The number of properties in England left unoccupied has fallen in the last year, according to a housing charity.

A spokesperson for the Empty Homes Charity claimed that 282,000 homes in England are currently empty, arguing that a large proportion of these vacant properties could be accounted for by buyers who do not want to become landlords but wish to invest in property for financial reasons.

However, a spokesman for the organisation suggested that the number of empty homes was falling and would continue to drop as new initiatives aimed at encouraging those who buy investment properties to enter the buy-to-let market are put in place.

"The Housing Act last year was extended to include another power for local authorities to tackle this problem," the spokesman said, adding that councils in London "are stepping up their efforts dramatically" in order to reduce the pressure on the housing market in the capital.

Statistics released last month by the Council of Mortgage Lenders indicated that the buy-to-let market remained strong, with ten per cent of all mortgages issued to people intending to let their property out.