Empty Property: Greater London
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of empty properties on the rental market in (a) Tooting and (b) Greater London.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook
Statistics on empty properties are published annually and are accessible on gov.uk here. We do not hold records on vacant homes per constituency.
Local authorities have strong powers and incentives to tackle empty homes. They have the discretionary powers to charge additional council tax on properties which have been left unoccupied and substantially unfurnished for one or more years. The maximum premium that a council can apply increases, depending on the length of time that the property has been empty for, with a premium of up to 300% on homes left empty for over ten years.
Local authorities can also use powers to take over the management of long-term empty homes to bring them back into use in the private rented sector. Local authorities can apply for an Empty Dwelling Management Order (EDMO) when a property has been empty for more than two years, subject to the production of evidence that the property has been causing a nuisance to the community and evidence of community support for their proposal. More information can be found on gov.uk here.
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