Council takes action on empty homes supporting National Empty Homes Week
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Walsall Council is highlighting the action it is taking to bring long-term empty homes back into use as part of National Empty Homes Week, running from 9 to 15 March 2026. The work aims to create more housing opportunities and improve neighbourhoods across the borough.
The council works closely with property owners to encourage empty homes to be brought back into use wherever possible, helping to meet local housing needs and reduce the negative impact that long-term empty properties can have on communities.
“ Using Compulsory Purchase Orders is always a last resort, but it shows we are serious about tackling long-term empty homes. Bringing these properties back into use increases the supply of quality housing for those who need it most. “
Council officers continue to work with property owners to encourage voluntary reuse. In January 2026, letters were sent to the owners of more than 1,000 homes that had been empty for six months or longer, asking them to set out plans for bringing the properties back into use.
A report will be presented to the Cabinet meeting on Wednesday 18 March 2026, seeking approval to use Compulsory Purchase Orders (CPOs) for 41 long-term empty properties where no other solution can be found. Previous Cabinet approvals have already helped bring 46 long-term empty homes back into use, including seven properties refurbished by the council and now used as temporary accommodation for vulnerable homeless households.
To view the Cabinet meeting on Wednesday 11 March 2026 online, please visit:
http://www.walsallcouncilwebcasts.com/
To read the papers for the Cabinet meeting, please visit the Council website.
Where homes remain empty for long periods or cause issues, enforcement action may be considered. The council also uses Council Tax premiums to discourage long-term emptiness, with properties unoccupied for more than 10 years charged four times the normal rate.
Residents are encouraged to report empty properties so the council can work with owners to bring them back into use. More information is available at: https://go.walsall.gov.uk/housing/information-landlords/reporting-empty-homes
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Notes to Editors
National Empty Homes Week 2026 runs from 9–15 March 2026 and raises awareness of the more than 1 million homes across the UK that are not in permanent use.
Compulsory Purchase Orders (CPOs) allow local authorities to acquire properties in the public interest under the Housing Act 1985 (Section 17) where long-term empty homes cannot otherwise be brought back into use.
