such as those belonging to owners in care homes or undergoing probate, and one piece of research found there are as many as 1.5 million.

It's not just England either, Scotland has 47,000 empty homes, and Northern Ireland has 21,000. In total, we’re looking at over 750,000 homes that we know are sitting vacant across the UK. Charity Crisis estimates that 40,000 homes could be brought back into use within three years, providing relief for over 100,000 families currently stuck in poor-quality temporary accommodation, while many more continue to sleep rough.

While the drive to build more homes is essential, it’s worth acknowledging that there’s a significant opportunity being overlooked. The focus on releasing green belt land and new build targets could be complemented by a stronger, more coordinated push to bring existing vacant homes back into use. We understand that addressing empty homes won’t fill the entire gap in housing needs but it’s a step that could be part of the solution.

Prioritising the repurposing of existing, vacant homes is a logical idea that could help bridge the housing gap more sustainably. Despite this there’s no clear plan to tackle empty homes, instead councils have largely been left to manage the issue on their own by implementing measures like the empty homes premium on council tax. This approach, while well-intentioned, can create more red tape without effectively encouraging owners to sell or refurbish their properties leaving many homes empty for even longer.

Local councils have tools like empty dwelling management orders (EDMOs) which allow them to take over vacant properties, refurbish them, and rent them out to recover costs. However, these powers are rarely used. In the past decade only 100 EDMOs have been issued across the entire country, a stark indication that these measures are underutilised. Whether due to limited resources or competing priorities, the potential to bring empty homes back into use remains untapped.

Reviving empty homes won’t solve the housing crisis alone, but it’s a step that could make a difference. The homes are there, and the potential is obvious. What’s missing is a coordinated, determined effort to bring them back into use.