Housing Act 2004 - Empty Dwellings Management Orders - Essay Example

If one were to quantify the cost of empty homes, it would essentially mean a loss of approximately £8,000 per year for each empty property which remains empty for over six months. This loss coupled with the fact that the number of homeless families in England has been constantly on the rise has been effective in instituting legal changes in the form of the Empty Dwelling Management Order (EDMO). Instituted on July 6, 2006 the EDMO gives the Local Housing Authority (LHA) the right to possession of property that has been unoccupied for more than six months.

In order to obtain an EDDO, the LHA must appear before a Residential Property Tribunal to obtain an EMDO and must ensure the Tribunal that: When an EDMO has been made, the LHA has the right to do anything they would normally do in the course of managing a property. This includes entering the property, inspecting it and making the necessary changes to ensure that it complies with the ordinances in effect. It does not entitle the LHA to ownership but it does prevent the owner from entering the property, using it or allowing another individual to use it while the EDMO is in force.

In order gain a full understanding of the scope and ramifications of an EDMO, it is prudent that we distinguish between the types of EDMO. There are two types of EDMO—an interim EDMO and a final EDMO. An interim EDMO is an order which last for up to twelve months and it obligates the LHA to work with the property owner in order to return the property to a condition wherein it can be occupied for residential use. If during this time no agreement has been reached between the LHA and the owner, then a final EDMO is ordered.

The final EDMO allows the LHA to manage the property indefinitely. Before a final EDMO is ordered the LHA has to present the Tribunal with its seven-year plan for returning the property to a condition suitable for residential occupancy (Department for Communities and Local Government,