Sarah Laid for City News
Thousands of homes sit empty while housing shortages continue to grow. Despite rising demand, many properties remain vacant, highlighting a deepening crisis in the housing market.

According to the most recent data, over 87,000 properties in London are classified as empty.

Around 40% of those being classified as long-term empty properties, unoccupied for more than six months. From derelict properties to luxury apartments owned by foreign investors, these empty homes highlight a growing imbalance in London’s housing market.

London is the only region in England to have seen an increase in residential vacancy year on year since 2016.

This has coincided with an affordable housing shortage and while more households have been pushed into temporary accommodation.

As housing prices have steadily increased throughout London, so have the number of homes which have remained unoccupied for longer than six months.

From the most recent data, long-term empty homes reported across London’s boroughs are now 1 in every 44 homes, an increase of 6% from the past year.

In any context this shift would be considered alarming, but in London the affordable housing issue intensifies the growing problem that empty properties pose.

Map of vacancies

The interactive map shows the total amount of long term vacant properties between 2016 to the most recent data in 2024.

Find out how your local area is affected in this Interactive Map. 

The data shows that there are nearly 38,000 long-term vacant properties across the capital.

Research from Monta Capital calculated that these properties are estimated to be worth £18.7 billion in the current market.

Sadiq responds

The Mayor of London Sadiq Khan, called it a ‘scandal’ that so many homes lie vacant across London in the midst of a housing crisis. 

Boroughs like Westminster, Kensington and Chelsea and Camden have the largest concentration of vacant homes.

In Westminster alone, there are nearly 1,150 properties classified as long-term vacant, according to council tax data.

Although this data is likely to be significantly under-representative of the true scale, the real number is expected to be higher.

In context Westminster also has the highest number of rough sleepers, with 2,101 people recorded between 2023 to 2024, whilst also having one of the highest levels of rental prospects of all London boroughs with an average rent price of £2,925 per month.

Chart showing the largest increases in long-term empty homes among London councils between 2023 to 2024
The chart presents data on the largest increases in long-term empty homes among London councils

Increases in long-term empty homes were mostly concentrated in outer London boroughs. Councils like Merton and Lewisham located in South London have seen meaningful reductions in long-term vacant homes levels.

No other region in England has reached London’s year on year increases in long-term vacant properties since the end of the National Empty Homes Programme.

London councils have been vastly ill equipped to manage the growing international capital investment in the property market.

In areas with high levels of empty property rates, reduced foot traffic affects businesses. ‘It’s heart breaking’ says Zhara Malik, a housing activist in Southwark.

‘Families are cramped into tiny flats while surrounding properties stay empty, decaying. It’s a system which properties profit over people.’

Zhara Malik

For rents like Asif Patel, searching for an affordable flat in West London has been discouraging.

‘I’ve viewed places that are within my budget, but the landlords demand huge deposits or they are in a terrible condition. Meanwhile, walking around there are entire streets that seem empty. It’s very frustrating.’

Asif Patel

The National Empty Homes Programme, which was in place under the coalition government between 2012 to 2015, aimed to make funding available for councils to repurpose empty properties into affordable housing.

Other measures like Empty Homes Premium and investments in social housing have made some progress to address London’s housing challenges.

Some councils have taken direct steps to implement stronger powers to reduce the number of empty properties in their area.

In a statement from the London Borough of Waltham Forest, they report they charge a premium of double the usual rate of council tax on homes empty for a least 12 months.

From 1 April 2025 The Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames will implement a 100% council tax premium on second homes, resulting in a total council tax charge of 200% for second homes.