Empty homes are becoming an increasingly visible issue in towns and cities across the UK. Whether they’re left unoccupied due to inheritance delays, investment speculation, or disrepair, these properties can become a blight on neighbourhoods and a wasted resource amid the housing crisis. But have you ever wondered which areas in the UK have the highest number of vacant homes?

A new study, conducted by real estate experts at Five Star Cash Offer, who specialise in buying properties directly from homeowners looking to sell quickly, analysed housing data from 200 areas across the UK. They used government figures to determine which areas had the highest share of vacant homes in relation to the total housing stock.

To get the full picture, the researchers looked at the number of empty residential properties in each area and compared this to the total number of homes.

Liverpool comes in second with a vacancy rate of 4.63%, amounting to 10,779 empty homes from a total of 232,952. As a major UK city with rich cultural heritage and a growing student population, this number may come as a surprise.

Liverpool named second in UK areas with the highest number of vacant homes

placeholder image — Liverpool named second in UK areas with the highest number of vacant homes

Yet despite its size, Liverpool’s vacancy rate mirrors that of smaller towns in the North West. Some of these homes may be awaiting renovation, but others could simply be caught in bureaucratic limbo or long-term disuse, both of which put pressure on local housing supply.

Meanwhile, Kingston upon Thames takes 1st place with 3,303 vacant homes from 70,527, giving it a vacancy rate of 4.68%. Middlesbrough follows in 3rd, with 3,030 out of 65,749 homes unoccupied, or 4.61%. Torbay ranks 4th, logging 3,135 empty homes from 70,082 properties, a 4.47% rate.

Bolsover is 5th, with 1,693 vacant homes out of 38,636, equating to a 4.38% vacancy rate. Blackpool comes in at 6th place, showing 3,198 vacant homes out of 73,328, which is 4.36%. Hartlepool sits at 7th, with 1,932 of its 45,764 homes empty, or 4.22%. Portsmouth ranks 8th, with 3,702 vacant out of 91,534 homes, for a 4.04% rate. Burnley is 9th with 1,724 out of 42,788 homes empty, or 4.03%, and Preston ranks 10th, with 2,721 vacant homes from 67,655, at 4.02%.

At the other end of the scale, Havant, Westminster, Wyre, Lewisham, Crawley, Solihull, Test Valley, Gravesham, Chichester, and Bexley reported the lowest vacancy rates in the country. All ten areas had fewer than two per cent of homes standing empty, suggesting stronger housing demand, more efficient usage, or perhaps better local housing policies in play.

Elsewhere, major cities performed variably in the rankings. Brighton and Hove placed 12th overall, indicating higher vacancy pressures than most would expect. County Durham came in at 24th, Oxford at 31st, Leeds at 33rd, and Nottingham at 40th. Meanwhile, Sheffield landed at 68th, Birmingham at 73rd, Bristol at 145th, and Manchester much further down the table at 179th.

List of top 10 areas with the most vacant homes in the study:

Rank	Area	Total housing units	Vacant housing units	Vacant Homes Rate
1	Kingston Upon Thames	70,527	3,303	4.68
2	Liverpool	232,952	10,779	4.63
3	Middlesbrough	65,749	3,030	4.61
4	Torbay	70,082	3,135	4.47
5	Bolsover	38,636	1,693	4.38
6	Blackpool	73,328	3,198	4.36
7	Hartlepool	45,764	1,932	4.22
8	Portsmouth	91,534	3,702	4.04
9	Burnley	42,788	1,724	4.03
10	Preston	67,655	2,721	4.02