Empty Homes, a national charity campaigning for unoccupied properties to be made available for people in need of housing, has recently published some data that reveals there are in excess of 200,000 homes in England that have remained empty for a minimum of six months.
The Empty Homes in England report brings together statistics produced by local authorities on empty homes for the twelve months to October 2017. There were 205,293 long-term empty homes in England in October 2017 with this being 5,148 more when compared with October 2016. That is an increase of 2.6%.
Below is a regional table of long-term empty homes showing the total number of homes in each region, the number of empty properties and the percentage that are empty: –
Region Homes Empty Homes Percentage
North East 1,224,357 17,106 1.4%
North West 3,259,372 39,344 1.21%
Yorkshire & Humber 2,407,332 27,009 1,12%
East Midlands 2,070,625 18,553 0.90%
West Midlands 2,471,214 20,996 0.85%
South West 2,529,233 18,687 0.74%
East of England 2,659,293 17,983 0.68%
South East 3,871,368 25,378 0.66%
London 3,582,015 20,237 0.56%
England 24,074,809 205,293 0.85%
As you can see, the region with the highest percentage of homes that have remained empty for at least six months is in the North East of England with 1.4%. It may come as a surprise to some people that London has the lowest percentage at 0.56%. In the South West, 0.74% of homes are long-term empty.
Since 2008, when there were 326,954 homes that had been empty for a minimum of six months, the number of such properties has been falling year on year. That is until this latest set of figures as of October 2017.
There are a number of reasons why homes remain empty for so long such as the owner deciding to hold onto the property in the hope that it will increase in value, a property may have been let out in the past but 
requires renovation work before being re-let and someone inheriting a property may take time before deciding what to do with the property.
The Empty Homes in England report is a comprehensive document and can be viewed on the empty.homes.com website.
Here at AIB Insurance, we have considerable experience of arranging insurance on unoccupied properties. So, why not give us a call on 02380 268 351 and speak with one of our friendly team who will be able to discuss your requirements and provide a tailor-made, competitive quotation to provide you with peace of mind.
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