Tenants have welcomed a pledge to deliver higher quality homes with improved energy-saving features that can enhance residents’ quality of life and save them money.
North Yorkshire Council is working to minimise the number of empty houses that it owns across the county and guarantee that all homes meet the highest standards upon handover.
That commitment was reinforced last year when the authority adopted a new lettable standard which sets out the minimum condition a council-owned property must meet before it is re-let.
The guidelines include ensuring homes are decorated to a high standard, have quality flooring in kitchens and bathrooms, and are free from hazards including damp, mould and internal asbestos.
It was adopted to help ensure tenants receive a fair and consistent service – whichever part of North Yorkshire that they live.
The enhanced standard has increased the amount of time taken to turn around vacant homes, resulting in the number of empty properties, known as voids, rising from 212 in January 2025 to 407 in October 2025.
But tenants say this is not necessarily a negative, with more time being taken while the homes are empty to allow for vital upgrades including energy-efficiency improvements that will provide long-term benefits.
Adrian van Toren has rented his home in Harrogate from the council for 18 years.
He said:
“It’s good to hear that the council is doing everything possible to ensure homes meet the highest standards before tenants move in.
“I would prefer to wait a little longer if it means the house is fully completed and won’t need further work after I’ve moved in. Over the years the council has done a lot of work to my property, with all the related inconveniences.
“Whether it’s installing a new heating system, improving insulation, or fitting new flooring, I fully support these improvements being done in advance to minimise disruption and protect residents’ privacy.”
Another tenant, Barbara Rickards, lives in a small village near Harrogate and had her home improved with a new energy-efficient heating system while she was living in the address.
She said:
“It’s made a positive difference. It has made life a lot easier not having to struggle with coal or cleaning the fire out anymore, and I have heating and hot water all the time while still saving money.
“I’ve been a tenant with the council for 56 years. It’s great to know about the steps being taken to improve the quality of homes being made available for residents.
“It means people can move into better quality homes that have been upgraded while vacant, so that they can enjoy the benefits from the moment they receive the keys.”
The council currently owns and manages 8,500 homes across England’s largest county.
Nearly 250 houses have already been upgraded ready to provide high-quality accommodation for new tenants. To further speed up the process, the council has significantly increased the number of contractors used to help carry out the works.
The authority has set a target of having no more than 2.5 per cent of its homes – 210 properties – being empty any one time. This target reflects the balance between minimising rent loss and ensuring homes are brought up to the best possible standard before being let to tenants.
North Yorkshire Council’s executive member for housing, Cllr Simon Myers, said:
“We want to make sure we provide the best quality homes for residents in a fair, consistent and affordable way. I hate having properties empty while we have so many people on housing waiting lists.
“However, I am also aware of the dangers of letting sub-standard homes just to tick boxes and we will not do this. Our commitment is to provide decent homes for people to live in that are affordable to rent and economical to heat.
“To this end, a huge amount of work is ongoing to raise the quality of our housing stock, bring them up to standard and increase our capacity to turn round voids.
“Some properties need considerable investment, especially those that are remote and in more rural parts of the county where homes can be harder to heat and more affected by problems such as poor-quality insulation and heating systems.
“We have budgeted for this and are confident that we will pick up the pace and return more homes to a decent standard for the benefit of our tenants and for generations to come.”
A report which sets out the council’s approach to managing its empty houses is due to be presented to officers and senior councillors at a meeting next Monday (26th January).
It can be viewed on North Yorkshire Council’s website here.
More than 1,000 social and privately-owned homes affected by problems such as poor insulation and ineffective heating have been upgraded since North Yorkshire Council was formed in April 2023.
Hundreds more families are set to benefit in the coming years, with the council having received £28 million as part of the Government’s Warm Homes Social Housing Fund and Warm Homes Local Grant, and pledging a further £19 million from its own reserves to upgrade more than 1,900 homes.
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