Empty Homes Week 2026

Rushmoor is based in North Hampshire and is a small local authority compared to many others in Hampshire but we are an area that is densely populated in clusters with some areas of high deprivation. 

We have a Corporate Empty Property Group that meets on a quarterly basis to go through our list of long standing/problematic empty properties. 

The group is attended by legal, environmental health, private sector housing, council tax and planning.   

So here are a couple of examples where properties have been brought back into use over the last year or so.

• Property abandoned by owner and has been empty since 2008:

  Significant Council Tax arrear built up and complaints where received from neighbours about the poor condition of the property and evidence of rodent activity.  Having identified the mortgage company we wrote to them in February 2024 advising of the issues and asking what their intentions were.  The property was repossessed by the mortgage company in September 2024 and was sold and back in use in March 2025

• Property identified as empty since 2019 following complaints of overgrown garden with foxes having a den there:

  Determined that the property was in probate, this was regularly monitored and was not granted until 2024.  New owner in December 2024 and major works discount applied.  Property was back in use and occupied in August 2025.

• Property identified as empty since April 2022:

  We identified the owner of the property, however, he had not lived there or had anything to do with the property since he separated from his partner.  His partner had since passed away and he was under the impression that her family were dealing with the property which they were not.  Owner had lots of legalities to sort out and finally sold the property in November 2024. New owner had major works discount for renovation of the property and it has been tenanted since November 2025.