Former estate agent and Conservative MP Kevin Hollinrake has accused the government of threatening property rights after ministers unveiled plans to make it easier for councils to take control of empty homes.
The government plans to cut the qualifying period for an Empty Dwelling Management Order (EDMO) from two years to six months.
An EDMO does not transfer ownership to the council. Instead, it allows a local authority to take over management of a qualifying property and return it to occupation for up to seven years.
Hollinrake, who founded estate agency Hunters before entering Parliament, strongly criticised the move.
Writing on X, he said: “The Loony Left are always keen to revoke our fundamental rights when it becomes convenient to do so; on this occasion, property rights.
“Seizing someone’s home because you disapprove of how they use it is classic socialist authoritarianism.”
Councils could intervene after six months
Under the reforms announced on Sunday, councils would no longer have to wait two years before seeking an EDMO.
Ministers also plan to remove requirements for councils to provide evidence relating to issues such as anti-social behaviour or community support when applying to the property tribunal.
The government is considering further changes to encourage councils to use the powers. These include measures aimed at protecting local authorities from costs incurred while managing properties subject to an EDMO.
However, reaching the six-month threshold would not mean a council could automatically take control of a property.
The EDMO regime contains exemptions covering a range of circumstances. These include certain homes temporarily vacant because an owner lives elsewhere, properties genuinely marketed for sale or rent and some probate cases.
More than 300,000 long-term empty homes
The government says the reforms will help councils bring more existing housing stock back into use.
Official figures show 303,185 homes in England were classed as long-term empty in 2025. That classification covers properties empty for more than six months.
Ministers argue that earlier intervention could also prevent vacant properties falling into serious disrepair.
The government said: “The changes will reduce the period a property must be empty before it becomes eligible for an EDMO from two years to six months, allowing councils to act sooner where homes have been left vacant.”
However, critics have questioned both the principle of the reforms and whether councils have the resources to use them.
Property commentator Kirstie Allsopp said: “Most councils can’t grant planning permission for a downstairs loo without six months’ notice; the idea that they’ll be seizing properties and renovating them is an absolute fantasy.”
The government says councils have not made an application for an EDMO since 2021.
The powers themselves are not new. The Housing Act 2004 introduced EDMOs, and the original regime used a six-month threshold. The government increased that qualifying period to two years in 2012.
The latest reforms would therefore return the qualifying period to six months while removing some of the additional evidential requirements introduced under the existing regime.
