Should Empty Properties be Put to Use?

It’s acknowledged that in the UK a large number of properties sit empty – causing much debate and frustration among those trying to get on the property ladder. Our report surveyed 1,000 people across the UK to find out what the nation thinks should be done about it.

A report from Empty Homes last September revealed there are over 200,000 long-term (over six months) empty homes in England and over 600,000 in total.

With this is mind, we asked 1,000 adults in the UK what they thought about the potential use of empty properties. We asked:

‘Do you think those who own unoccupied properties should be required to make them available to those in need?' (e.g. homeless people, those with disabilities, etc.’)

Surprisingly, 54.4% of all respondents said no to unoccupied properties being made available, even to those in need and 45.6% said yes. Also, 27% more men than women said no, however, 31% more women than men think unoccupied properties should be made available. And respondents in the 65+ age group answered yes, more than any other age group.

A chart illustrating the gender comparison of the survey results:

A second survey of 1,000 adults in the UK determined if the respondent would allow their own property to be made available. We asked:

‘If you owned a vacant property, would you allow those in need, such as the homeless, to use your property until you found a new tenant?’

In this instance, significantly more people (62.6%) would not allow use of their own vacant property and only 37.4% said yes - suggesting people are happier to approve of the concept than apply it to themselves.

Of all respondents that said no, there were 14% more men than women, however, women are more willing (24%) to allow their own vacant property be made available to those in need.

When comparing age groups, we see from the survey before that those aged 65, more than any other age group, thought unoccupied properties should be made available to those who need it. Conversely, the same age group responded ‘no’, more than any other, to allowing their own property be made of use.

Respondents aged 18-24 are the most willing to allow those in need use their own vacant property.

Based on the results illustrated in the chart above, we found women are both more willing to agree that empty properties be made available to those in need and do so it if were their own property than men.

Alison Wild