Why Living Next to a Vacant House Should Be a Deal Breaker for Anyone Who Values Their Health and Safety 

Vacant homes are running rampant across the country, and while they may make for a great deal for buyers, they can cause all kinds of headaches for neighbors.

There are currently 14.9 million vacant homes nationwide, according to a 2025 LendingTree study. The number of vacancies varies depending on the part of the country and the population, but two of the top three states with the highest vacancy rates and zombie foreclosures can be found in New England.

Meanwhile, in Michigan, homeowner Michael Purnell learned firsthand just how horrible it can be to live next to a vacant home. 

"I was sitting on a couch ... and I heard a noise under the couch, and so I looked and a rat, a big rat, ran across, ran out from under my couch and across and into our kitchen," Purnell told local news outlet WFMJ.

His unexpected house guest was visiting from across the road, from the abandoned home that has been left to languish in the neighborhood for years on end. The neglected property is heavily infested with rats and other animals, according to neighbors, and now, those rodents are spreading into surrounding, occupied homes. 

But this is just one example of the pitfalls of living next to a vacant home. 

The reality of vacant homes and the critters who live in them

It’s not surprising that cities like Washington, DC, and New York top the list of locales plagued by rat infestations.

Rodents thrive when there are many options for shelter, like clutter on the street, the sewers, and surrounding buildings. An abandoned, vacant home makes for the perfect location to hide away, but eventually, the rats and other vermin will need to leave to scour for the other thing that comes in abundance in cities: food.

And that is why homeowners who live near vacant homes will likely find themselves with an infestation due to proximity—and the last thing you want as a homeowner is rats in your home. 

Besides being a nuisance and causing home damage, they’re also an honest-to-goodness health risk.

“Rats can spread disease through their urine and droppings, and a rat bite can also cause renal failure in humans and spread a number of diseases to your pet, including rat bite fever,” says Tom Cox, owner of Zap Termite and Pest Control in Sacramento, CA.

There’s also hantavirus to consider. You don’t need to handle a rat to catch this rare but deadly disease—it can be contracted by simply breathing in infected air from rat urine, droppings, or nesting materials. Again, it’s rare, but it should be enough motivation to keep tabs on the condition of the surrounding homes in your area.

Another type of unwelcome guest

But it’s just not rodents and wild animals that neighbors need to worry about. There’s another type of uninvited guest that can cause even bigger problems. 

“You have to keep an eye out for squatters,” explains Samantha Midler, a real estate agent with Austin Portfolio Real Estate. “If the house has been unoccupied for a long time and the lawn is overgrown, sometimes it can attract people who need a temporary place to live.”

Or even a permanent one. Every state has its own version of squatter's rights. In Texas, to successfully claim adverse possession, a squatter must maintain continuous occupation for a period of 30 years. In Arizona, an individual who possesses the deed and has paid property taxes for at least three years can claim adverse possession of the property, unless it is a city lot. 

Point is, once a squatter moves in, unless someone moves quickly, it could be very hard to have them removed. 

“If you see anything just call the police and have them reach out to the owners,” recommends Midler.

Your property value

Finally, the other consideration homeowners should be mindful of is their property’s value, whether they plan on selling or not. 

Brooke Nelson, a ReeceNichols Real Estate agent in Kansas City, MO, suggests that a home near a vacant property that has reached the level of condemned could  “drop by 30% at least” in value. 

The best first step would be to reach out to the town and see what can be done. But it may actually behoove the community to band together for everyone’s safety and peace of mind. 

“Create your own little HOA with the neighbors around you," suggests Nelson. “Not an official one, but hey, who's willing to help out? Let's all get together. Let's all pay for a pest exterminator. Let's get the property looking good. Let's mow the lawn. If the city's not going to do anything about it, take matters into your own hands.”