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Empty properties in Norwich
Empty homes are a wasted resource. They can attract anti-social behaviour, fall into disrepair, and reduce the availability of housing in our city. Norwich City Council is committed to bringing empty properties back into use to support housing need and improve neighbourhoods.
What is an empty property?
An empty property is one that is unoccupied and substantially unfurnished.
For council tax purposes, a property is considered long-term empty if it has been in this state for 12 months or more.
Why it matters
Long-term empty homes can:
- contribute to housing shortages
- attract vandalism, fly-tipping, and squatting
- decrease the value of surrounding homes
- negatively affect neighbouring homes through issues such as damp, water leaks, pest infestations, and increased fire or safety risks
- become costly for owners due to council tax premiums
Reporting an empty property
If you are aware of a property that appears to be empty and causing problems, you can report it to us. We will investigate and may contact the owner to offer support or take enforcement action if necessary.
Email privatesectorhousing@norwich.gov.uk
Enforcement powers
We will always try to work with both landlords and internal partners like the environmental health team to proactively resolves issues.
In cases where owners do not engage, the council may use enforcement tools such as:
- enforced sale – recovering debts and selling the property
- empty dwelling management orders (EDMOs) – taking control of the property to let it
- compulsory purchase orders (CPOs) – acquiring the property for redevelopment or resale
These powers are used as a last resort when all other options have been exhausted.
Find out more about enforcement
Squatting
If you suspect active squatting in a residential property, especially if someone has broken in or is living there without permission, call the police immediately.
Squatting in residential buildings is a criminal offence.
Non-emergency: 101
Emergency: 999
Open data and privacy
We do not publish addresses of empty properties due to privacy and crime prevention concerns. Aggregated data is available on our Open Data page.
