Every property in the UK has an owner or more (in joint families) – whether it is a person, a company, the Government, or the Crown. There are occasionally abandoned or unregistered properties and sometimes derelict. Abandoned property and land can be claimed, but it is a complex process.

In London, a property is generally deemed abandoned when it is unoccupied for a prolonged period without any evident signs of ownership or maintenance. There are specific legal criteria and processes to determine abandonment. If a property has been vacant for over two years and shows clear indicators of neglect, such as overgrown gardens, accumulated mail, broken windows, or lack of utilities, it might be considered abandoned. Local councils have the authority to investigate and take action on abandoned properties.

·         They often issue notices to owners, requiring them to take remedial actions.

·         If the owner cannot be contacted or fails to respond, the council may apply for an Empty Dwelling Management Order (EDMO).

·         This legal tool allows the council to take over the management of the property to bring it back into use.

·         Under the Housing Act 2004, councils can impose penalties and even compulsory purchase orders on persistently abandoned properties.

·         These measures aim to address housing shortages and prevent the negative impact of derelict properties on local communities.

A property in London is deemed abandoned based on prolonged vacancy, lack of maintenance, and failure of the owner to respond to council notices, leading to potential council intervention and repurposing of the property.

Fleetwood Heir Hunters Help Find the Rightful Owners of Abandoned Homes

When it comes to find the rightful owners of abandoned homes at no cost, Fleetwood Heir Hunters help you at every step in easing the entire process and provide you complete peace of mind. You can report an abandoned home easily. The experts at this leading agency deal with empty homes. The procedure of genealogical research starts with knowing about the whereabouts of an empty house. It is a good starting point for the research. You can call or email the genealogy team to see, if they can assist, alternatively use their quick contact form that is mentioned at their official website.

They will endeavour to find the family and ensure they obtain the required Letters of Administration in order to deal quickly with the problem. Fleetwood Heir Hunters is a one-stop recognised agency solving your queries to find and report abandoned properties and abandoned homes in London and other areas. If you are a professional genealogist, it is one of the right platforms for you to get membership and avail amazing benefits. If you research unclaimed estates or the Bona Vacantia list, you could benefit from a membership on the data sharing platform. You will get three membership levels, search by estate value, filter unclaimed estates, and get the list of more than 2000 unclaimed estates.