How Effective Empty Homes Management Saves Money and Improves the Resident Experience

Local authorities need to be seen to be maximising revenues and the use of assets. And when there are housing shortages, empty social housing properties become an area of acute public interest.

These powerful drivers reflect the reality that effective empty homes management doesn’t just keep properties in service and generating rental income, it can also protect the reputation of a social housing provider. There’s also a strong moral argument that all available housing should be utilised as fully as possible.

Minimising void periods and achieving ‘zero empty home days’ performance largely comes down to effective planning, process management and working in partnership with local authority housing teams.

For long-term repair and maintenance partnerships empty homes management is one of our most important performance indicators. Our dedicated Voids Coordinator plays a key role in logging and tracking repairs and allocating work to our specialist empty homes operatives.

The process works in four stages:

• Pre-inspection
• Planning & pre-commencement
• Void delivery
• Post completion

Planning and Pre-Commencement

By working closely with local authority teams, we aim to receive early notification of upcoming empty homes. We can then arrange access to carry out detailed surveys with photographic records, so we have a complete list of required works. Where possible, we will arrange a pre-inspection before the property becomes vacant so that the master plan can be realised, ensuring that available resources are matched to the demand of the work streams.

Void Delivery

Properties in a good state of repair may just need safety checks, clearance and cleaning. For these, a 24-hour void period should be sufficient. In all cases, an efficient turn around process means that teams with the appropriate equipment and materials are on site as soon as the property is vacated and that they have a clear, itemised work list.

Completing work right first time is integral to efficient empty homes management. Osborne doesn’t believe in building snagging time into the schedule. Operatives should never leave the job until they are satisfied with the quality of their work.

Post Completion

Completing the void handover isn’t just a question of ticking off a list of repairs and refurbishments. It’s a process of restoring the property to a condition that the new tenants will be happy to accept – spotlessly clean and free from all waste and rubbish.

As part of the process new residents should also receive a welcome pack including operating manuals, test certificates and details of how to contact the repair and maintenance service.

Better planning and organisation doesn’t just reduce empty homes periods, it also makes the process more efficient and cost-effective. This, in turn, generates savings that can be reinvested in the housing stock.