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Empty homes

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Empty homes

Help bringing your empty home (property) back in to use

There is a very high demand for housing in Camden, yet there are privately owned properties that are empty across the borough. We are doing all we can to encourage owners to bring empty homes back into use.

Help we offer to bring your empty home back into use:

Contact us

Contact the empty homes team for further information and advice, or call on 020 7974 4158.

Penalties for empty homes

  • A home which has been empty for 2 years and over attracts a 100% premium from 1 April 2019, doubling the council tax payable.
  • If it remains empty for 5 years or more, a 200% premium will be payable from 1 April 2020, tripling the council tax payable.
  • Those homes kept empty for 10 years and over, will from 1 April 2021, attract a 300% premium, which quadruples the council tax payable.

We will consider taking enforcement action as a last resort:

Notice service

We can serve a notice on a freeholder, leaseholder, agent or person managing a property telling them to carry out works to comply with housing, environmental protection and dangerous structure law. The notice may specify a time limit.  

Where owners fail to meet a notice, we may carry out the works. The cost of the works plus an administrative charge of 20% will be recovered from the owner.

If notices are not met, this could also lead to prosecution.

Empty Dwelling Management Orders

Empty Dwelling Management Orders (Housing Act 2004) give the council power to compulsorily lease empty homes that have been vacant for longer than 2 years, where other options have been unsuccessful.  

Compulsory Purchase Orders

Compulsory Purchase Orders (Housing Act 1985) give the council power to acquire buildings and land through compulsory purchase.

Report an empty or run-down property

Run-down properties can lead to a range of problems, including rubbish, pests, odours from poor drainage, vandalism and more. They can also be a safety risk if the structures are dangerous.

We have legal powers to secure properties which are open and derelict and to deal with any nuisance, public health and safety complaints arising from the property.

You can report problems with an empty or run-down property to our environmental health team.