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Why houses may be left empty

A property might be empty for various reasons. The owner:

•  may be in hospital, in residential care or in prison
• may have died, and there is a dispute over ownership or their next of kin can’t be traced
• may have had their home repossessed
• may not be able to afford to repair the property
• may want to leave the property to their children to deal with after they have died

How to tell if a house has been empty for a long time

Although it’s not always easy to be certain that a house has been empty for a period of time, you can assume the building is empty if:

•  the property is boarded up or has metal screens over the doors and windows
• no-one is ever seen entering or leaving the property
• the front and back gardens are overgrown
• there is rubbish dumped at the front or back of the property
• there are pests and vermin in the neighbouring properties
• there is evidence of squatting or illegal activities
• the house looks derelict, with broken windows and doors, or holes in the roof

Reporting an empty property

If you own or know of an empty house, contact your local council to talk about how they can help to bring the property back into use.  Most councils have an empty property officer who works with owners to solve problems that empty homes can cause, like making the street look unattractive.

Local councils can legally deal with privately owned derelict buildings that have become insecure and open to public access.

What happens next
The building control section of your local council is responsible for making sure that reported derelict and insecure buildings are dealt with, so that people in the area aren't put in danger.

When they receive a report, a building control officer will visit the site as soon as possible to see if action needs to be taken.
If the building is derelict and insecure, the council will send a notice to the owner giving them 48 hours to secure their building. If they can’t trace the owner within a reasonable amount of time, or if the building is an immediate danger to the public, then the building control section will arrange to have the building secured.

Your council may also consider applying for an Empty Dwelling Management Order for a property that has been left empty for more than six months to allow the council to  rent it out for social housing.

• Find out about derelict properties and report them to your local council (opens new window)
• More information on empty properties from the Department of Communities and Local Government (opens new window)

Dangerous structures

Dangerous structures can be at risk of collapsing, especially in certain weather conditions, and they are a hazard to public safety. You can report them to your local council.

What is a dangerous structure?

As buildings get older, their structure can become weaker. Buildings can also become dangerous because of poor maintenance, fire, storms, or explosions.

Other faults can also cause a danger, including:

•  loose or falling roof tiles
• walls or fences that are in danger of collapsing
• unstable chimneys

Reporting a dangerous structure to your council

If you think a building or structure is dangerous, tell your local council. They will investigate your report as soon as a surveyor is available.
In most cases they will contact the owner of the building and tell them to make it safe at their own cost. Your council will deal with any immediate danger if the building’s owner is unable to do so.

If the danger is immediate and life threatening, your council will liaise with the emergency services to close off the danger area, and arrange emergency works. This may include:

• scaffolding or shoring to make the building safe until permanent work can be arranged
• completely removing the hazard

Report a dangerous building in your area
The following links will let you enter details of where you live and then take you to your local authority website where you can find out more about reporting a dangerous structure.

• Report a dangerous building or structure (opens new window)
• Find out about dangerous buildings and structures (opens new window)

More useful links

• Department for Communities and Local Government - empty homes section (opens new window)
• Information about the Housing Act 2004 (opens new window)
• Find out more information from Empty Homes Agency website (opens new window)