Shorter Void Periods, Bigger Solutions: A Fresh Approach to the Housing Crisis

Alistair, Enterprise Business Development Manager here at Helpthemove, recently sat down with Dan at Place North West for a conversation about a crucial yet often overlooked part of the UK housing crisis—void periods. 

Watch the full video below to hear Alistair’s insights on how tackling this issue can make a real difference in getting families into homes faster.

To Summarise

The UK housing crisis is a big challenge, with over 120,000 families currently on waiting lists for social housing. Building new homes is, of course, important, but what about the thousands of homes that are already built but sitting empty?

Void periods—the time it takes to get a property ready for the next tenant—are a big part of the problem. Too often, homes are left unoccupied for weeks because basic utilities like gas, water, or electricity are switched off. These delays make the housing crisis worse and cost social landlords money that could be better spent elsewhere.

So, What’s the Fix?

At Helpthemove, we help social landlords tackle this issue by making utility management as easy as possible. When a property becomes vacant, we step in to ensure everything—like electricity and gas—gets sorted quickly, so the home can be re-let faster.

“Social housing providers are getting properties back day in, day out with no power or debt on the meter,” says Alistair Carruthers.
“That needs to be reduced because it increases costs for social landlords and reduces their ability to invest in their properties.”

By cutting down void periods, landlords not only save money but also help families move into homes sooner. And when you think about the bigger picture, every single day a home is empty is another day a family is left waiting.

Small Change, Big Impact

It’s clear that managing void periods more efficiently won’t solve the housing crisis on its own, but it’s a simple and impactful step in the right direction. It’s about making the best use of the homes we already have—because every day counts. Reducing the time homes sit empty means more families can move into safe, stable housing sooner, alleviating pressure on an already strained system. Small operational improvements like these can lead to substantial positive changes for communities across the country.