UK to seize homes that have been empty for six months

Local councils in the UK are now able to seize homes that have been empty for six months, following a move by Prime Minister Andy Burnham's government on Tuesday. The move is in an effort to “ensure existing housing stock is used more effectively.”

The changes announced by the Ministry of Housing, Communities, and Local Government reduce the time a home must be vacant from two years down to six months for it to be eligible for an Empty Dwelling Management Order (EDMO). A press release from the ministry states that this move would allow councils “to act sooner where homes have been left vacant and preventing properties from falling into serious disrepair.”

“The reforms will also streamline the application process by removing evidential requirements relating to issues such as anti-social behaviour or community support for intervention, making it simpler for local authorities to seek an EDMO through the Residential Property Tribunal,” the press release added.

EDMOs allow councils to take over empty homes for a period of seven years, while the property owner retains ownership of it.

Labour Party MP Emily Thornberry called the announcement “great news,” writing, “I said it in 2020 and I’ll say it again. If you leave a home empty long-term in the middle of a housing crisis, it should be seized.”

Conservative MP Kevin Hollinrake wrote in response, “The Loony Left are always keen to revoke our fundamental rights when it becomes convenient to do so; on this occasion, property rights. Seizing someone's home because you disapprove of how they use it is classic socialist authoritarianism.”