Empty properties can be a problem for a number of reasons.

1. They attract children who see them as an adventure playground, not realising how dangerous they can be. If you do not secure your property and someone gets in and is injured, you could be held liable.
2. They attract vandals who:
   
   • break windows
   • rip out pipework and
   • dump rubbish which attracts rats, mice and so on
3. They are constantly losing value. Once a property starts to fall into disrepair, it soon loses its value but costs more to repair.
4. They have a detrimental affect their immediate surroundings, which is bad for the area and lessens the value of the nearby properties.

Empty properties could also be someone’s home and, if brought back into use, can help reduce the need for building on greenfield sites.

The Government has made local authorities responsible for bringing empty houses back into use.

We have adopted an empty-property strategy and through it we have already brought 21 houses back into use with more being renovated.

However, we are aware that there may be many more empty properties in the district which we do not know about.

Empty-property Strategy (.pdf)
Regulatory Reform Order (.pdf)
Fordham Report on Dover (.pdf)
Dover House Condition Survey (.pdf)
Housing Assistance Policy (.pdf)

Visit the main Dover District Council site (external link)