Resource context
“Tools to Deal with Vacant Housing” is a policy briefing published by Housing Europe and prepared by Dara Turnbull (Research Coordinator at Housing Europe). It focuses on vacant residential property across Europe and presents a practical “menu” of policy options that can be adapted to different local housing contexts. The document draws on examples from multiple countries and references the wider #Housing2030 work to emphasise that there is no single universal blueprint for vacancy policy.
Understanding vacancy and why it matters
The briefing explains that housing vacancy is shaped by location, local market conditions, and ownership structures. It stresses that vacancy data are difficult to compare across countries because definitions vary (for example, whether second homes and holiday homes are counted as “vacant”). Many countries rely on infrequent census data; the briefing notes that EU-wide estimates available at the time relied heavily on 2011 data, while newer 2021–2022 figures exist for several countries. It also argues that some vacancy is normal and desirable (frictional/transitional vacancy linked to turnover and renovation), while long-term vacancy (often defined as six months or more) wastes potential homes in contexts of unaffordability and homelessness.
Measuring and categorising vacancy
A key message is that credible, timely monitoring is essential: policy tools will not work without systems for detection and enforcement. The report highlights methodological differences, such as Spain’s approach of using low electricity consumption to estimate vacancy, and warns that census-based assessments can be inaccurate (for example, when vacancy reasons rely on neighbours’ reports or enumerator judgement). It also notes emerging approaches such as using utility data to detect vacancy, including Wallonia (Belgium) and Barcelona.
Drivers and impacts: voluntary vs involuntary vacancy
The briefing distinguishes involuntary vacancy (e.g., oversupply in declining markets, legal disputes, inheritance issues, compassionate situations such as illness or nursing home stays) from voluntary vacancy (e.g., speculation, price expectations, second residences, “buy-to-leave” investment, or withholding supply). This distinction is presented as crucial for choosing between supportive “carrot” tools and dissuasive “stick” tools. The impacts of vacancy covered include weakened local services and amenities, links to crime and stress, and broader quality-of-life effects. From a sustainability perspective, the briefing argues that reusing and renovating existing buildings can be lower-impact than demolition and new construction, citing evidence such as refurbishment projects with substantially lower embodied carbon than new build and examples where rehabilitation costs were reported as lower than replacement.
Policy toolkit: incentives, penalties, and governance
On supportive measures, the briefing reviews tax and regulatory reliefs, grants, public loans, and loan guarantees, emphasising the risk of deadweight loss and the need for conditionality to avoid gentrification. Examples include France’s Denormandie tax incentive (targeted areas, renovation thresholds, and below-market renting to eligible low-income households), Sweden’s energy-efficiency grants for apartment buildings (with required energy performance improvements and links to apprenticeships), and Germany’s BEG loan programme with “redemption allowances” tied to achieved efficiency levels.
Enforcement options and coordinated delivery
On dissuasive measures, the report discusses increased property taxes and fines, noting that impacts depend on rates, definitions, and enforcement capacity. It describes England’s escalating Council Tax “Empty Homes Premium” (higher multipliers after two, five, and ten years empty) and France’s Vacant Homes Tax (TLV), which can apply after one year in high-pressure areas and is linked to a property’s potential rental value (with higher rates in subsequent years). The briefing also highlights the role of specialised public agencies and one-stop-shops (e.g., France’s Anah and Brussels’ RENOLUTION/IRISbox) to help local authorities identify vacancy, support owners, and accelerate reuse of homes as part of sustainable and affordable housing strategies.