Cardiff Empty Homes Highlight Social Housing Pressure 2026

Key Points

• There are almost 30 times more long-term empty houses than the number indicated by the headline comparison with the social housing waiting list of Cardiff.
• According to the housing figures of the Cardiff Council, there were 9,682 households on the social housing waiting list on 1 March 2025.
• Of those, 997 households were on the homeless list and 8,310 applications were on the general list.
• There were 4,411 applicants requiring one-bedroom houses, 2,608 requiring two-bedroom houses and 1,743 requiring three-bedroom homes.
• There is a joint housing system in Cardiff run by the council and housing associations using a common waiting list.
• The official figures of the council indicate that there are few rented homes in Cardiff and they are allocated based on the housing need.
• This comparison of empty homes with the social housing waiting list brings out the differences between vacant houses and homes which are available, suitable and affordable to people on the waiting list.
• According to the records of Cardiff Council, housing applicants wait for a considerable time period. The council figures recorded that in 2022 the average waiting period was 502 days.

Cardiff (Wales Times) October 05, 2026 — Wales Online reported in 2026 that the city has almost 30 times as many empty homes as the number of social homes needed to meet the demand represented by applicants on the waiting list. The report was based on figures obtained through a Freedom of Information request by the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

The comparison draws attention to two connected but separate parts of uk/local/cardiff/">Cardiff’s housing system: properties that are empty and households waiting for social housing. Although the figures appear to show a substantial pool of unused accommodation, an empty property cannot automatically be treated as a home available for immediate allocation.

A property may require significant repairs, be involved in legal or ownership disputes, be unsuitable for social housing, or be located in an area where it does not match the needs of applicants. Its size may also be unsuitable. Cardiff’s waiting-list data shows that demand is divided among different property types, with one-bedroom homes accounting for the largest share of reported need.

The Wales Online report described the figures as evidence of the scale of Cardiff’s social housing crisis. However, the available council data also indicates that the housing shortage is shaped by the condition, location, tenure and availability of properties, rather than by the total number of empty dwellings alone.

What does Cardiff’s waiting-list data show?

A Cardiff Council Community and Adult Services Scrutiny Committee report dated 14 April 2025 recorded 9,682 households on the city’s housing waiting list as of 1 March 2025. The figures were included in a briefing on the council’s housing allocation policy.

The report divided the waiting list into several categories:

• 91 applicants were on the Immediate Priority List.
• 997 applications were on the Homeless List.
• 284 applicants were on the Beneficial Transfer List.
• 8,310 applications were on the General List.

The council report said the 997 households on the homeless list were waiting for an offer of permanent accommodation. Of those households, 512 were families, representing 51 per cent, while 485 were single people, representing 49 per cent.

The figures show that homelessness is a major part of the pressure on Cardiff’s social housing system. They also show that the waiting list includes different levels and types of need. Applicants may be seeking a home because of homelessness, overcrowding, medical circumstances, poor housing conditions or the need to move to a particular area.

The council’s system is therefore not a single queue in which every applicant has the same circumstances or the same housing requirements. Applications are assessed and placed into categories or bands according to housing need and local connection.

Which properties are most needed in Cardiff?

The Cardiff Council committee report said one-bedroom properties were the most needed type of accommodation, with 4,411 applicants recorded as requiring them. Two-bedroom homes were the next largest category, with 2,608 applicants, followed by three-bedroom properties, with 1,743 applicants.

These figures are important when considering the number of empty homes in the city. The existence of an empty property does not necessarily mean it can meet the needs of a particular household. A vacant four-bedroom house, for example, may not resolve the shortage of one-bedroom flats. Similarly, a property needing extensive work may not be suitable for immediate occupation.

The figures also show why bringing empty homes back into use requires more than identifying vacant addresses. Homes may need repairs, adaptation for disabled residents, energy-efficiency improvements or changes to their ownership and management arrangements.

Cardiff Council’s published housing information says applicants can use its housing service to examine available options and understand how many properties have been let in different areas. It also warns that the supply of homes is limited and that allocation rules are used to give priority to people with the greatest housing need.

Why are empty homes not automatically social homes?

Empty homes and social housing are measured in different ways. An empty home may be privately owned, temporarily unoccupied or awaiting renovation. Social housing, by contrast, is accommodation provided by a local authority or housing association under an allocation system designed to assist eligible households.

The two categories may overlap in some cases, but they are not interchangeable. Cardiff Council’s housing service works with housing associations to provide affordable accommodation through a common waiting list. The council’s published guidance says it has a limited number of homes to rent and uses rules to decide which applicants should receive an offer.

A vacant privately owned property would normally need the cooperation of its owner before it could become social housing. In some cases, public authorities may use financial assistance, leasing arrangements, enforcement powers or renovation programmes to bring properties back into use. The process can take time and may not produce a home that is suitable for every applicant.

The comparison nevertheless remains significant because it raises a policy question about whether more empty homes could contribute to reducing pressure on the housing register. It also focuses attention on the gap between housing supply and the number of people seeking affordable accommodation.

How long can applicants wait for a Cardiff home?

A Cardiff Council housing allocation briefing published in 2025 referred to earlier information obtained through a Freedom of Information request. That information recorded 7,923 households on Cardiff’s social housing waiting list in 2023. It said the average time for households to access social housing in 2022 was 502 days, while the longest wait recorded for social housing in that year was 6,044 days.

