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The UK has more than 359,000 homes sitting empty for over six months. Long-term vacancy represents a wasted asset at a time of acute housing need, while also contributing to social decline, increased maintenance costs, and reduced local investment. A more strategic, well-resourced approach is essential to bring empty properties back into use and support thriving, sustainable communities.
Propertymark welcomes the tougher standards from the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ), which place stricter responsibilities on energy suppliers to fix faulty meters, improving reliability for households and supporting smoother tenancy management.
The proposals form part of a wider ambition to accelerate housebuilding and tackle long-standing shortages, with large-scale developments expected to play a central role in delivering new homes and infrastructure. For property agents, these proposals signal continued focus on boosting supply, but also reinforce the need for practical, deliverable solutions that can bring homes to market more quickly
The UK Government has published its partial response to the consultation on reforms to the Energy Performance of Buildings regime, confirming a significant overhaul of Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) in England and Wales. Once implemented, domestic EPCs will move to four new headline metrics, whilst non-domestic EPCs will continue to use the existing Environmental Impact Rating. Importantly, certificates will still be valid for 10 years under the new regime.