683 Birmingham Council Homes Await Re-Letting as 33,751 Households Wait for Housing.

HUNDREDS OF COUNCIL HOMES STAND EMPTY WHILE BIRMINGHAM FAMILIES WAIT YEARS FOR A HOME

Reform UK Birmingham has called for urgent action to bring empty council homes back into use after new figures revealed that Birmingham City Council currently has 683 council homes awaiting re-letting while 33,751 households remain on the city’s housing waiting list.

The figures were obtained by Cllr Cherie Waddingham, Reform UK Birmingham’s Shadow Cabinet Member for Housing, as part of her ongoing scrutiny of the City Council’s housing service.

The Council’s response reveals that 208 council homes have been empty for more than three months.

The Council’s own figures also show that in some parts of Birmingham, applicants are waiting years for a permanent home. In Quinton, the average waiting time is 267 weeks, while in Northfield it is 243 weeks.

During 2025/26, the average turnaround time was 52 days for properties not requiring major works, rising to 135 days where major works were needed. The average cost of bringing a void property back into use was £7,137.17.

The Freedom of Information response also includes a ward-by-ward breakdown of council homes awaiting re-letting. Bartley Green currently has the highest number of re-lettable void properties in Birmingham, with 42 council homes awaiting re-letting, including 10 that have been empty for more than three months.

Cllr Cherie Waddingham, Reform UK Birmingham’s Shadow Cabinet Member for Housing, said:

“When local families are waiting years for a home, leaving council properties empty for months simply isn’t good enough.

Every empty council home that can be brought back into use more quickly is another opportunity for a Birmingham household waiting for permanent housing.

Some homes will understandably require substantial repairs before they can be re-let, but an average turnaround of 135 days for properties requiring major works is far too long when demand is so high.

Residents rightly expect the Council to make the very best use of the homes it already owns. Reform will continue to scrutinise why turnaround times remain so long and what is being done to improve them.”

The findings come ahead of Birmingham City Council’s Cabinet considering major changes to its approach to temporary accommodation next month.

Corrected:

Find the latest press release regarding empty council housing & waiting lists