There were almost 7,000 empty properties in Sheffield last year

At a full council meeting this week, Cllr Mike Levery (West Ecclesfield, Liberal Democrats) asked a series of questions on empty homes in Sheffield and he was told the total number of empty homes in the A-H tax band range was 6,922 at the end of 2023.

A written answer stated: “There are currently 6,922 dwellings which are recorded as being empty and substantially unfurnished.

“However, currently the council is only allowed to charge a long-term empty premium (LTEP) on properties which are empty for more than two years.

“Properties which have been empty for fewer than two years currently account for the vast majority of empty properties – 6,028 dwellings in total, which equates to 86 per cent.”

Cllr Levery told the chamber that it “was an absolute disgrace” and said a new policy introduced in 2019 was supposed to reduce this number in Sheffield.

The council leader, Cllr Tom Hunt, told Cllr Levery (and members) that the finance committee will consider a policy to reduce the LTEP to 12 months “in order to put further pressure on landlords and property owners”.

In a document published under members’ questions, among the (written) answers was a table the council had prepared for Cllr Levery’s question about homes being empty for years.

It showed that of the total of 6,922 empty properties, 580 were empty for between two and five years, 177 were empty for between five and ten years and 207 were empty for more than ten years.

The council also confirmed that in 2019 the legislation changed to allow the LTEP to be applied at 100 per cent for properties empty and unfurnished for more than two years, effective from April 2019.

It was also applied at 200 per cent for properties empty and unfurnished for between five and ten years, effective from April 2020; and at 300 per cent for properties empty and unfurnished for more than ten years, effective from April 2021.