Quarterly data update
Council owned
| Property category | Definition | Scale |
|---|---|---|
| Short Cycle Voids | Properties that are temporarily empty for a short period, usually between tenancies, while repairs and maintenance are carried out before the next tenant moves in. | 81 |
| Long Cycle Voids | Properties that remain vacant for an extended period, often due to significant repair needs, structural issues, or planning for redevelopment. | 103 |
| Standard Repairs (Long and Short Cycle) Voids Total | 184 | |
| Occupied by temporary decant | Works on the void have been complete, but the property is being occupied on a temporary basis (not a tenancy) due to essential repairs or issues with another Council property meaning urgent short-term housing is required. | 77 |
| Unauthorised Occupant | A person/group living in a property without the legal right to do so (i.e., without a tenancy agreement), rendering the property unoccupiable. | 138 |
| Demolition | Properties that are vacant but are empty due to being scheduled to be demolished, often due to redevelopment or being deemed unsafe or uninhabitable. | 42 |
| Capital Void | Properties that are vacant due to planned capital works or major improvements, which are often part of a broader investment strategy in the housing stock. | 19 |
| Ready for Occupation | Properties that have completed any necessary repairs or maintenance and are now ready to be let out to new tenants. | 88 |
| Notice | Properties that are empty (or soon to be) because the previous tenant has given (or been given) notice to vacate and the property is in the transition phase before new occupancy. | 28 |
| Other Voids | We have compiled these categories under an ‘Other Voids’ grouping, given each represent a very low number of voids of between 1 and 10 properties. These categories include Commercial Voids, Provisional Void, Squatted, and Asset Review*. | Between 1 and 10 |
| Estate Regeneration Voids | Council estates previously listed for regeneration has generated a number of empty properties due to fulfilling the key guarantees made to residents of those estates. The council has implemented a specific Estate Regeneration Voids Strategy updated in 2024, to support the ongoing management of its social housing stock as well as leasehold/freehold properties acquired via a council buyback. | |
| Estate Regeneration Confirmed Voids | A proportion of our voids on our regeneration estates are accessible to us and are confirmed void without any occupants, formal or informally, but are requiring repairs or intervention from the council to return them to occupancy. | 149 |
| Estate Regeneration Complex Voids and Empties | The remainder of our properties on our regeneration estates that do not have a formal tenancy in place can be both occupied, temporarily occupied or unoccupied for the same range of complex reasons outlined for our general stock (such Occupied by Temporary Decant, Unauthorised Occupant, Squatted, Commercial Void and Asset Review). | 186 |
Returning AST from PRS to Council Stock | Homes let through Homes for Lambeth via assured shorthold tenancies (ASTs) that are being returned from the private sector into council housing stock, with a void period expected between tenancies. Some are on fixed term tenancies and some on periodic tenancies. Not all these properties will be void at the same time. | 163 (total, not all void) |
| Tenant / Resident Management Organisations (TMOs/RMOs) | Void homes that are owned by the council but are managed by Tenant or Resident Management Organisations (TMOs/RMOs). TMOs/RMOs managed the records and processes on all short cycle voids, but those that have the scale of works for a long cycle void (£5,000+) are returned to the council general stock team to oversee repairs. | 69 |
| Private Finance Initiative (PFI) Properties | Void homes that are owned by the council, but with private contracts with property management company for management, maintenance and repairs of properties. | 8 |
- Data on empty homes in our housing association or other registered social housing providers was retrieved from Council Tax records and may not reflect the housing associations own figures on void or empty stock. These figures are accurate as of October 2024.
- Data on the Council’s owned regeneration estate voids has been retrieved from our housing management system, NEC. This system maintains records for all regeneration properties managed by Lambeth Council. These totals only include those in our regeneration estates. This updates routinely and figures were accurate as of November 2024.
- Data on Council owned stock that is returning from the PRS to Council stock is a total of all ASTs identified. This figure is not reflective of the number of empty homes, but of the number of AST properties that are transitioning back to Council stock. All of which can expect a void period at some point during this process but are not all void simultaneously.
- Data on empty homes and voids on sites currently managed by TMOs/RMOs has been retrieved from our housing management system, NEC. These figures are an estimate as of November 2024, recognising improved data and referral processes are underway as outlined in this action plan.
- One site that is currently managed under a Private Finance Initiative by an external provider. Data on empty homes and voids on PFI has been retrieved from our housing management system, NEC. These figures are accurate as of November 2024.
Social housing providers
| Property category | Definition | Scale |
|---|---|---|
| Housing Associations and other Registered Social Landlords (RSLs) | Empty homes that are owned and managed by housing associations or other registered social landlords. | 529 |
Data on empty homes in our housing association or other registered social housing providers was retrieved from Council Tax records and may not reflect the housing associations own figures on void or empty stock. These figures are accurate as of October 2024.
Private owned
| Property category | Definition | Scale |
|---|---|---|
| Unfurnished Empty Homes (less than 12 months) | A privately owned property without furniture and possessions that remains unoccupied, but has been empty for less than 12 months. No premiums are applied. | 1527 |
| Unfurnished Empty Homes (more than 12 months) | A privately owned property without furniture and possessions that remains unoccupied, that has been empty for more than 12 months. Premiums are charged in a tiered way, based on length of time empty:
| 504 |
| Furnished Empty Homes (periodically occupied, often referred to as “second homes”). | Furnished private properties either owned abroad or as a second home for someone in the country who has a different main residence but has remained unoccupied or only periodically occupied. Due to a change in legislation these properties will incur a 100% Council Tax Premium from 1st April 2025. | 600 |
Data on privately owned empty homes was retrieved from Council Tax records and updates quarterly. These figures are accurate as of October 2024.