Hounslow Council has threatened to take control of MPs Alan and Ann Keen's Brentford house if they continue to leave it empty.
The council's empty property department wrote to the couple on Monday after one of their officers read in last week's Chronicle that the house had fallen into disrepair.
They now have 28 days to respond to let the council know how and when they plan to bring it back into use. If they fail to comply, the local authority could take ownership of the property and rent it out to council tenants.
The Chronicle revealed last week that Mr Keen, who represents Feltham and Heston, and Mrs Keen, a junior health minister who represents Brentford and Isleworth, have claimed £40,000 for a central London flat while their 'main home' in Brentford has been left empty. And now they have Hounslow Council to answer to.
Keith Dickens, empty property officer for the council, said: “We have written to them asking them when they are intending to bring it back into use. They have to give us a timeframe of when the work's going to be done by, which we then monitor.
"If they fail to do that we will say 'you have not played ball' and we will use the powers to bring in a management order.”
Officers were at the Brook Road South house taking photos on Monday and will be visiting the property regularly to see if any work is being done.
Alan Keen said last week that the house was empty due to a dispute with builders and that they intended to recommence work on it soon.
However, under the Housing Act 2004, which came in in 2007, the council is obliged to monitor any work on a property that they believe has been unoccupied for six months.
Mr Dickens said: “If they confirm that [they intend to bring it back into use] to me then we will put that on the books but we will still go round there and see if it's being sorted. We would expect it to be sorted within three to six months.”
