AQW 24945/17-22


Mr Mark Durkan
Social Democratic and Labour Party
Foyle


Tabled Date: 01/11/2021
Answered On Date: 08/11/2021
Priority Written: No


Question:
To ask the Minister of Finance how many houses stand empty in each constituency.


Answer:
Parliamentary Constituency
Count of Empty Homes
Belfast East
839
Belfast North
885
Belfast South
1,307
Belfast West
683
East Antrim
895
East Londonderry
1,234
Fermanagh and South Tyrone
2,084
Foyle
732
Lagan Valley
851
Mid Ulster
1,452
Newry and Armagh
1,520
North Antrim
1,096
North Down
740
South Antrim
711
South Down
1,480
Strangford
894
Upper Bann
1,001
West Tyrone
1,664
Grand Total
20,068
The table above shows the number of Domestic properties broken down by Parliamentary Constituency that were recorded as vacant as at 1st November 2021.
Since the introduction of the Rating of Empty Homes legislation on 1st October 2011, the rate liability for vacant domestic properties has been assessed at 100%.  There is currently no requirement for ratepayers to inform Land & Property Services that their property is vacant, nor is there any financial advantage to doing so.  As such, current information on the number of empty domestic properties may not be current or complete.