Number of empty homes in England has increased substantially, official figures show
The number of homes left empty in England for at least six months increased by 5.3% in the 12 months to October 2018, the highest level since 2012, official figures show. It is the second year in a row that long term empty home numbers have risen. In the 12 month period they reached 216,186 and a steeper rise than the 2.6% recorded in the previous year, the data from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) confirms.