List of all current empty residential properties
Request received 27 October 2025:
1.A list of domestic properties within the [Council name] area that have been recorded by the council as empty (unoccupied and substantially unfurnished) for a continuous period of 6 months or more, for the period 1 January 2024 to 31 December 2024. Please include: address (uprn if available), date first recorded as empty, current status (e.g., owner contact attempted, enforcement action, subject to sale), and whether the property appears on any council priority/empty-homes register.
2.Copies of any policies, guidance or internal criteria used to decide whether an empty-homes record is published publicly or withheld.
3.Copies of any relevant public-interest or s31 (prejudice to law enforcement) assessments, redaction logs, or reasons the council relied on when deciding to withhold or redact empty-homes addresses in the last 24 months.
Responded 24 November 2025:
1. Please see attachment showing the number of empty properties per month for the time specified.
2. Information Not Held
3. The Council does hold this information however; we are unable to release a list of our current vacant properties as this would enable them to be identified. We believe that if this information were disclosed this would be likely to have the effect of exposing those properties to a greater risk of being subject to crimes such as vandalism and squatting. Therefore, we consider this information is exempt under Section 31(1)(a) of the Freedom of Information Act (prejudice the prevention or detection of crime).
In respect of those requests that were answered in full or partially and the total refused please take this as notice under FOIA, that we:
a) Consider the information as exempt from disclosure under the Act;
b) Claim exempt under sections of the Act:
Section 31(1)(a) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000
c) State why the exemption applies:
31Law enforcement.
(1)Information which is not exempt information by virtue of section 31(1)(a) is exempt information if its disclosure under this Act would, or would be likely to, prejudice—
(a)the prevention or detection of crime
Section 31(1)(a) says that we do not need to provide information that would be likely to prejudice the functions of law enforcement. We believe that releasing this information would increase the likelihood of:
• Empty properties being lived in by squatters. Squatting in a residential property is now a criminal offence.
• Empty properties being targeted by vandals or graffiti artists and stripped of materials such as roofing, cables or piping, or otherwise vandalised or damaged.
• Empty properties being targeted by criminals or terrorists for example allowing them to hide or store the proceeds of crime, or criminal or terrorist materials.
The exemption afforded by S31(1)(a) is subject to what is known as the ‘public interest test’. When applying the test in a particular case a public authority is deciding whether the public interest is better served by non-disclosure than by disclosure.
Factors in favour of disclosing
• There are general arguments in promoting the transparency and accountability of public authorities
• Raising the profile of vacant properties would help encourage public engagement and debate.
Factors in favour of withholding
• There is an inherent public interest in crime prevention.
• There is public interest in avoiding the costs associated with squatting, for example, repair, security and eviction costs.
• The negative impact of squatting affects the surrounding community and public authorities involved, not just the individual property.
• The motives behind the request (albeit not provided to us) have no relevance since disclosure would mean the information would be in the public domain.
In weighing the factors for and against disclosure we have concluded that the likely benefit to the applicant and the wider public of disclosure is outweighed by the likely prejudice caused by such disclosure and that therefore the public interest is better served by non-disclosure.
Because it is our policy to refuse disclosure of the addresses of empty properties, we are unable to provide direct evidence of a causal link between such disclosure and prejudice to the prevention or detection of crime. We believe, however, to advertise a property as empty, serves to make it vulnerable to damage, potential unauthorised occupation and the crime and disorder commonly associated with such occupation.
For further information, the subject of empty homes was discussed at our Full Council committee meeting which held last week on the 20th of November 2025. Please see: Council Decision List detailing the discussion and decisions.