Vacant dwellings

Vacant dwellings are homes that are classified as empty properties for council tax purposes. These include homes that are empty between a change of occupants, undergoing refurbishment, awaiting demolition, held in probate, or are newly completed but not yet occupied. Most vacant dwellings are brought back into use quickly, while properties that remain vacant for more than six months are classed as long-term vacant dwellings.

The latest figures are for 2024.

Key figures

• There were 18,401 vacant dwellings in the Lancashire-12 area (3.2% of the total dwelling stock).
• In Lancashire-14, there were 24,501 vacant dwellings (3.4% of the total dwelling stock).
• Blackpool, Burnley, Preston and Fylde had the highest percentages of vacant dwellings at 4% or more of the total dwelling stock (England = 2.8%). Wyre had the lowest (1.6%).
• The percentage of long-term vacant dwellings was highest in Preston (2.0% of the total dwelling stock), accounting for almost half of all vacant dwellings in the area.
• Compared to the previous year, all areas apart from Blackpool saw an increase of between 0.1% to 2.6% in the number of vacant dwellings (England = 0.9%).

 

Source: Vacant dwellings by local authority district from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.

Further information

Figures for the number of vacant dwellings are released annually by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. The figures provide the numbers of vacant dwellings (residential accommodation) that are classed as empty for council tax purposes (including all empty properties liable for council tax and properties that are empty but receive a council tax exemption). The source data for all vacant dwellings is from the council tax base (CTB) statistical release. The figures are taken from the CTB on the first Monday in October each year.

Long-term vacant dwellings are defined as properties liable for council tax that have been empty for more than six months and that are not subject to Empty Homes Discount class D or empty due to specific flooding events. The source data for all long-term vacant dwellings is from the CTB statistical release.

These figures differ from the those in 2021 Census. The census figures use a wider definition of vacant dwellings which includes homes that have only been temporarily vacant and dwellings such as caravans on holiday parks not paying council tax.

Funding for vacant dwellings

The Empty Homes Programme and New Homes Bonus are schemes which have provided financial incentives to bring long-term vacant dwellings back into use. The Empty Homes Programme (a grant for homeowners) ended in 2016.

The New Homes Bonus is a grant paid by central government to local councils to reflect housing growth in their areas. It is based on the amount of extra council tax revenue raised for new-build homes, conversions and long-term empty homes brought back into use. There is also an extra payment for providing affordable homes. The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government provides a breakdown of grant funding, showing the number of empty homes brought into use by local authority and is available on the Gov.uk website.

Page updated 22 August 2025