Tens Of Thousands Of London Homes Deemed 'Long-Term Vacant'

Despite a chronic shortage of housing in the capital, more than 22,000 homes have been left empty by their owners for longer than six months, freedom of information requests have revealed. Councils looking to bring vacant properties back into use have a range of options, including levying an additional rate of council tax, helping homeowners with the cost of repairs, or even compulsory purchase orders. But the data shows that a large proportion of the homes have been empty for years rather than months, calling into question efforts to ensure existing housing stock does not go to waste. More than a third of the total – 8,561 – have been left uninhabited for over two years, according to the data, with 1,151 empty for more than a decade. Read more on the Observer website.