Empty Homes Week in Dorset highlights efforts to revive unused properties
Council initiatives bring empty homes back to life amidst ongoing challenges
Dorset Council is bringing attention to the pressing issue of empty homes during National Empty Homes Week, running from 9th to 15th March 2026.
The event aims to highlight the factors that contribute to homes remaining vacant and to showcase the support available to property owners, families, and those responsible for empty homes.
This year's focus builds on Dorset Council's ambitious Empty Homes Strategy, which was approved last year.
The strategy is designed to address the problem of long-term empty homes, offering expanded assistance options for homeowners and emphasizing enforcement only as a last resort.
Since 2022, the council has successfully reintegrated 64 long-term empty properties back into the community.
In the 2025/26 period, the number increased to 23 from 16 in the previous financial year.
However, there are still over 800 properties in the Dorset Council area that have remained empty for more than two years, illustrating the extent of the challenge.
H2: Reasons Behind Empty Homes
Homes can become vacant due to numerous issues such as probate or inheritance delays, owners entering long-term care, financial barriers to repairs, abandoned second homes, or stalled renovation projects.
The council seeks to assist owners by providing advice, incentives, ethical loans, leasing schemes, and proportionate enforcement where necessary.
Cllr Gill Taylor, the Cabinet Member for Health and Housing, emphasized the importance of early engagement:
“Every empty home has a story and every story is different.
What matters is that people know we are here to help.
Whether you own an empty home yourself, are supporting a relative or friend, or think you may inherit a property in the future, please contact us early.
We can offer practical solutions, guidance, and, where needed, more formal action to ensure these homes come back into use for the benefit of our communities and to help increase the availability of homes to meet the needs of local people.”
Case Study - Southview Road, Weymouth
A noteworthy case involved a long-term empty property in Southview Road, Weymouth, which had become unsafe and was vandalised.
After repeated efforts to contact the owner, Dorset Council resorted to Compulsory Purchase as a final measure.
The property was then sold to a new owner who completed significant refurbishments, including structural stability improvements and modern installations.
The transformation is nearly finished and the property is on the verge of becoming a family home again.
Additionally, energy efficiency upgrades can be vital for empty homes.
The Homewise tool launched in January offers free guidance on making homes warmer and more cost-effective to maintain.
It provides an energy action plan and information on funding options such as the Warm Homes Local Grant.
For further advice and support on empty homes in Dorset, including ethical loans, landlord incentives, and essential repairs, interested parties are encouraged to visit the Dorset Council's website.