Have your say on empty homes in Portsmouth

There are many reasons why a home may lie vacant in the city, the owner may have left to move into sheltered housing, relatives may struggle to update a home so it is suitable to sell or rent, or the owners may be overseas or hard to contact.

The empty homes consultation runs between Thursday 17 July and Thursday 21 August 2025. The council will take all feedback received and use it to form the final strategy, that will be in place until 2030, subject to approval at the council's housing and tackling homelessness decision meeting. 

The draft strategy explores ways to bring homes back into use as early as possible. This includes supporting property owners to rent or sell their empty homes and improving collaboration across council departments and external partners to identify empty homes more quickly. By working together, the council hopes to make dealing with empty properties a shared responsibility that will lead to more homes available for those who need them, such as those on the housing register.

Residents and property owners are encouraged to take part by:

• Completing the survey to share their views on the strategy
• Reporting empty properties in their neighbourhood
• Working with the council to bring their own empty properties back into use

Cllr Darren Sanders, Cabinet Member for Housing and Tackling Homelessness: “Empty homes in the city can lead to issues such as overgrown gardens and homes looking rundown, which can have a negative impact on the neighbourhoods they are in. We understand that dealing with empty properties can be complex and, in some cases, emotionally challenging. That’s why this strategy aims to provide better support for owners and ensure a more joined-up approach across council departments.

"Everyone can play their part. It really does take a village to solve the empty homes issue in the city.”

For more information or to take part in the survey, please visit https://www.research.net/r/EmptyHomes_g or contact emptyproperties@portsmouthcc.gov.uk or call 023 9260 6193.

You can also report an empty home using our online form.