Empty homes

What is an empty home?

A long-term empty home is one that has been vacant for six months or more. An empty home can cost its owner thousands of pounds each year in Council Tax, insurance, security (for example, boarding up windows) and maintenance. Bringing it back into use not only saves the owner these costs, it can provide rental income or a lump sum through sale.

Why bring an empty home back into use?

If left empty, properties can:

  • cause a nuisance to local residents
  • be hazardous due to dilapidation
  • attract trespassers and anti-social behaviour
  • decrease the value of neighbouring properties

What we can offer property owners

We help owners of empty homes bring their properties back into use by offering advice and support through one-to-one communications with our Empty Homes Officer. The officer will assess all options with the owner, looking at solutions such as renting properties and signposting to external agencies that could help to bring their property back into use.

Action we can take

Where an owner refuses to address bringing their property back into use we will, as a final option, use enforcement to do this without the consent of owners. Most owners in this situation work with their local authority and take the advice offered, to address the problem without enforcement.

Report a suspected empty home

If you know of a property in Dacorum that you suspect is empty, please report it below using our online form:

Report a suspected empty home now

Contact us

If you’re the owner of an empty home in Dacorum and would like advice about bringing your property back into use, please don’t hesitate to contact us. For more information, email pshousing@dacorum.gov.uk or call 01442 228000 and ask for Private Sector Housing.

Page Last Updated: Thursday, 17 August 2023 at 04:15 PM