Empty homes policy

Our new empty homes policy supports our objective of delivering the homes that people need.

By engaging positively with empty home owners, the policy aims to bring homes back into use, particularly for residents in housing need.

There are often good reasons for a property to be empty in the short-term, however a long-term empty property is not good use of a valuable resource and may have a negative impact upon the local area.

The empty homes policy sets out the incentives available to home owners to bring homes back into use to the benefit of the owner, potential tenants, and the wider community.

Enforcement action will normally only be considered as a last resort when empty home owners are unwilling to engage and the property is causing problems for the community.

Please visit our Empty Homes page for further information including how to report any issues concerning empty homes in your area, along with the support and incentives available to help bring empty properties back into use. Our Empty Homes Officer can be contacted at emptyhomes@southandvale.gov.uk.