Empty properties - advice

Where enforcement action is deemed necessary, the council will endeavour to work with the owner of the empty home while considering the choices available for bringing the property back into effective use. The powers available to the council can include:

• Hazard awareness notices: used to notify owners of any unacceptable hazards assessed using the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS) such as high-risk conditions or dangerous disrepair issues.
• Improvement notices: these require owners to carry out repairs to any address hazards. Failure to comply can result in owners being fined or prosecuted. The council also have powers to carry out work in the owners’ default.
• Empty Dwelling Management Orders (EDMOs): allow the council to take over the management of any property which has been empty for over six months, with a view to working with owners to bring the property back into effective residential use, rather than forcing a sale
• The use of an Enforced Sales procedure: this allows the council to recover certain debts registered against the property as though it were a mortgagee, such as where someone has failed to meet the terms of a statutory notice. The power of sale or appointing receivers is available without a Court order for some charges but others, like enforcing council tax arrears, first require charging orders to be made at the County Court
• Compulsory Purchase Orders (CPOs): allow the council to acquire land or buildings where there is a justified cause
• Demolition orders: require owners to clear a site and demolish the property within a specific time scale. These orders are usually issued as a last resort if a property is dangerous, beyond repair, or cannot be brought back up to standard

Other statutory action can also be taken if an officer of the council believes that the premise constitutes a statutory nuisance for example.

Last updated: ‎19/03/2025 10:54