Don't think this is necessarily a good idea. Given rents in London it is irrational to leave a flat vacant and I doubt many people do. The reason people are buying flats as an investment is because of the yield they bring.There doesn't seem to be any good evidence that there is a substantial number of flats vacant. The analysis of the electoral roll data used by the council tells us nothing - the people living in the flats could be foreign nationals or given, that they are new flats, the occupants may not have updated their details.The main reason anyone would leave a flat vacant is because it is their intention to sell in the near future. They may being doing this out of financial necessity so fining them is counterproductive.
Ellen Kearney ● 4041d