Empty council homes fall by nearly 40% in BCP amid housing pressure
Unoccupied council homes in BCP have fallen 39% in five years, from 133 in 2020 to 81 in 2025
The number of unoccupied council houses across Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole has fallen by almost 40% over the past five years, according to new figures.
The data shows there are 9,547 council-owned homes across the BCP area, with 9,466 currently occupied.
In 2020, 133 council properties were empty but by November 2025, that figure had dropped to 81 - a reduction of 39%.
The figures come against a backdrop of continued pressure on social housing, with 3,401 people currently on the waiting list for a council home in BCP.
BCP Council is spending more than £210,000 maintaining unoccupied properties.
The costs cover safety and compliance requirements, asbestos removal and cleaning, decorating and repair work to bring homes back up to BCP Homes’ standards before new tenants move in.
The council says a small number of empty homes at any given time is unavoidable, largely due to tenant turnover and the work required to prepare properties for re-letting.
Councillor Kieron Wilson said demand for affordable housing remained high: “We have 3,401 households on our waiting list and only around 600 homes per year becoming available for allocation.
“Provision of new affordable homes remains a key priority for the council. Since April 2019, we’ve delivered hundreds of new homes for local people, and cabinet has recently backed a 30-year plan to invest in existing stock and deliver nearly 1,000 new homes.”
Plans approved in December 2025 will see 937 new homes built across BCP with them being a mix of social rent and shared ownership.
Of those, 257 are expected to be delivered in 2027/28, with the remaining 680 completed by 2034/35.
Councillor Wilson added that currently just 0.7% of council housing stock is empty and said the remaining vacant homes would soon be ready for new residents, as the authority looks to ease pressure on housing waiting lists across the area.