Propertymark has called for coordinated action to tackle the UK’s 359,000 long-term empty homes, warning that financial penalties alone will not solve the problem.
A new position paper from the professional body highlights gaps in local authority resources and calls for ringfenced funding, professional support and strategic reform across all four UK nations.
Councils lack resources and strategy
Freedom of Information responses from 226 local authorities across England, Scotland and Wales revealed significant gaps in empty homes work:
- Only 38 percent of councils have an empty homes strategy in place
- Just 41 percent have at least one dedicated empty homes officer
- Only 25 percent operate with a dedicated budget for empty homes work
The findings underline the need for strategic leadership and properly funded local teams. At a time when housing campaigners are calling for a national empty homes strategy, the report suggests many councils are not equipped to address the issue effectively.
Punitive measures not working
Timothy Douglas, head of policy and campaigns at Propertymark, said financial penalties are not delivering results. “Long-term empty properties are a visible reminder of a system that is not working as effectively as it should,” he said. “At a time when housing demand continues to outstrip supply, leaving hundreds of thousands of homes unused is neither economically nor socially sustainable.”
Douglas added that council tax premiums, while intended to discourage vacancy, can be counterproductive. “Financial penalties alone will not solve the problem. What works is sustained local engagement, professional advice, and properly funded empty homes teams that can support owners through the process of bringing properties back into use.”
The report analyses measures including council tax premiums under the Levelling-up and Regeneration Act 2023, High Street Rental Auctions, Wales’s National Empty Homes Grant Scheme and Scotland’s loan fund for empty property refurbishment.
Best practice shows what works
The paper highlights successful initiatives that have delivered results. The Scottish Empty Homes Partnership has helped return more than 43,000 properties to use since 2010 through advice, local authority coordination and dedicated Empty Homes Officers.
Leeds City Council’s Empty Homes Doctor service has also reduced long-term vacancy levels significantly by providing tailored, practical support to property owners.
The findings align with recent data showing that investors are increasingly targeting empty properties for refurbishment, with bridging loan applications for vacant homes surging 95 percent.
Calls for reform
Propertymark is calling on governments and local authorities to:
- Ringfence funding for dedicated Empty Homes Officers
- Work collaboratively with communities and the third sector
- Reform business rates to incentivise commercial property reuse
- Extend the Welsh Empty Homes Grant Scheme to private landlords
- Introduce targeted regeneration investment in areas with high concentrations of vacant homes
- Ensure every local authority has a clear strategy, database and dedicated budget
The body also recommends reforming Empty Dwelling Management Orders to allow earlier intervention, while ensuring consultation with qualified property agents to speed up the return of stock to the market.
The full position paper is available from Propertymark’s website.
What this means for landlords
- If you own an empty property: Proactive local authority support may be available – check if your council has an empty homes officer or grant scheme
- If you’re considering acquisition: Empty properties in regeneration areas may offer opportunities, but factor in potential council tax premiums during refurbishment
- Watch for: Changes to Empty Dwelling Management Order rules that could affect properties left vacant for extended periods
- Bottom line: Engagement with local authorities is more effective than waiting for enforcement action
Editor’s view
The FOI findings are striking: only a quarter of councils have any budget for empty homes work. That tells you everything about why punitive council tax premiums have failed to move the needle – there is no one to provide the practical support owners need to bring properties back into use. The Scottish model shows what is possible with dedicated resources, but it requires political will and sustained investment.
Author: Editorial Team – UK landlord & buy-to-let news, policy, and finance
Published: 1 April 2026
Sources: Propertymark
Related reading: Coalition urges national empty homes strategy as voids hit 310,000
