Empty home set on fire secured by Empty Property Team

An empty home that was set on fire by an arsonist has been boarded up and secured by Brent Council.

Police reported the vacant bungalow in Kenton to the council following the arson attack by squatters. Two police officers guarded the home day and night until the council’s empty property team were able to secure it. An investigation is now underway to find the owner.

Over the past year, the empty property team has received several reports of squatters moving into abandoned homes, changing the locks, and then posing as relatives or the owner. When a derelict home in Wembley was let out to an unsuspecting tenant, a concerned neighbour contacted council officers who served a notice. The tenant moved out and the rogue landlord was prevented from reletting the property.

Councillor Donnelly-Jackson, Cabinet Member for Housing and Residents’ Services, said: “Empty homes are not only a blight on the neighbourhood; they are also a financial burden. Police and council resources are spent tackling the squatters, vandals and con artists who illegally take over derelict homes and then try and exploit residents.

“If you own an empty property in Brent, or if you suspect that a home has been abandoned and neglected, you can contact our Empty Property Team who will be able to offer advice and assistance to bring the property back into use.

“We are in a deepening housing crisis, with 34,000 people on the Brent housing register but only 650 council homes becoming available each year. We have grants and incentives to offer owners to turn their empty properties back into much-needed homes.”

To report an empty property, email empty.property@brent.gov.uk  or call 020 8937 2384 choose option 1, then option 4.