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Empty Homes Hub

Whether you're a property owner, potential buyer, or concerned resident, the Empty Homes Hub provides guidance and reporting tools, to help address the issue of empty homes in the district.

The hub explains what qualifies as an empty home, how to report one, and what powers the council has to intervene. It also outlines the advice and incentives available to owners who want to renovate or sell unused properties, including potential Council Tax and VAT discounts.

 


Frequently Asked Questions

You have a question? We have an answer.
Can I request a list of empty properties and their owner details?

We do not provide lists of privately owned empty homes and cannot provide this information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 as public interest exemptions apply.

You may consider using property auction websites to find empty homes on the market or approach local agents and registering an interest in properties that have been empty.

Owners who are willing to sell will usually do so through an auction house or estate agent.

Wychavon District Council does not keep a list of empty homes investors or buyers.

Does Wychavon District Council offer incentives or grants to owners who want to bring empty homes back into use?

Wychavon District Council have launched a 0% interest loan scheme to assist owners with long term empty homes who want to bring their properties back into use but need help to do so. A further incentive is available for owners approved for the loan who then house a tenant via our free Tenant Finder service.


The Annual Cost of Owning an Empty Property in Wychavon

This table shows how much it costs each year to own a property in Wychavon that’s left empty.
Total AnnualDetails

£3,886.30

Council Tax
Average annual Council Tax on the most common Council Tax Band in WDC (Band C) across Wychavon parishes is £1943.15, plus an additional 100% empty premium charge for long-term empty properties gives a total Council Tax bill of £3,886.30.

£10,788

 

Loss on Rental Income
Using the average rent rate of £899 p/m , a potential rental income of £10,788 per year.

£1000

Work in Default
The potential costs for work carried out for failing to comply with notices served by us such as securing the property, could mean a liability of £1000. (Boarding up ground floor and tackling issues resulting in untidy land such as vegetation overgrowth for example).

£1000+

Enforcement Fees

Failure to comply with the requirements of a s.215 notice can lead to a fine of level 3 on the standard scale which stands at £1000, further failure to comply can result in a fine for each day compliance is not achieved, the fine can be as much as £5000 per day. Plus court costs which in one recent enforcement case amounted to £2500.

£400

Insurance Premium
Leaving a property empty for more than 30 days renders most standard policies void as empty homes poses more risk to insurers and therefore carry higher premiums. Building insurance standard policy cost an average of £199 in 2025, but the additional premium cost is likely to be much higher for an empty home.

£297

Utilities Charges
Utilities standing charge, giving an annual cost of £297 per year (Ofgem average standing charge costs for electric and gas - July to September 2025)

£17,371.30

Total cost of an empty property in Wychavon

News and Reports

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