Plans to give councils stronger powers over empty homes have been questioned amid concerns about the cost of repairs. Elliot Castle, CEO of We Buy Any Home, argues that the reforms could struggle without funding to make neglected homes fit to rent.
Proposed changes to empty home rules
The government plans to reform Empty Dwelling Management Orders (EDMOs). Under the proposals, councils could intervene after a property has stood empty for six months. The current threshold is two years. Authorities could then manage qualifying properties and rent them to households needing accommodation.
Castle supports efforts to return empty properties to use. However, he claims many vacant homes require substantial refurbishment.
“If you look at the 300,000 empty homes, I absolutely agree we need to get these back into use for people that need them,” he said. “But of those 300,000 homes, we estimate over 150,000 are uninhabitable and require substantial work to bring them back into a habitable condition.
“So ask yourself this question: who’s going to pay for that? Is the local authority going to pay for that?”
Who pays for the repairs?
Castle also questioned whether councils have the resources to make neglected properties habitable. “The last time I checked, we have local authorities with no money,” he said. “They can’t even afford to keep up their own infrastructure, their own roads. They can’t afford to do basic services.”
He added: “How is this government, and all of the local authorities, going to afford to bring these properties back into use?
“My verdict is that this is a PR stunt that suits the Labour government and Angela Rayner.”
Castle’s estimate that more than 150,000 empty homes are uninhabitable is his own assessment. No independent evidence for the figure was included in the material supplied.
More pressure on owners?
Despite his criticism, Castle supports greater pressure on some owners to bring long-term empty homes back into use. “You have 300,000 empty homes in a country that has a huge housing problem,” he said. “I don’t see why there shouldn’t be more pressure on landlords and homeowners to bring these empty homes back into use.”
However, he believes some circumstances should be exempt, including properties caught up in probate. “There are particular circumstances where I don’t think it’s right that the council should be able to take ownership, probate being one of them.”
Grants instead?
Castle suggested financial support could offer another way to return empty properties to use. “Why does the government not consider some form of grant for these homes that need to be brought back in?” he said. “I think that might be more of a practical way to deal with this problem.”
The debate raises a key practical issue for the property industry. Giving councils stronger powers is one thing. Finding the money to make neglected homes habitable could prove another.
