What happens if an owner refuses to bring an empty property back into use?
First, the Empty Homes team will try to engage with owners. They will work with them to restore a property. If, after several attempts to engage, an owner refuses to use an empty property or has ignored the service, we may pursue legal options. These can include:
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Resolving an issue ourselves: If the property's causing community issues, we may fix it. We can charge the owner for the work we do. If you do not pay, you could lose your property.
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Empty Dwelling Management Order: If an owner won't use a property, we can apply for an EDMO. It lets us manage the property for seven years, renting it to tenants. The owner only gets an income from the rent after we recover our costs.
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Enforced sale: If the council does any work on a property or land, we can force its sale to recover the costs, under Section 103 of the Law of Property Act 1925.
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Compulsory Purchase Order: If there's a strong case and it's in the public interest, a CPO will let the council acquire an owner's property or land without consent. The council would then bring it back into use as housing for local residents.