Angela Rayner's plan to seize empty homes is a 'PR stunt' because councils can't afford the repairs, expert warns

From the Newshound archive · first published 8 October 2026.

Housing Secretary Angela Rayner's flagship plan to let councils take control of homes empty for just six months has been branded a hollow gesture, with property experts warning that more than 150,000 of England's 300,000 empty homes are not fit to live in and would need major repairs before a single family could move in. Elliot Castle, chief executive of We Buy Any Home and a 25-year property investment veteran, says the scheme achieves nothing without extra government funding. Councils are already cash-strapped and unable to cover basic repairs on their existing stock.

Rayner announced the plans at Labour's annual conference, cutting the trigger point from two years' vacancy to just six months.

Castle asked bluntly: 'Who's going to pay for that? Is the local authority going to pay for that?'