The UK needs to take urgent action on long-term empty properties, according to trade body Propertymark.

Propertymark has published a paper setting out plans to bring long-term empty properties back into use.

With over 359,000 homes sitting empty for more than six months across the UK, the report said this causes social, economic and environmental damage and sets out recommendations for governments and local authorities.

Propertymark said: “At a time of acute housing pressures, every long-term empty home represents a missed opportunity to provide safe, secure accommodation for individuals and families.”

The report said empty properties can accelerate neighbourhood decline, attract anti-social behaviour, increase maintenance and security risks,and reduce neighbouring property values.

For landlords and property agents, prolonged vacancy also means lost income, ongoing financial liabilities and mounting repair costs.

While financial penalties such as council tax premiums are designed to discourage vacancy, Propertymark warns they are often a blunt instrument that can further deter owners from investing in bringing properties back into use.

Propertymark said there have been some successful initiatives, including the Scottish Empty Homes Partnership, which has helped return more than 43,000 properties to use since 2010.

It also highlighted the work of Leeds City Council’s Empty Homes Doctor service, which gives support to property owners and has helped cut long-term vacancy level.

Drawing on Freedom of Information responses from 226 local authorities across England, Scotland and Wales, Propertymark found:

• Only 38% of councils have an empty homes strategy in place
• Just 41% have at least one dedicated empty homes officer
• Only 25% operate with a dedicated budget for empty homes work

Propertymark said this shows the need for ringfenced funding, strong leadership and properly funded local teams.

Propertymark is calling on governments and local authorities to:

• Ringfence funding for dedicated Empty Homes Officers
• Work collaboratively with communities and the third sector to address the root causes of vacancy
• Reform business rates to incentivise reuse of commercial property
• Extend the Welsh Empty Homes Grant Scheme to private landlords
• Introduce targeted regeneration investment in areas with high concentrations of long-term empty homes
• Ensure every local authority has a clear strategy, database and dedicated budget for tackling empty properties

Propertymark also recommends that Empty Dwelling Management Orders (EDMOs) be reformed to allow earlier intervention, while ensuring consultation with qualified property agents to speed up the return of stock to the market.

Propertymark head of policy and campaigns Timothy Douglas said: “Long-term empty properties are a visible reminder of a system that is not working as effectively as it should. At a time when housing demand continues to outstrip supply, leaving hundreds of thousands of homes unused is neither economically nor socially sustainable.

“Our research shows that while governments across the UK have introduced a range of measures, too many local authorities lack the dedicated resources, funding and strategic framework needed to deliver meaningful change.

“Financial penalties alone will not solve the problem. What works is sustained local engagement, professional advice, and properly funded empty homes teams that can support owners through the process of bringing properties back into use.”