Local Council Boost To Housing Stock Under New Rules

 

The Government has announced changes to rules that have authorised local authorities to seize residential properties that are left empty for six months or longer.

Eric Pickles, the Communities Secretary, explained how in 2006, the previous Government introduced Empty Dwelling Management Orders, which he believes gave councils the right to seize empty property after too short a period, for example even when a house is being marketed for sale.

Under the new rules, a property will have to stand empty for at least two years before an Empty Dwelling Management Order can be obtained, and property owners will have to be given at least three months’ notice before the order can be issued.

Mr Pickles commented: “There is a case for action to put boarded-up and blighted properties back into use.”

He added: “But these draconian and heavy-handed state powers have allowed councils to seize private homes in perfect condition, including their fixtures and fittings, just because the homes have been empty for a short while.”

This change follows Government preparation to introduce broader plans to bring back into use some of the 300,000 properties in England that have been empty for extended periods.

From next year, local councils will have a new incentive to bring empty properties back into residential use through a New Homes Bonus, under which the Government will match the council tax raised from any tax revenue collected from a property that was previously vacant.

 

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