In London, the number of empty homes has reached its highest level since 2010.

According to recent data from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, there were 34,327 properties classed as “long-term vacant” in the capital as of 31 March 2022. This classification applies when homes have been empty for more than six months and are “substantially unfurnished”.

Highest numbers were in the borough of Southwark, with 2,422 empty homes, followed by Newham and Barnet.

Green London Assembly Member (AM) Siân Berry said the government could help solve the problem by providing London mayor Sadiq Khan with more funding to expand the Right-to-buy-Back scheme, which aims to increase the number of homes in public ownership.

Polly Neate, chief executive of homelessness charity Shelter, added that it was “deeply frustrating” to see so many empty properties at a time when large numbers of people lacked a “secure home”.

“Even if we filled every one of these empty properties, we still wouldn’t have solved the chronic housing shortage we face. More should be done to put empty homes to use, but tackling this issue is not an adequate alternative to building more genuinely affordable housing,” Ms Neate said.

Southwark Council’s leader, Kieron Williams, meanwhile said his borough was “using every tool we have to tackle the housing crisis” and “building thousands more homes across Southwark”.

“The majority of council homes listed as long-term empty in Southwark are in fact on our large-scale estate renewal sites where old, poorly built, housing at the end of its life is being replaced by modern council homes for our residents,” he added.

Across England, the proportion of unoccupied dwellings has increased during the past decade to 6.1 per cent of the total (around 1.5 million properties) – up from 4.2 per cent in 2011.

Here at Fraser and Fraser, we are strongly committed to bringing empty homes back into use and have decades of experience tracing empty home owners, their next-of-kin and relevant people generally. We have been working with Local Authorities for over 50 years in helping to reduce their long-term empty homes. Contact us today to see how we could help.