I live in a peaceful corner of Bristol. But the house next door is empty and full of rats

The number of empty homes has steadily increased across England, with councils increasingly worried about both their impact on local communities and the loss of a valuable resource.

‘It’s Wearing Me Down’

“It makes you feel anxious because you have no idea what’s going to happen next,” says Ann Devereaux, who has loved her home in a quiet corner of Bristol for more than 25 years. The property next door—empty, collapsing, and overrun with pests—has become a constant source of anxiety.

What was once just an eyesore is now a magnet for anti-social behaviour, she said. “It’s just open and vulnerable to abuse,” she explained. “We have men urinating against the wall, heroin dealing, and fly-tipping.”

“It makes me feel anxious whenever I leave my house or come home at night. It’s wearing me down emotionally.” She has witnessed violence outside her front door, and the stench of rotting rubbish dumped inside the building often drifts into her living room.

Bristol City Council has ordered the building's owner to make it safe. However, Ms Devereaux and others in St Werburgh’s tight-knit community claim the situation is only getting worse. The roof of the derelict home collapsed just months ago, sending rats into nearby gardens.

“It’s a wasted resource, and I know there are a lot of places like this that are empty and decaying, creating real problems,” Ms Devereaux said.

The city council said it is “continuing to monitor the building” and would consider further steps, including intervening to carry out safety work, if the owner does not comply. The BBC contacted the building’s owner, but there was no response.

A National Problem 🏘️

Residents in St Werburghs say they want the property to be brought back into use urgently, and their story is not unique. Even as the country struggles with a housing shortage, the number of vacant properties in England has increased over the past decade.

According to the most recent government statistics, there are now more than 700,000 empty homes. Of those, 264,884 are classified as ‘long-term empty’, meaning no one has lived there for six months or more. At the time of the reports, the figure in Wales was 120,000 empty homes. In response, the Welsh Government introduced a £50 million National Empty Homes scheme in 2023, offering grants of up to £25,000 to make properties habitable again.

Housing charities also see these empty properties as a missed opportunity to tackle homelessness. According to official figures, 4,667 people were sleeping on the streets in England on any given night last year, a near-record high and the third annual increase in a row.

A Bristol charity, 1625 Independent People, is trying to change that. Its Future Builders programme converts vacant properties for young people facing homelessness to rent at an affordable rate.

Becky Hopkins was homeless in the city at just 18 years old. “I was completely lost, lonely, and isolated. I felt a lot of self-hatred. I was anxious all the time,” she said. The service provided Ms Hopkins with a stable, affordable place to live while she planned for the future. “Once I was in a stable home, I could really concentrate on my mental well-being and building healthier habits.”

Now 21, she is training to become a Royal Navy engineer. “It’s a transformation I didn’t think was possible,” she said.

Call for Law Change

Local councils are on the front lines of the empty homes crisis, and officials are now calling for greater authority and resources to bring more properties back into use.

Sean Fudge leads a team at South Gloucestershire Council that traces the owners of vacant buildings. So far this year, his team has brought 47 properties back into use. “If left empty, they can lead to a community’s decline and decay,” he said. “We initially want to engage with the owner, but when there is a negative impact on the wider community, we must take enforcement action.”

If a property has been vacant for more than two years and the owner is not cooperating, councils can apply for an Empty Dwelling Management Order (EDMO). If granted, the council can take control of the property to manage and improve it, letting it out and recouping the costs from the rental income. However, this power is rarely used due to the lengthy and complicated process.

The Local Government Association is pushing for changes to the legislation to make it easier for councils to take over the management of vacant homes. The charity Action on Empty Homes is also urging for empty properties to be repurposed. “Every empty home is a missed opportunity to improve the life of a family that is currently homeless,” said campaign manager Chris Bailey. “These are important homes in the right places—in towns and cities where people want to live and where services already exist. These homes are available today and can be restored within a year.”

Not Always Straightforward

The process is not always simple. Many homes become empty when the owner dies, and the property is tied up in the probate process. Jenni Sadler inherited her mother’s house in 2011. “It’s a great privilege to inherit a house,” she said, “but it’s also emotional; this was our family home.”

The house had fallen into disrepair, and Ms Sadler struggled with the rising costs of essential renovations. “We discovered more and more things that needed to be fixed,” she said. “You’re left wondering, ‘How can I do this?’”

Ms Sadler has been able to get low-interest loans from Lendology, an organisation that works with councils to help bring empty homes back into use. She now hopes to finish the renovations and rent out the house through the Homes for Ukraine initiative.

A spokesperson for the Ministry of Housing, Communities, and Local Government said: “We are determined to solve the housing crisis we have inherited, and we know that too many empty homes can have a huge effect on local communities. We’re giving councils more power to increase council tax on long-term empty homes, as well as removing tax waivers for short-term lets, and we’ll continue to investigate further steps.”