England's empty homes

The regional pattern behind the 2025 rise

Matt Lenzie, Construction Capital

6 October 2025 snapshot

Research published 13 September 2026

Long-term vacancy rose 14.5%

Recorded dwellings Oct 2024 Oct 2025
All vacant 719,470 754,264
Long-term vacant 264,884 303,185

38,301 more long-term vacant homes in the recorded count.

Long-term means empty for more than six months, subject to the source exclusions. Reporting reviews affected the comparison.

Source: MHCLG Table 615

A longer national view

October snapshot All vacant Long-term vacant
2015 600,179 203,596
2019 648,114 225,845
2021 653,025 237,340
2024 719,470 264,884
2025 754,264 303,185

Counts describe recorded stock at each snapshot. They do not track individual homes through time.

Full annual series, 2015-2025

Long-term vacancy rose in all nine regions

Region Oct 2025 homes Annual change
London 47,287 +23.2%
South East 42,099 +17.4%
South West 28,553 +18.2%
West Midlands 32,585 +14.6%
East of England 32,123 +14.3%
North West 42,606 +9.5%
Yorkshire & Humber 33,293 +12.2%
East Midlands 26,475 +8.5%
North East 18,164 +7.0%

Comparison: 7 October 2024 to 6 October 2025. Counts reflect region size as well as vacancy. Data and calculations

Three regions account for 51.0% of the rise

Region Extra recorded homes Share of England increase
London +8,901 23.2%
South East +6,230 16.3%
South West +4,395 11.5%

Together: 19,526 of England's 38,301 increase in long-term vacant dwellings, October 2024 to October 2025.

Regional contribution calculations

Long-term homes make up 40.2% of recorded vacancy

The long-term share increased from 36.8% to 40.2% between October 2024 and October 2025.

The remaining recorded vacant categories fell by 3,507 dwellings. Those categories include exemptions and do not represent a pure count of short vacancies.

These percentages use all vacant dwellings as the denominator.

Definitions and calculations

Reporting changes affect the comparison

Some councils reviewed empty properties and second homes following changes to council tax premiums. MHCLG says those reviews affected the reported figures.

The data cannot separate changes in physical occupancy from changes in reporting or classification.

MHCLG Council Taxbase 2025, section 2.1

Vacancy adds context to development research

A high vacant-home count can guide local investigation. Ownership, condition and local demand determine which properties could return to use.

Our housing affordability study provides a separate view of prices relative to earnings. It does not establish demand for individual vacant properties.

Construction Capital's market reports bring together complementary housing and planning research.

Sources and reproducible backing data

Download the 12-file research package

Original workbook, 220 source observations, regional comparisons, national history, Python code and methods.

MHCLG Table 615 ยท Reporting context

England and nine regions. October snapshots, 2015-2025. Table 615 archive retrieved 13 September 2026 from the page updated 25 June 2026. Regional totals reconcile to England for both measures in every year.

Government data: Crown copyright, Open Government Licence v3.0. Analysis: Matt Lenzie / Construction Capital, CC BY 4.0.

England's empty homes: the regional pattern behind the 2025 rise

By constructioncapital

England's empty homes: the regional pattern behind the 2025 rise

Matt Lenzie / Construction Capital examines England's recorded vacant homes using MHCLG Table 615. The study covers England and all nine regions, with October snapshots from 2015 to 2025. Long-term vacancy reached 303,185 dwellings on 6 October 2025, up 14.5% in a year. London, the South East and the South West accounted for 51.0% of the recorded increase. Council reporting reviews affected the comparison, so the data cannot isolate changes in physical occupancy. Download the original workbook, 220 observations, calculations and reproduction code: https://drive.google.com/file/d/19nnV1VQk17LFDTIfLy9lRMr3O7BHdI1O/view Official source, MHCLG Table 615: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-dwelling-stock-including-vacants For complementary housing and planning evidence, see Construction Capital's market reports: https://constructioncapital.co.uk/market-reports The presentation also links to our separate housing affordability study. Government data: Crown copyright, Open Government Licence v3.0. Analysis: Construction Capital, CC BY 4.0. Research B001-R23, 13 September 2026.

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