BAILII is celebrating 24 years of free online access to the law! Would you
consider making a contribution?
No donation is too small. If every visitor before 31 December gives just £1, it
will have a significant impact on BAILII's ability to continue providing free
access to the law.
Thank you very much for your support!
[New search]
[Help]
STATUTORY INSTRUMENTS
2006 No. 367
HOUSING, ENGLAND
The Housing (Empty Dwelling Management Orders) (Prescribed Exceptions and Requirements) (England) Order 2006
|
Made |
15th February 2006 | |
|
Laid before Parliament |
22nd February 2006 | |
|
Coming into force |
6th April 2006 | |
The Secretary of State, in exercise of the powers conferred by section 134(5)(a) and (c) and (6) of the Housing Act 2004[1], makes the following Order:
Citation, commencement and application
1.
—(1) This Order may be cited as The Housing (Empty Dwelling Management Orders) (Prescribed Exceptions and Requirements) (England) Order 2006 and shall come into force on 6th April 2006.
(2) This Order shall apply in England only.
Interpretation
2.
In this Order "the Act" means the Housing Act 2004.
Prescribed exceptions
3.
For the purposes of section 134(1)(b) of the Act a dwelling falls within a prescribed exception if —
(a) it has been occupied solely or principally by the relevant proprietor[2] and is wholly unoccupied because—
(i) he is temporarily resident elsewhere;
(ii) he is absent from the dwelling for the purpose of receiving personal care by reason of old age, disablement, illness, past or present alcohol or drug dependence or past or present mental disorder;
(iii) he is absent from the dwelling for the purpose of providing, or better providing, personal care for a person who requires such care by reason of old age, disablement, illness, past or present alcohol or drug dependence or past or present mental disorder; or
(iv) he is a serving member of the armed forces and he is absent from the dwelling as a result of such service;
(b) it is used as a holiday home (whether or not it is let as such on a commercial basis) or is otherwise occupied by the relevant proprietor or his guests on a temporary basis from time to time;
(c) it is genuinely on the market for sale or letting;
(d) it is comprised in an agricultural holding within the meaning of the Agricultural Holdings Act 1986[3] or a farm business tenancy within the meaning of the Agricultural Tenancies Act 1995[4];
(e) it is usually occupied by an employee of the relevant proprietor in connection with the performance of his duties under the terms of his contract of employment;
(f) it is available for occupation by a minister of religion as a residence from which to perform the duties of his office;
(g) it is subject to a court order freezing the property of the relevant proprietor;
(h) it is prevented from being occupied as a result of a criminal investigation or criminal proceedings;
(i) it is mortgaged, where the mortgagee, in right of the mortgage, has entered into and is in possession of the dwelling; or
(j) the person who was the relevant proprietor of it has died and six months has not elapsed since the grant of representation was obtained in respect of such person.
Prescribed requirements
4.
—(1) For the purpose of section 134(2)(e) of the Act the prescribed requirements with which a local housing authority must comply are that—
it must give reasons to the tribunal why it considers that an empty dwelling management order is required to secure occupation of the dwelling.
(2) For the purpose of paragraph (1)(c)(ii) a relevant authority is—
(a) the authority to whom the relevant proprietor has made the application; or,
(b) where that authority has made a decision against which the relevant proprietor or another person has appealed, the person or body that determines the appeal.
Signed by the authority of the First Secretary of State
Kay Andrews
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State Office of the Deputy Prime Minister
15th February 2006
EXPLANATORY NOTE
(This note is not part of the Order)
Chapter 2 of Part 4 of the Housing Act 2004 ("the Act") deals with the making of interim and final empty dwelling management orders (EDMOs) which may be made by a local housing authority in respect of dwellings which are wholly unoccupied.
An interim EDMO is an order made by a local housing authority to enable it to take steps for the purpose of securing that a dwelling becomes and continues to be occupied. A final EDMO is made in succession to an interim EDMO for the purpose of securing that a dwelling is occupied (Section 132 of the Act).
An authority must make reasonable efforts to notify the relevant proprietor that they are considering making an interim EDMO and to ascertain what steps he is taking, or is intending to take, to secure that the property is occupied. The making of such an order requires the authorisation of a residential property tribunal. A tribunal will not authorise the making of an interim EDMO where it is satisfied that the case falls within a prescribed exception.(Section 133 of the Act).
Article 2 of this Order prescribes the exceptions for the purposes of a tribunal's authorisation.
Article 3 of this Order prescribes the additional requirements that a local housing authority must comply with when making an application to a residential property tribunal for authorisation of an interim EDMO.
A full regulatory impact assessment of the effect that this Order will have on the costs of business is available from the Empty Homes Team, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister 2/H9 Eland House, Bressenden Place, London, SW1E 5DU (telephone 0207 944 3554, e-mail [email protected]).
Notes:
[1]
2004 c..34. The powers conferred by section 234(1) of the Act are exercisable, as respects England, by the Secretary of State and, as respects Wales, by the National Assembly for Wales. See the definition of the appropriate national authority in section 261(1) of the Act.back
[2]
For the meaning of "relevant proprietor" see section 132(4)(c) of the Act.back
[3]
1986 c.5.back
[4]
1995 c. 8.back
[5]
1992 c.14.back
ISBN
0 11 074071 8
| © Crown copyright 2006 |
Prepared
22 February 2006
|
BAILII:
Copyright Policy |
Disclaimers |
Privacy Policy |
Feedback |
Donate to BAILII
URL: http://www.bailii.org/uk/legis/num_reg/2006/20060367.html