Purchasing empty properties

What should I do?

First, you need to get the name of the street, as well as the door number of the empty property, to establish who the owner is. You should then contact the Land Registry and ask for a copy of the 'Register of Entries'. There is a charge for this service. Please contact the Land registry on their website or by post:

Website: Land registry
Telford DLR
Hall Park Way
Telford
Shropshire TF3 4LR

What if the property is privately owned?

Usually the 'Register of Entries' states that the address of the owner is the same as the address of the empty property. If this is the case, please contact the empty property service. If a second address is known to us the empty property officer will take your details and forward them on the owner.

Please note that data protection issues need to be considered, and as such, information relating to the owner can only be passed on with their consent. If the 'Register of Entries' does give a second address, then contact the owner directly.

Where the owner cannot be traced, the council may take action to compulsory purchase the property and sell this to a Housing Association or at auction.

For more information please refer to Compulsory purchase of empty homes by the council.

What if the property is owned by the council?

Where possible, look at the property to see whether it is boarded up with metal security screens on the doors and windows. This often means that the property probably belongs the council or to a Housing Association.

You should contact Lambeth Living through the Lambeth Service Centre and ask for the voids officer:

Lambeth Service Centre
PO Box 41091
London SW2 1XZ
Tel: 020 7926 6000
Email: housing@lambeth.gov.uk

If the council is selling the property, this will tend to be done at auction. Auctions are usually held once a month. Details of auctions can be found in the local paper.

What if the property is owned by a Housing Association?

Where the property is not owned by the council, you can contact the Land Registry for a copy of the 'Registry of Entries' which will tell you the name and address of the Housing Association.

I have bought an empty property what do I
do next?

The empty property service  will be able to advise you on the available options for bringing the property back into use, including grants and long-term leases. 

For further details about Empty Property Grants contact the Empty Property Team on 020 7926 4247 or 020 7926 4444.