Landlords should be encouraged to renovate and repurpose their empty properties to help resolve the housing crisis, according to one landlord.

Stephen Goodison (main image), who has properties in Greater Manchester and Tameside, says Housing Secretary Angela Rayner’s promise of building one and a half million new homes is “pure fantasy”.

Instead, local authorities should issue empty dwelling management orders, giving them management of these properties, he tells ITV News.

Goodison believes there are more than 500 abandoned homes in his local area which could be used to help tackle a lack of affordable housing. “Once the property has been empty for more than two years they would serve the owner with this, which would give them the opportunity to put it into a habitable state,” he explains. “They could then put it out to rent, or sell it, or live there themselves.”

If the homeowner doesn’t make the necessary renovations, the council would be able to do this itself.

“The local authority can seize the property and have the works carried out,” adds Goodison. “Then they rent it out on the social side and that rent would repay the local authority for the cost of the works they’ve done.

“The person who owns the property hasn’t lost it, and once everything’s been repaid to the local property, they could carry on receiving the rent knowing it’s providing a home to a family that needs it.”

Many councils, including Tameside, charge an increased rate of council tax to owners of empty houses, with the amount increasing to up to 400% depending on the length of vacancy.

A government spokesperson says: “Councils have a range of tools at their disposal to bring empty homes back into use, including charging additional council tax on vacant properties.”

Images: Shutterstock/ITV