Empty homes to be brought back to use

Fahad Redha

March 12, 2026
3 min read

Westminster City Council says it has successfully brought long-term empty homes back into use via a combination of enforcement action and direct investment. This, it added, is “helping increase housing supply for local residents.

One case involved a Westbourne terrace property that had been empty since 2018, “causing frustration for neighbours as it fell into disrepair and became a focal point for antisocial behaviour.” Despite being marketed for several years, ownership disputes, mortgage complications, and repeated failed sales stalled progress. In 2025, it was referred to the Council’s Public Protection and Licensing Service and assigned to a dedicated Empty Property Enforcement Officer, and through “a proactive and coordinated approach, including the use of statutory notices, cross-council working and sustained engagement with those involved,” it was ultimately sold at auction in 2025.

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Another empty homes case saw a long-term empty property at Charfield Court put back into use, being referred to Westminster’s Investment & Housing team, before being repurchased and renovated. This month, a family moved into the property which would be used as a temporary accommodation to provide a “far more secure tenancy” than their previous private sector lease.

“These cases highlight Westminster City Council’s wider work to tackle long-term empty homes and improve neighbourhoods across the city,” the council said in a press release, adding that there are currently 3,910 empty homes in the borough. These range “from derelict properties and long-term vacant houses to unused flats above shops,” it added. “Bringing these homes back into use helps increase housing supply while reducing problems such as disrepair, vandalism and antisocial behaviour.”

The council says it is also working with property owners to bring homes back into use voluntarily, including providing advice, guidance, and practical support such as documentation to enable owners renovating long-term empty properties to apply for reduced VAT on refurbishment. This is part of its Fairer Westminster strategy, aiming to “improve neighbourhoods and make better use of existing housing across the city.”

For more updates on Westminster, visit EyeOnLondon Westminster.