‘National scandal’ as the number of empty homes a...

Buy-to-let landlords are often blamed, primarily by those under the age of 40, for the existing housing crisis because property investors acquire homes that could have been sold to a first-time buyer, but the reality is that while millennials’ frustrations are understandable, the supply of properties for rent is a vital part of housing provision.

Rather than using landlords as a scapegoat for the housing crisis, it is time to recognise the vital role the private rented sector plays in housing people, while also acknowledging the fact that there are simply not enough properties in the right locations to meet demand from buyers or renters.

The failure to develop enough properties has taken the housing shortage to crisis point as demand continues to exceed supply, placing upward pressure on house prices and rental values.

The government says that it is committed to tackling the housing crisis, having already put measures in place to support growth in housebuilding, and yet there remains a chronic shortage of homes that many people desperately need.

While the volume of new homes registered edges closer to the government target of 250,000 new homes a year, it remains below the estimated 300,000 new homes a year that research shows is actually needed to meet existing demand.

But empty homes are an often overlooked housing resource going to waste, with more than 200,000 residential properties classed as long-term empty in England alone.

Fresh data from modular homes provider Project Etopia shows that the number of long term empty homes - those that have been empty for at least six months - across England has risen for the second year running, representing £53.6bn worth of vacant stock.

The number of long-term vacant properties rose 5.3% to 216,186 in 12 months to October 2018 according to the latest MHCLG figures, following a 2.6% rise the previous year.

Of all towns and cities in England, Portsmouth saw the biggest percentage rise in long-term empty homes last year, with 101.5% more properties standing empty, totalling 939.

Hartlepool saw the second biggest rise, while Eastbourne posted the third largest increase.

Birmingham had the highest overall number in the country with 4,283 long-term vacant homes, barely changed on the previous year and rising just 0.07%, followed by Durham with 4,130 and Bradford with 4,090.

Biggest Risers: These are the Top Ten towns/cities in England with the largest increases of long-term vacant homes:

	Town/City	2017	2018	Change (%)
1	Portsmouth	466	939	101.5%
2	Hartlepool	472	726	53.8%
3	Eastbourne	349	518	48.4%
4	Woking	235	346	47.2%
5	York	359	527	46.8%
6	Harlow	225	322	43.1%
7	Bedford	431	613	42.2%
8	Maidstone	342	485	41.8%
9	St Albans	286	402	40.6%
10	Norwich	335	462	37.9%

NB. London has not been included in this table. See below for a London borough breakdown

The following table shows the ten towns/cities in England with the highest numbers of long-term vacant homes (excluding London):

	Town/City	2017	2018	Change (%)
1	Birmingham	4,280	4,283	0.07%
2	Durham	4,539	4,130	-9.0%
3	Bradford	3,931	4,090	4.0%
4	Liverpool	3,889	3,703	-4.8%
5	Leeds	2,709	2,788	2.9%
6	Sheffield	2,204	2,433	10.4%
7	Sunderland	1,779	1,893	6.4%
8	Stoke-on-Trent	1,518	1,865	22.9%
9	Newcastle upon Tyne	1,595	1,792	12.4%
10	Doncaster	1,628	1,683	3.4%

London has also seen a further increase in the number of long-term empty homes, its second increase since 2009.

The total number of long-term vacant properties in the capital grew 11.1% to 22,481 in 2018 — representing £10.7bn3 worth of property.

Southark has replaced Croydon in top spot, which has dropped down to 10th. City of London is second with 244 empty homes (a 54.4% rise) and Sutton is third with 686, a 46% rise.

Southark has seen the biggest rise of any borough in the top ten, with a surge of 56.6%.

The following table shows the Top Ten London boroughs for long-term vacant homes:

	London Borough	2017	2018	Change (%)
1	Southwark	1,128	1,766	56.6%
2	City of London	158	244	54.4%
3	Sutton	470	686	46.0%
4	Richmond upon Thames	344	488	41.9%
5	Greenwich	600	830	38.3%
6	Wandsworth	132	173	31.1%
7	Havering	494	630	27.5%
8	Newham	709	894	26.1%
9	Lambeth	734	920	25.3%
10	Croydon	1,264	1,521	20.3%

Joseph Daniels, CEO of Project Etopia, said: “This remains a national scandal that isn’t going away, pointing to a collective failure to really get to grips with this problem.

“The stubbornly high number of empty homes is compounding the housing market’s deeply entrenched problems with lack of supply remaining a key driver of high prices and low affordability.

“New homes are not being built fast enough and the constant spectre of abandoned properties aggravates an already tough market, particularly for first-time buyers who desperately want to claim the keys to their first property.”

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