Despite repeated attempts by government to address the London housing crisis, the rising number of empty homes across the UK remains unsolved. While thousands of properties sit vacant, local councils have resorted to increasing council tax premiums for owners.
This tax-first strategy is not working. And leading property experts, including our CEO, have spoken out about it.
As featured in:
- The Telegraph – Why taxing second home owners has failed
- Estate Agent Today – Empty Homes Policy Misses the Mark
- Property Wire – Why England’s empty homes policy has failed
- Yahoo News UK & Global
- The Intermediary – Comment from EBI CEO
Why the Empty Homes Premium has failed
The Empty Homes Premium was introduced to reduce long-term vacancy by penalising owners of unoccupied homes. However, this policy has proven ineffective due to:
• Minimal impact on wealthy or overseas investors
• Inconsistent enforcement by councils
• No real understanding of why homes are empty
The reality is that not all vacant homes are abandoned – many are mid-renovation, in legal dispute, or held for future family use. Blanket tax measures ignore this context and fail to distinguish between unproductive ownership and transitional vacancy.
This has been reinforced in national commentary, including our CEO’s remarks in Estate Agent Today, highlighting that empty home taxes often miss their intended target and require smarter, evidence-based reform.
What actually works
Solving the issue requires more than financial penalties. What is needed is a structured and strategic property solution involving:
• Better planning pathways to encourage renovation
• Engagement with owners and investors to understand barriers
• Clear timelines for bringing properties back into circulation
• Public-private cooperation to convert idle stock into active homes
At Ernest-Brooks International, we work directly with landlords to assess feasibility, plan refurbishments, and bring vacant homes back to market swiftly.
A practical solution for landlords
If you are holding a vacant property and unsure of the next steps, our award-winning team can help with:
• Full property management and compliance
• Market appraisals and rent forecasting
• Renovation support and tenant sourcing
• Empty property insurance and legal cover
We have also published commentary on the deeper issues behind empty home ownership, which you can draw from here if helpful to enrich the post further:
EBI Blog – Why the Empty Homes Tax Has Failed and How We Can Actually Fix It
Explore more services at www.ernest-brooks.com or browse further insights on the official blog.
