There is currently a lot of heat (and not much light) being generated on another thread about the possibility of using empty houses as temporary accommodation for victims of the Grenfell Tower fire.
A link :
http://www.lbc.co.uk/radio/presenters/james-obrien/james-obrien-use-empty-homes-grenfell-tower/
But I'd like to propose a more wide ranging solution to the problem of people deliberately leaving property empty - using it as a "property bank" asset - not just in London, but throughout the UK.
How about an escalating level of Council Tax on empty housing property - 50% for six months (to allow for 'churn' of tenants) and 100% for the next six months - but then 200%/300%/400%/500% etc as each six months passes - with the surcharged revenue being ring-fenced to improve/provide other housing in the same Council area.
Houses are meant to be Homes - not assets to be traded like stocks and shares by rich Russians and Saudis.