London left empty as we see 27% increase in people leaving the capital.
Central London has the highest number of vacant properties in the UK, with some areas seeing up to a third of all homes left empty. This comes alongside a Compare My Move report showing a 27% increase in people leaving London between Q1 and Q2 of 2025.
London boroughs make up three of the top five areas with the most vacant homes, including both fully empty dwellings and second homes with no usual residents. The City of London, Westminster, and Kensington and Chelsea each have over 25% of their properties currently unoccupied.
10 Emptiest Areas in England and Wales
Area Name
Region
Second homes (with no usual residents)
Vacant dwellings
Combined vacant homes
City of London
London
6.8%
26.1%
32.9%
Isles of Scilly
South West
7.7%
20.0%
27.7%
East Lindsey
East Midlands
7.4%
19.4%
26.8%
Westminster
London
3.4%
23.1%
26.5%
Kensington and Chelsea
London
6.0%
19.2%
25.3%
Gwynedd
Wales
6.1%
13.1%
19.2%
Ceredigion
Wales
2.4%
13.5%
15.9%
Denbighshire
Wales
4.4%
11.5%
15.9%
South Hams
South West
6.0%
9.5%
15.5%
Isle of Anglesey
Wales
4.6%
10.3%
14.9%
Source: 2021 Census
Despite more than a quarter of homes in these three areas sitting empty, they still rank among the most expensive places to buy property in the UK. The average house price is over £1.4 million, which is more than £1.1 million above the UK average.
Dave Sayce, co-founder and managing director of Compare My Move, commented on the rising number of people leaving London and how it connects to the capital’s growing number of vacant homes.
“The property market is currently fighting back against the inflated price of central London. Not only is there an increase in people choosing the rest of the UK over the capital, but the value of properties in these areas is dropping significantly. The emptiest borough, the City of London, has seen the average price of its property drop 36% since 2018.
Unless prices drop significantly, these homes are not viable for the average person to buy. Meaning London is going to stay a ghost town until we see a drastic change.”
