New figures have revealed the number of empty homes in the UK is now at 203,596, the lowest level since records began.

While this is a significant drop from 318,642 vacant properties in 2004, there has also been an increase in the number of owned-occupied homes for the past year after seven years of decline.

The downward trend in ownership is continuing to level out after a fall from 69.5% in 2002 to 62.5% in 2015 and 62.8% in 2014.


A number of measures have been introduced by the government to get homes back into use, such as increasing Council Tax on empty properties and rewarding councils for bringing empty homes back in to use through the New Homes Bonus.

In addition, £20 billion is being committed over the next five years to help build one million new homes by 2020.

Housing and Planning Minister Brandon Lewis said: "We are turning around the housing market and making sure the best use is made of all housing including empty homes.

"We are very clear that a house should be a home which is why we have taken action to stop homes being bought up and left as an empty investment."

(LM)