Announcing the amendments in parliament on Wednesday, housing minister Keith Hill said: “We will not tolerate houses sitting empty, becoming magnets for vandals and antisocial behaviour, at a time when there is a shortage of homes in some parts of this country.
“Although I will continue to encourage voluntary measures wherever possible, I recognise that councils need effective powers if owners refuse to cooperate.
“Management orders, which allow the council to step into an owner’s shoes, are the key to unlocking the potential of thousands of empty homes.”
Under such orders, councils will be able to renovate and rent out homes that have been left empty for more than six months, although their owners will retain ownership and any profits.
The Empty Homes Agency has been campaigning for this change and the ODPM select committee had strongly criticised the government for not including legislation on empty homes in the initial draft of the Housing Bill.
Maggie Jones, chair of the Empty Homes Agency, said: “This is a win-win situation that will help both house owners and those in housing need.”
Hill also confirmed that a compulsory scheme to protect tenants’ deposits would be included in the bill.
He said: “The withholding of deposits without good reason is something that 20% of tenants say they have experienced.
“The government will not ignore this. It is the right of the tenant to have their deposit safeguarded and it is the responsibility of government to ensure they do so.”
Homelessness charity Shelter and the Citizens Advice Bureau have been campaigning for the scheme.
Shelter’s director Adam Sampson said: “We are delighted that ministers have listened and acted to end the multimillion-pound tenancy deposit rip-off.”
Source
Housing Today
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