Tell us about an empty property
Empty homes is the term used by us to describe properties that have become void or vacant.
There are a number of ways that properties can become vacant.
- Council tenants transferring to other void properties with a housing priority.
- Council tenants moving to other tenures such as Housing Associations, Home Ownership schemes or elderly/vulnerable residential accommodation such as nursing homes.
- Council tenants that have breached their tenancy conditions by non-payment of the rent, anti-social/unacceptable behaviour and being evicted with a court order for possession of the tenancy.
- Council tenants that have died without leaving a successor that has a legal right to occupy the property.
- Council tenants that have abandoned their tenancy without informing the Council that they intend to move out.
Properties that become void first involve a Council tenant moving out for any of the above reasons.
The main objective of the Empty Homes Service is to reduce the time that Council properties remain empty.
Whilst properties remain empty, no rental income is received and this impacts on the overall Housing Revenue Account that is used to provide essential Housing Services.