Number of Empty Homes at its Lowest

Figures released by the Government yesterday shows that the number of empty homes is now at its lowest level since records began.

A Housing statistical release by The Department for Communities and Local Government on Dwelling Stock Estimates 2015 England.

There were 23.5 million dwellings in England at 31 March 2015, an increase of 171,000 dwellings (0.73%) on the same point the previous year.

14.7 million dwellings were owner occupied dwellings, 4.7 million private rented dwellings and 4.0 million social and affordable rented dwellings (Private Registered Providers plus Local Authority).

Between March 2014 and March 2015, the private rented dwelling stock increased by 125,000 and the owner occupied stock increased by 37,000. The social and affordable rented stock increased by 19,000 dwellings and the other public sector stock decreased by 9,000 dwellings.

There were 600,179 vacant dwellings in England on 5 October 2015, a decrease of 9,944 (1.6%) from 610,123 on 6 October 2014

Long – term vacant dwellings numbered 203,596 on 5 October
2015, a fall of 2,225 (1.1%) from 205,821 on 6 October2014.

These figures showed show an increase in the number of owner-occupied homes in the past year, after seven years of decline, starting in 2007.

The government has introduced a number of measures to get homes back into use that have stood empty for years.

Read the full report on the Gov.UK website click here

 

Allen Walkey

Highly experienced businessman with a successful career in property sales and investment both in the UK and abroad. Now a freelance writer and blogger for the property and Investment Industry, keeping readers up-to-date with changes and events in a rapidly changing world.

You May Also Enjoy

Breaking News

Why capital is staying in London despite a cooling housing market

By Joe Freedman, Head of Origination at ASK Partners London isn’t suffering from a lack of housing demand. It’s suffering from a failure to deliver. New data from Molior underlines the scale of that failure. Just 5,547 private homes broke ground across the capital last year, an 84% drop from a decade ago. Against an…
Read More
Breaking News

The hidden risk of overvaluing your home when moving in today’s market

With many homeowners turning ambitious conversations into tangible moving plans, the start of the year traditionally marks a surge in activity, particularly for families planning for the future. While the property market remains fundamentally healthy, experts at Beresfords say overvaluing property is one issue that continues to undermine the progress of those looking to sell.…
Read More
Rightmove logo
Breaking News

Rightmove launches next phase of AI-powered property search

Rightmove, the UK’s largest property platform, has launched a beta version of AI-powered conversational property search, as it continues to enhance its property search experience. In close collaboration with Google Cloud and built with Google’s Gemini models, conversational search is available via the property search bar on Rightmove’s website homepage. The latest move further expands…
Read More
Breaking News

Should you break things off with your mortgage lender this Valentine’s Day?

As Valentine’s Day approaches, the latest research from award-winning mortgage adviser, Alexander Hall, has revealed that more than half of homeowners approaching the end of a fixed-rate mortgage are currently undecided on their relationship with their lender, despite notable improvements across the mortgage market over the last 12 months. The consumer insight, commissioned by Alexander…
Read More
Breaking News

UK Finance Mortgage arrears and possessions Q4 2025

UK Finance today releases its latest mortgage arrears and possessions data for Q4 2025, while highlighting continuing lender support for any customers facing financial difficulty. Key Information The number of homeowner mortgages in arrears fell by four per cent in Q3 2025 compared to the previous quarter. The number of buy-to-let (BTL) mortgages in arrears…
Read More
Breaking News

Property compliance experts urge landlords not to ignore major tenancy changes under Renters’ Rights Act

Beresfords property group highlights key actions landlords must take as new tenancy rules, enforcement powers and energy standards approach. UK landlords are being warned not to overlook major changes to tenancy agreements and compliance requirements, as the Government moves closer to implementing the Renters’ Rights Act 2025. Following the publication of draft secondary legislation, the…
Read More