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.

If you are the owner of an empty property and would like to discuss the incentives available to bring your property back into use, please email our private sector housing team at psh@southandvale.gov.uk.

You can also email our private sector housing team to report any issues concerning empty homes in your area.  Please provide us with both your details and the details of the property.