According to official statistics there are now over 216,000 long term empty homes in England.1 Anecdotal evidence from local authority Empty Homes Officers concerned about under-reporting and misreporting suggests this huge figure could underrepresent the true scale of the problem.

Most councils attempting to bring empty homes into use rely on a casework approach, addressing individual properties using persuasion and their statutory powers to cajole or force owners to take remedial action. The aim of this Legal Toolkit is to set out a comprehensive summary of the legislation available and the context in which statutory powers can be put to their best effect.