How to report an empty property.
The council believes empty properties are a wasted resource, both for property owners and those in need of housing.
They can also have a negative impact on the surrounding area and local community.
The council's plans for dealing with empty residential properties are outlined in the Housing and Homelessness Strategy 2023-2027.
If you have concerns about a property that has been empty for more than six months, you can report it to our housing strategy team by email: housingstrategy@sstaffs.gov.uk
If your concerns relate to the condition of the property, public health issues such as vermin, the safety of the building or anti-social behaviour/crime, they may also be referred on to other teams within the council to address.
There are currently no grants or loans available from the council for owners of empty properties.
The council does have legal powers to bring empty homes back into use, but these can only be used as a last resort, and often only where the council has taken statutory action to deal with issues at the property.
The Strategic Planning Team manages and maintains a register of persons who have an interest in local planning documents (Local Plan Database); those who wish to register their interest or land for future development on our Self and Custom Build Register and/or Strategic Housing and Employment Land Availability Assessment (SHELAA); those who have commented on emerging Council strategy documents; and information regarding historic home improvement grants and empty properties.
In order to do this in an effective way we will need to collect and use personal information about you.
For more information about how we process this data see Strategic Planning Team - Data Protection.
