Using space taken up by empty council-owned lock-up garages could be the key to easing London’s housing crisis, according to research.

Twenty-four complete responses to freedom of information requests to the capital’s 32 borough authorities revealed there are at least 53,640 garages.

More than 40 per cent of these, 22,230, are standing disused for various reasons, with nearly three-quarters of garages not in use in some boroughs.

Property crowdfunding website Property Partner, which carried out the survey, calculated the total stock of garages - including those both in use and vacant - could provide enough square footage for at least 16,000 new homes.

Dan Gandesha, chief executive of Property Partner, suggested the "shapshot" figures show there could be wider opportunities to develop publicly-owned land that is being underused, such as that in the health sector.

He said: "If a significant number of council garages, which are part of housing estates, are not even rented to those who should have a right to them - local authority tenants - then it could be argued that this is a wasted opportunity."

Sir Steve Bullock, Lewisham mayor and London Councils' executive member for housing, said: "Many councils are converting garages and other small infill sites on existing council land where it is possible to make them fit for habitation.

"But in many cases such sites are unsuitable for development or on land earmarked for large-scale future development.

"There is no quick fix for London's housing crisis.

"Boroughs are doing their part by granting planning applications for tens of thousands of homes every year but, as we have made clear, they must be given the support and resources to ensure tens of thousands more, of a range of tenures, can be built."