Improvements in the number of council houses sitting empty in Fareham

The new approach means the amount of time a council house lies empty between tenancies in Fareham has fallen from 110 days in 2023 to 62 days in 2024, councillors heard.

This means faster turnaround times between tenants, a decrease in empty council-owned homes and an increase in housing revenue for the council. The meeting heard it creates around £230,000 in housing revenue to be spent on housing projects.

The Fareham Borough Council housing scrutiny board heard about the work being done to decrease the number of empty homes, called ‘voids’, at a meeting on January 9.

The council deals with about 200 properties per year, and work may vary from maintenance, repair or being modified for a disability.

Councillor Roger Bird (Con, Avenue) asked about setting targets and comparing Fareham’s turnaround time with other authorities.

The council officer, Robyn Lyons, said no targets are set as the council prefers to work as fast as possible to get the home ready to be occupied by a new tenant.

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The council report said in November 2023 the average council home ‘void’ period was 110 days. It took 55 days for the contractor to do work needed and another 55 days for the council to clear the house and get things ready for a new tenant.

By October 2024, the council’s time was reduced from 55 days to 32.6 days with the contractor spending only 29.2 days on each tenancy.

Problems include tenants leaving a council home in a mess which costs the council time and money to fix before contractors can move in.

In the new process, letters are sent to departing tenants advising how they should leave the property – clear/tidy, warning they may be charged if this does not happen. Advice is offered on how/where tenants can dispose of unwanted belongings.

The report said further improvements in the speed of turning around empty houses are anticipated in 2025.