What will happen if an owner does nothing with the property?

The council does not intend to place pressure upon owners of homes that are empty for a genuine reason.  However if it is apparent that an owner has no intention of bringing the property back into use, the council can use enforcement such as Empty Dwelling Management Orders (EDMOs), introduced in the Housing Act 2004.  These allow the council to take over the management of a property for a period of time and rent it out to those in need of housing.  The council has already used this power in a situation where neighbours were badly affected by a neglected empty home.  As the owner did not respond to all attempts to contact him to help resolve the situation, the council applied to the Residential Property Tribunal for an Interim EDMO, which was granted. 

There are other types of enforcement which the council may consider for long-term empty homes.  Empty homes are a wasted resource in an area where there is a lack of affordable housing.