Last month Lambeth Council revealed their Empty Homes and Voids Action Plan. Their aim is to ensure they bring empty properties back to use. It will help them to tackle the housing crisis in the borough. We want to have a closer look at the plans and what they mean for council housing as well as private homes. Then, if you need some help with services like guaranteed rent in Lambeth, you can rely on us.

The issue

Like many other local authorities in the UK, Lambeth Council is in a really tough position. There is high demand for housing in the area. In fact, they said that there were 5,500 applications for homes in 2024 from people facing homelessness in the borough.

The situation is challenging for a number of reasons. Most crucially, it puts a huge amount of pressure on the Council’s budget. They are spending a lot on temporary accommodation to ensure people are not homeless. However, this is not sustainable and puts significant strain on their budget.

The plan

Because the situation is so serious, Lambeth Council is looking at various ways to bring homes back into use. The Empty Homes and Voids Action Plan details the different things they will be doing going forward.

One crucial element here is higher council tax charges for empty homes. They will be charging a 100% premium to encourage more owners to not leave properties vacant. It could be a really good incentive. We’d be happy to help any owners that want to make alternative arrangements. We can provide guaranteed rent in Lambeth and other parts of London.

Lambeth Council will also look to improve how they manage their own housing. They are one of the largest social landlords in the UK, with over 33,000 properties. However, it means they can have numerous empty homes at any one period. After a tenancy ends or there is an eviction, the council needs to arrange to assess and repair them before new tenants can move in. This can take time. They are looking to accelerate the whole process to get properties back in use faster.

The Council is also asking residents to help them. One of the issues with empty properties is finding them. So, they are asking locals to report empty homes in their areas. They’ll investigate and then take action where possible.

Councillor Danny Adilypour, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Housing, Investment, and New Homes, had some comments about the new plan. He said the Council knows “there are a range of properties that are empty for a range of reasons”. Their new plan will make sure “as many houses as possible are made available to local households as quickly as possible”.

Do you want to arrange guaranteed rent in Lambeth?

As Lambeth Council said, properties can be vacant for a number of reasons. In some cases owners aren’t able to bring them back to use. However, they may not know all of the options that are available. There could be solutions like working with the council.

We’re happy to play a role here. Our speciality is guaranteed rent. We work with councils all across London to help them build relationships with property owners. It gives the local authority more properties to use to house people in need, and rewards the owner with stable rent income, management, and more.

So, if you want to try guaranteed rent in Lambeth, please speak to us. We’re one of the most experienced specialists in the city.