Houses Empty for Six Months Could Be Seized by the State (UK)
Christopher Hope, Whitehall Editor
March 11, 2009
The Governments wants town halls to pressure homeowners to sell up or rent out properties where no one is living.
Empty Home Dwelling Orders allow local authorities to take over the management, but not the ownership, of a property.
Since the orders were first introduced in 2006, they have been used just 20 times.
However Margaret Beckett, the Housing Minister, said she hoped that their use would increase as housing building has slowed in the recession.
She said: "I believe that with an increased focus and more consistent approach, we can bring even more homes back into use.
"With house building slowing in the current challenging economic climate, that is more important than ever."
The new guidance could affect recently bereaved families, who might be delaying what to do about a deceased relative's property, or families who are trying to sell a house during the recession.
The Tories compared the crackdown with the fact that many "grace and favour" Government properties are not being used by Cabinet ministers.
Grant Shapps, shadow Housing minister, said: "It is the height of Labour hypocrisy to instruct town halls to use draconian powers to seize the homes of the recently deceased, while plush ministerial grace-and-favour homes lie empty in Whitehall."
Under the rules a home cannot be seized if the owner is in a care home, or away caring for someone. Nor can it be taken if the owner is a serviceman or woman away on duty, or if it is used as a holiday home.
But if an owner has no legally-approved excuse for keeping a home empty, councils can demand it be put on the market. Otherwise they can take control and let it out to council tenants.
The seizure must be approved by a Residential Property Tribunal and the rent is passed to the owner after the council has taken a share to cover its own costs.
There are currently nearly 300,000 privately-owned homes that have been empty for six months or more.
But there are also 80,000 empty local council and housing association dwellings.