Data reveals rise in empty homes in North East

Data shows there are about 18,000 long-term empty homes in the North East

There has been a rise of more than 1,000 empty homes in north-east England over the last year, which is the smallest rise of any region, new data shows.

Across England, the number of long-term empty homes, which means those empty for more than six months, increased by 14%, compared with 7% in the North East.

In total, there are currently 18,164 long-term empty homes in the region compared with 16,979 last year, according to the latest data from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.

A spokesperson said "we know having too many empty homes is not good for local communities".

Local authorities around the North East have committed to using "every tool available to bring these homes back to the market".

Middlesbrough has the highest number of empty homes per 1,000 people in the local authority area with 9.7, and North Tyneside has the lowest with 3.9.

Durham County Council has the next highest level of long-term empty homes per 1,000 people with 7.8.

Two councils have bucked the national trend and decreased the number of empty properties in their area: Stockton-on-Tees and Hartlepool.

Newcastle City Council has kept the number of long-term empty properties the same over the last year.

Chris Bailey, national campaign manager for Action on Empty Homes, said: "Empty homes are an opportunity staring the government in the face.

"Every year we see more homeless families and more homes standing empty, there can be no more striking display of what is wrong with our nation's housing than this – it is time we got these homes back into use."

The Ministry for Housing and Communities spokesperson said: "We have given councils stronger powers to increase council tax on long term empty homes, and are considering further action if necessary."

Read what each council had to say about the number of long-term empty homes in their areas below.

Hartlepool

In Hartlepool there are 512 long-term empty homes, compared with 596 last year.

A Hartlepool Borough Council spokesperson said it was pleased with the "real progress" the data showed as it had reduced the number of second homes and empty properties in the town.

The spokesperson said: "This demonstrates that Hartlepool is leading the way compared with wider regional trends but we are not complacent and will continue to build on this success.

"We are committed to tackling housing challenges and improving communities across the borough.

"We recognise the blight that empty homes can have on local neighbourhoods – impacting community pride, safety, and regeneration and we are determined to do all we can to reduce this problem."

Stockton-on-Tees

In Stockton there are 1,167 long-term empty homes, compared with 1,308 last year.

Lisa Evans, leader of Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council, said despite the number falling in the last year it remained a priority.

She said: "We work closely with housing providers and private landlords to identify long-term empty properties and offer a range of practical support and advice, including having a dedicated officer who supports owners of empty homes to bring their properties back into use.

"The council also recently completed a review of long-term empty properties to ensure our data is correct for council tax billing purposes, which shows the number of empty homes in our borough has reduced."

Newcastle

In Newcastle there are 1,446 long-term empty homes compared, with 1,449 last year.

Paula Maines, cabinet member for Housing at Newcastle City Council, said its housing and communities directorate had created a more integrated approach for housing.

She said the council had "invested more than £50m in enhancing our housing stock, alongside £33.3m dedicated to our repairs service".

"This equates to £1.6m invested every week in council housing, enabling us to bring more properties back into use more quickly and ensure they are ready for reallocation to those who need them."

County Durham

In County Durham there are 4,182 long-term empty homes compared with 4,090 last year.

Ted Murphy, Durham County Council's housing standards manager, said: "We have a dedicated team that proactively identifies the owners of long-term empty properties and works with them to look at solutions to bring the properties back into use.

"In circumstances where this is not successful, we will use the statutory powers we have available to carry out enforcement action."

North Tyneside

In North Tyneside there are 846 long-term empty homes compared with 807 last year.

Peter Mennell, director of Housing for North Tyneside Council, said he was "immensely proud" of the progress being made with long-term empty homes, despite a slight increase.

He said: "Since 2018, we've seen a 40% reduction in empty homes in North Tyneside – a huge contrast to the national picture over this same time period.

"We closely monitor the number of empty homes in our borough and take a proactive approach to working with long-term empty homeowners."

South Tyneside

In South Tyneside there are 902 long-term empty homes compared with 838 last year.

A South Tyneside Council spokesperson said the vast majority of homes that were empty within the borough were within the private sector.

"Although we are working with owners to bring these back into use wherever possible through purchase and exploring the possibly of leasing homes direct from landlords, we have limited resources around this," they said.

"We will maximise the opportunities to bring properties back into use through a range of different funding streams that are available."

Sunderland

In Sunderland there are 2,017 long-term empty homes compared with 1,857 last year.

A Sunderland City Council spokesperson said: "There are more than 130,000 domestic properties in Sunderland and there are many reasons why a property can remain empty.

"We are continuing to work closely with owners and landlords on bringing properties back to use."

Darlington

In Darlington there are 784 long-term empty homes compared with 666 last year.

A Darlington Borough Council spokesman warned owners of long-term empty properties of the empty property or second home premiums which they could be charged on top of their council tax.

They said: "Although the overall figure for the number of long-term empty homes in Darlington has increased when compared to 2024, there's been no significant changes in the reasons a property has been listed as empty.

"In addition, the number of properties empty for five year or more has decreased by 40%, while the average length of time a property has been empty has also fallen by 4% compared to last year."

Gateshead

In Gateshead there are 1,386 long-term empty homes compared with 1,283 last year.

A Gateshead Council spokesperson said it had previously used external funding for schemes to bring long-term empty properties back into use through "purchase and repair and/or leasing options".

"We also brought back into use 15 long-term empty properties for those at risk of homelessness, under the government's Next Steps Accommodation Programme. With no dedicated external funding streams available currently, we are using council resources to acquire and improve empty homes where appropriate."

They said investment in the council's repair service was also making a difference, helping it focus on returning homes to a lettable standard more quickly.

The following councils have not yet responded to approaches for comment:

• Middlesbrough Council - 1,513 long-term empty homes

• Northumberland County Council - 2,452 long-term empty homes

• Redcar and Cleveland Council - 957 long-term empty homes