UK Property

Local authorities across England have called on the government to give them more powers to deal with empty properties and holiday homes, as cash-strapped councils turn to new methods to combat growing housing pressures. Councils from London to Leeds are pursuing council tax premiums, providing grants for property refurbishment, working with genealogists to identify unknown owners and exploring innovative legal means to take control of empty homes.Housing secretary Michael Gove singled out the issue of empty homes in the government’s recently passed Levelling Up and Regeneration Act, which allows councils to...