The Government's campaign to bring more of the 300,000 long-term empty properties back into use and reduce the often devastating impact they have on local communities, has been bolstered with guidance being issued to councils on the procedures they must follow in seeking authorisation from residential property tribunals to make Empty Dwelling Management Orders (EDMOs).
Baroness Andrews said that residential property tribunals must consider the effect EDMOs would have on the rights of the property owner and take into account the interests of the community: "These are powers of last resort where owners have no long-term plans for their homes and where voluntary negotiations with owners have failed. Among the protections for owners is the fact the tribunal must be satisfied the dwelling has been unoccupied for at least six months, that there is no reasonable prospect of it becoming occupied in the near future, that, if an interim EDMO is made, there is a reasonable prospect it will become occupied, that the council has complied with their duties under the Housing Act."
The Chief Executive of the Empty Homes Agency, Jonathan Ellis, welcomed the use of EDMOs: "We have campaigned for many years to bring more of the 300,000 long-term empty homes back into use to help owners get the best return from their asset, help meet housing need and tackle other problems associated with empty property such as crime. So we support the use of these new Empty Dwelling Management Orders (EDMOs), but only when owners have no reason for leaving their home empty long-term, there is local housing need and they had turned down offers of help from the council."
There are ten exceptions in all, covering, amongst other things, temporary absence, second homes, properties on the market and inherited properties, where special rules apply and which will be exempt for a period of at least six months after grant of representation (probate) is obtained.
