Empty homes In Leeds

Empty homes in Leeds

Empty homes is not a new issue in Leeds, although recent attention has placed it in the media spotlight nationally. We have been tackling the issue for more than a decade.

Some empty property facts:

• We have  been responsible for 3,000 long-term empty homes (6mths+) returning into use each year for the past four years - the highest figure for any local authority in England and Wales.
• More than 90% of empty homes in Leeds are in the private sector.
• We were the first authority to appoint an officer to deal with empty properties ('voids') and we have a team dedicated to reducing the number of these in the city.
• The number of empty homes in Leeds is 4.1%. This is lower than the figure for West Yorkshire (4.4%) and slightly higher than figure for the Yorkshire and Humberside Region (4%) and the average for metropolitan districts (3.9%)
• Empty properties for social housing (council and housing associations) represents less than 2% of all stock in the sector in Leeds.
• The number of long term empty homes as a proportion of the total number of empties in Leeds is 29.5% which is lower than the national and the regional average – both 38.7%.

We produce a monthly report giving information in relation to numbers of empty properties within the city, market trends and historical analysis. You can find our latest monthly report by clicking on the 'Downloads' button.

Empty property loans
We are exploring the possibility of being able to offer these to some owners of empty property who meet certain eligibility criteria within the coming months.

Potential purchasers of empty properties
We maintain a list of people who have expressed interest in purchasing empty property within the area.  The list can be obtained by contacting us. Tel: 0113 3957151.

“Let’s Help You”
We work in partnership with a Government funded service called “Lets Help You” which can assist in matching landlords with suitable tenants for empty properties within West Yorkshire. For more information see 'External Links'.   
 
If you are a tenant looking for a home in the private rented sector click on the "Private Rented Property -a guide for tenants" link in 'Related Pages' below.

Landlords can find out more about the letting to tenants via the council under the 'Private Sector Letting Scheme - A Guide For Landlords' in 'Related Pages' below.