The figures do not mean that every applicant waits for the same length of time. Waiting periods can vary according to the applicant’s priority band, household size, area preference, property type and the number of suitable homes becoming available.

The council briefing also said that an increase in lettings to homeless households had affected applicants with other needs. People requiring a move for medical reasons, or because they were living in overcrowded accommodation, could wait longer for a suitable property.

This reflects a central difficulty in housing allocation. Giving urgent priority to households facing homelessness may reduce the time those households spend without permanent accommodation, but it can also mean that applicants in other priority groups remain on the list for longer.

How does Cardiff allocate social housing?

Cardiff has a common waiting list for council and housing association properties. The council report identified Cardiff Council, Cadwyn, Cardiff Community, Hafod, Linc Cymru, Newydd, Taff, United Welsh and Wales & West Housing Associations as organisations involved in the common housing system.

The allocation scheme is intended to ensure that homes are offered fairly and consistently. Applicants are assessed according to housing need, eligibility and local connection. The system uses different bands to reflect urgency and circumstances.

Cardiff Council’s guidance says people aged 16 or over can apply, although some applicants may not be accepted because of factors including immigration status, previous anti-social behaviour or certain criminal convictions. Applicants who are homeless, sleeping rough, relying on friends for accommodation or at risk of homelessness are advised to seek housing advice promptly.

Those accepted onto the list are placed into a band. Applicants with a housing need and a local connection may be placed in higher-priority bands, while applicants without a local connection or without an identified housing need may be placed in lower bands.

Applicants can select areas in which they would like to live, but the council warns that some property types may become available less frequently in particular locations. This means that location choices can affect the time taken to receive an offer.

What are the wider housing pressures?

The Cardiff Council report said people aged between 25 and 34 and between 35 and 44 were disproportionately represented on the waiting list compared with the city’s wider population. It also said female applicants and people from ethnically diverse backgrounds were slightly or disproportionately represented in comparison with Cardiff’s population.

The report stated that most current applicants had been on the list for less than one year and up to four years. It also noted that the housing system must balance the needs of homeless households, people living in unsatisfactory conditions, applicants with medical or welfare needs and households requiring a move to prevent hardship.

Under the Welsh housing framework, local authorities must review homelessness in their areas and develop strategies aimed at preventing homelessness, providing suitable accommodation and ensuring support for people who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. The Cardiff report cited the Housing (Wales) Act 2014 and related Welsh Government policies in explaining this responsibility.

The figures reported by Wales Online therefore form part of a wider housing problem. The number of empty properties is one measure of unused accommodation, while the waiting list measures the number of households seeking homes through the social housing system. Neither figure, by itself, explains the entire supply-and-demand position.

What could happen to Cardiff’s empty homes?

The comparison may increase pressure on Cardiff Council and other public bodies to identify long-term empty properties and explore ways to return them to occupation. It could also encourage further investigation into the condition, ownership and tenure of vacant homes.

However, any programme would need to establish which empty properties are genuinely suitable for housing, how much repair work is required and whether they can be managed as social or affordable homes. Bringing homes back into use may involve costs that vary considerably between properties.

The housing waiting list also indicates that a successful programme would need to match homes with household requirements. One-bedroom accommodation is the largest reported need, while families on the homeless list and other applicants need larger homes. A general increase in occupied homes would not necessarily address the most urgent shortages unless the homes were the right size and in suitable locations.

Background: Cardiff’s social housing system

Cardiff has operated a common waiting list for council and housing association properties. The system is designed to provide a single route for applicants seeking social housing and to allocate homes according to housing need.

Cardiff Council’s public guidance says the city works with housing associations to help residents find affordable accommodation. It also states that the number of homes available to rent is limited and that allocation rules are used to prioritise applicants with the greatest need.

The council’s 2025 committee briefing provided a more detailed picture of the waiting list. At 1 March 2025, 9,682 households were recorded on the list, including 997 households waiting for permanent accommodation because they were homeless. The briefing also recorded demand for 4,411 one-bedroom homes, 2,608 two-bedroom homes and 1,743 three-bedroom homes.

Earlier Cardiff housing information cited in the same report showed that 7,923 households were on the list in 2023, with an average wait of 502 days in 2022 and a longest recorded wait of 6,044 days. These figures relate to different reporting periods and should not be treated as a direct measure of current waiting times.

Prediction: What could this mean for Cardiff residents?

For people waiting for social housing, the development is likely to increase public and political attention on the number of long-term empty homes in Cardiff. It may lead to greater scrutiny of whether vacant properties can be repaired, leased or acquired for affordable housing.

The immediate effect on applicants is likely to be limited unless specific empty properties are identified and funding is made available to bring them back into use. Even if more homes are returned to occupation, applicants may not see shorter waits unless the properties match the size, location and priority needs recorded on the waiting list.

Homeless households and people requiring one-bedroom accommodation could benefit if suitable vacant properties are converted into social housing. Families waiting for larger homes may see less impact if most empty properties are smaller or unsuitable for family use.

The broader effect will depend on the number of properties that can realistically be recovered, the cost of renovation, the decisions of private owners and the number of new social homes becoming available each year. The figures point to significant housing pressure, but they do not establish that every empty home can be used to meet the needs of households on Cardiff’s social housing list.