Council continues to fill homes by helping to bring long-term empty homes back into use

Date published: 3rd March 2025

North Norfolk has a housing shortage due to a growing population and limited opportunity to develop land for additional housing.

The Council's Empty Homes Officer is working with property owners to help bring unoccupied and unfurnished properties back into use.

Officers have done this in the past year in various ways, including offering advice on letting or selling properties and helping owners connect with estate agents, auction houses, housing associations, and potential buyers or tenants.

Guidance is also available on refurbishment, with information on necessary repairs, renovations, and potential financial assistance through grants or loans.

Legal and financial matters can often delay a property’s return to use, so officers provide support on probate and inheritance issues, council tax implications for empty homes, and navigating planning permissions or building regulations.

Energy efficiency is another key area, with advice on improving EPC ratings, insulation, and heating systems, as well as signposting owners to government grants for energy-efficient upgrades.

For properties facing barriers to reoccupation, officers offer guidance on securing vacant homes to prevent vandalism or anti-social behaviour while also assisting in resolving legal disputes that may be preventing a property from being sold or occupied.

A long-term empty home may be a flat, dwelling house or house in multiple occupations which is privately owned and unoccupied for six months or more.

These long-term empty homes can be privately or publicly owned and may be left vacant for various reasons, such as:

• Owner neglect or inability to sell/rent.
• Inheritance or probate delays.
• Legal disputes or planning restrictions.
• Property in need of repairs or renovation.
• Investment properties are left intentionally empty.

Empty homes can contribute to housing shortages, urban decay, and anti-social behaviour, which is why councils and local authorities, like North Norfolk District Council, work to bring them back into use.

The Council takes empty homes seriously; as an authority, the Council cannot stop owners from leaving properties empty, but the owners are levied with extra council tax if the property is left vacant for twelve months (100% increase) and a further rise after five years (200% increase) and ten years (300% increase).

There is a shortage of homes to rent in the district with only 238 affordable homes becoming available in 2024/25 so far. Empty homes can provide much-needed housing options to local residents, as well as provide a rental income to the owner, provided the home is in good condition.

Cllr Wendy Fredericks, portfolio holder for Housing and People Services, said:

“Getting these homes back into the housing market offers a potential place to live in North Norfolk."

You can contact the Empty Homes Officer to explore your options and make a difference in your community today. You can get in touch by emailing empty.homes@north-norfolk.gov.uk or call 01263 516176.