Councils will be given more power to force landlords to rent out vacant residential properties as part of the government’s English Devolution white paper.

The government will strengthen councils’ ability to take over homes, although it has not yet published details on the criteria, or how long properties will need to have been vacant for.

However, these could follow rules under its recently announced High Street Rental Auctions which aim to stop disengaged landlords from sitting on empty shops for more than 365 days in a 24-month period, before councils can step in and auction a one-to-five year lease.

The new white paper explains: “Transferring power away from Westminster means strengthening the ability of local authorities to set proper strategic direction to address the challenges facing their areas and respond to the hopes and aspirations of the communities they represent.”

Accountability

Housing Secretary Angela Rayner (pictured) heralded “unprecedented new powers for mayors” and promised a move towards a simpler and more ambitious framework for devolution. “We will bring new efficiency and accountability to local and regional government…and we will truly empower the local champions who understand their area, its identity, its strengths, and how to harness them,” she says.

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has been vociferous in calling for powers to reclaim landlords’ properties. Last year, analysis by City Hall revealed that an estimated £20 billion worth of property was sitting vacant across the capital and Khan urged ministers to make it easier for councils to temporarily take over empty homes using established Empty Dwelling Management Orders, which have been restricted in recent years.

As part of its devolution plans, Mayoral Strategic Authorities will also be given control of grant funding to support regeneration and housing delivery.