National Empty Home Programme

Between 2012 and 2015, following a lot of campaigning by Action on Empty Homes, the then-Coalition Government invested in the National Empty Homes Programme. This mean investing around £1million, devolved to local authorities, to offer incentives in the form of grants to empty home owners, helping them bring empties back into use.

Over those 3 years around 9,000 empty homes were brought into use.

In 2015, the Conservative Government ceased the programme.

We believe that with £1.7billion being spent every year on Temporary Accommodation in England, it would be money better invested in another National Empty Homes Programme to increase the stock of homes available.

Council Tax Premium

The Government Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill currently in parliament will bring new powers for councils to introduce empty homes council tax premium after 1 year rather than two, something we have long called for.

For the first time the Bill will also offer similar powers to double council tax on second homes, or furnished empties, where these are not being let. This is a significant recognition of these homes vacancy. But these measures alone are not enough

Better powers

There are a few powers which Councils have to force empty homes to be brought back into use.

Compulsory purchase order

This is where the council apply to have ownership of the property transferred to them. This is usually after a property has been left empty for many years and the owners has shown no indication of bringing it back into use. 

Empty Dwelling Management Orders (EDMOs)

These were brought in by the Labour government in 2006 to allow local authorities in England to take over the management of some residential properties that had been empty for at least six months and where there was "no reasonable expectation" of them being occupied in the near future.

However, the coalition government changed the law so that a property had to be empty for at least two years before an order could be issued, arguing that it was undermining property owners' rights. They also had to be proven magnets for vandalism, squatters and other forms of anti-social behaviour to qualify. These restrictions came into force in 2012 and have made the Empty Dwelling Mnagagement Orders tricky to apply for – requiring lots of resource from local authorities that they simply don’t have.

EDMO can give a local authority the power to take over the management of a property for 7 years, refurbish the property, and recoup investment through the rental income. Properties have to have been proven to be empty for over two years, and have to go through a Residential Property Tribunal to seek approval.

We campaign to strengthen Empty Dwelling Management Order powers and remove the need to prove vandalism, anti-social behaviour or dangerous dereliction are associated with an empty home before action can be taken.