Foi Empty Homes
Case reference FOI2026/00875
Received 23 April 2026
Published 21 May 2026
Request
Under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, I would like to request information regarding empty residential properties within the borough.
Could you please provide:
1. The number of residential properties recorded as empty, broken down by duration bands (e.g. 0–6 months, 6–12 months, 1–2 years, 2+ years).
2. The number of properties classified as long-term empty (over 6 months and over 12 months).
3. If available, a dataset (or extract) of empty residential properties including:
- Property address (or partial postcode if full address cannot be provided)
- Date the property was recorded as empty
- Council tax status (e.g. exempt, premium applied)
Response
Please find the answers to your queries below:
Under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, I would like to request information regarding empty residential properties within the borough.
Could you please provide:
1. The number of residential properties recorded as empty, broken down by duration bands (e.g. 0–6 months, 6–12 months, 1–2 years, 2+ years).
Information regarding Guildford Borough Council’s vacant housing stock is publicly available information, which can be found via the following website:
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/local-authority-housing-data
Please refer to the tables titled ‘Local Authority Housing Statistics Regional and Local Authority data’ for each year and ensure that you refer to the ‘Local Authority Data’ and ‘Data Dictionary’ tabs within each table, to determine what each column of the table refers to. Specifically, please note that you can find information in relation to vacant Local Authority dwellings in Guildford in the ‘Local Authority Data’ tab at row 106 and between columns e1a and e4d.
As such, the information you require can be found from publicly available sources and consequentially under Section 21 of the Act, we are not required to provide information in response to a request if it is already reasonably accessible.
2. The number of properties classified as long-term empty (over 6 months and over 12 months).
Please see the above link.
3. If available, a dataset (or extract) of empty residential properties including:
- Property address (or partial postcode if full address cannot be provided)
- Date the property was recorded as empty
In relation to your request for the address, postcode or ward, property type and duration of vacancy – this part of your request is exempt under Section 31(1)(a) of the Freedom of Information Act (where disclosure would, or would be likely, to prejudice the functions of law enforcement in the prevention and detection of crime), because Guildford Borough Council believes that release of this information would increase the likelihood of break in, burglary and/or trespass at the properties in question. Please see the attached document which explains how the Public Interest Test has been carried out in relation to this matter.
- Council tax status (e.g. exempt, premium applied)
Information about Council Tax status (including information about the number of properties treated as empty / or charged a premium etc) is publicly available information, which can be found via the following website: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/council-taxbase-statistics
Please refer to the relevant year you wish to find the information for and open the link titled ‘Council Taxbase: Local Authority level data for [YEAR IN QUESTION]’ and you can find information relating to Guildford Borough Council for the entire Council Tax base / empty properties / second homes etc.
As such, the information you require can be found from publicly available sources and consequentially under Section 21 of the Act, we are not required to provide information in response to a request if it is already reasonably accessible.
Yours sincerely,
FOI Team
Guildford Borough Council
Documents
This is Guildford Council's response to a freedom of information (FOI) or environmental information regulations (EIR) request.
You can browse our other responses or make a new FOI request.