Empty Homes 🙈😢 I was reading some statistics recently about the scale of empty homes in the UK & I was astounded 😮 I knew there were a lot of empty homes or derelict buildings, but didn’t realise to what extent. According to the government reports, there are currently:- ✅ Over 998,000 empty homes in England, a figure which has been steadily rising over the last five years. ✅ It’s not just England either, ✅ The numbers of empty homes continue to rise in Scotland and Wales too. ✅ Of these homes, 265,061 are classed as ‘long-term vacant’, which means they’ve been empty for more than six months. Why are there so many empty homes? In many cases the reason properties are left empty is financial. This could be unavoidable, like having a lack of funds for renovation work, or intentional such as when buying property as an investment. So-called ‘buy to leave’ investment properties make up a small, but significant number of vacant homes. Their owners have no intention of ever living in them or renting them out. Instead they plan to sell them later down the line hoping to make a profit. A much larger number of homes are left empty after their owners pass away. This could be because someone has no next of kin or beneficiaries, making it difficult to trace who owns the property. It may also be due to limited financial resources, time or knowledge on the part of the new owners who have inherited the home. Complex legal processes and emotional ties to the home can also keep properties empty for longer than they need to be. Why is this such a problem? We’re currently in the middle of a housing crisis and we can’t afford for good homes to be sat unused or left to fall into disrepair. There are more than 290,000 people without a permanent home in England alone. Housing waiting lists are continuing to grow while the number of available homes rapidly shrinks, pushing more people into homelessness. Each vacant property has the potential to be a safe, secure place for someone to call home. But we must get these homes back into use for that to happen. It’s only going to get worse with more Accidental Landlords selling up, people who only have a handful of properties registered in their own names, with the Tax hikes & the Renters Rights Bill, they’re simply giving up 😢 Portfolio Landlords on the other hand, who own properties in a Limited Company, it’s a bit easier, especially on the Tax side at least, they will probably survive & come out the other side in a much better position 👌 What do you think the solution is? We need the government to launch a National Empty Homes Initiative, working with key organisations, including councils, housing association and community organisations, to turn more long-term empty properties back into homes. We need to see targeted support, policy reform and sufficient funding to transform more unused properties into safe, settled homes, tackling the housing crisis head-on. This is such a shame 😳 when you have people living on the streets, families in Temporary/Emergency Accommodation, most of the time stuck in B&Bs, Guest Houses or Hotels & sometimes for many months & sometimes miles away from their children’s schools, work or their families 😢 Maybe I’m wrong, maybe there’s a lot of Red Tape, but wouldn’t forward thinking, possibly even giving landlords better incentives, like damage cover, insurance against council tenants not paying the rent. Especially now with all the extra tax, the Renters Rights Bill etc etc. instead of letting them sell up, putting more families on the streets, working together 🤝 If you’re a Landlord who would be interested in getting involved with Social or Supported Housing & want a completely hands off tenant in place:- ❌ no more tenant issues ❌ no worrying that the tenant won’t pay rent ❌ no more “Renters Right Bill” ❌ or thinking the Tenants will trash the place ❌ no more Maintenance calls in the middle of the night - to change a lightbulb 💡 🙈 Please DM me if interested. We offer Commercial Leases with a positive benefit to the Local Communities. Together we can make a difference 🤝

Posted by Dee at 2025-12-11 17:21:16 UTC