From UO.com

Inactive Account Housing Grace Period to Change to 30 Days

Beginning on August 1st, 2006, the grace period for houses on inactive accounts will be changed from 90 days to 30 days. If your account remains inactive for more than 30 days, your house will begin a decay period of about 5 days. If you reactivate your account within the initial 30-day grace period or before your house finishes its 5-day decay period, then it will return to its original status.

If your account will be inactive for 30 days or more as of August 1st, it will be affected by this change. To keep your house, please reactivate your account by July 31st.

Please understand that our in-game support staff will not replace any lost houses or items as a result of this change, so don’t wait until the last moment to reactivate your account!

Click here for more information on housing and house decay

Yay

I'm for this one! Yes!

Several unused houses in Luna proper will now have to be paid for a little more often aye?

I hope those who are in the military and stationed overseas will get the word in time ....

*we know several good folks in this situation

Wow that is really gonna screw up for the guys who deploy, and depend on that 90 day period. I know that when guys deploy, they are dependent on that 90 day period, and buy another 90 days in the middle of their deployment. Since EA does not have a program for us who deploy to pay however long at once. This will make it VERY hard for us now. For the very first time, I am not satisfied with an EA decision. Didnt think I would ever say that...

Yes it is going to screw with them and me
As I take advantage of the 90 day grace period but these are not unused houses I use them all

First I was against the idea, now I am just nuetral. Honestly, it is not going to affect me in the least since my accounts are continuously on even when I am offline due to moving. I do not like it for how it will affect those that are overseas as Mum mentioned, I just hope they hear of this change and are able to make amends before they lose anything. On the flip side, the idocer that has been silent in me for so long just perked up a bit recalling some homes I've had my eyes on for a long time that have been vacant for just as long.

Six of one, half dozen of another.. just one more change to take note of and move on.

Some quotes from the Devs on UO Stratics:

Player: I can't imagine what other thing this would mean than they are scraping for coin.

Draconi: Ah, and here I was sure you had a stronger imagination than that!

At least it beats the original 10 days we used to have. It was set to 90 days after all the confusion with the original IDOC fixes.

MrTact: It's not like the old days where you had to physically login to refresh your house. This means, 30 days *after you stop paying us* your house goes away.

The main reason why we're doing this? Well, back in the day, when we originally changed to 90 days, I remember someone . . . let's see, who would that have been . . . oh yeah, ME . . . complaining internally that people would use this to "kite" and only keep their account active 1 month out of 3 to hold houses. Well, guess what's happening?

Essentially, we're sick of seeing house signs with ICQ numbers on them. If you want to be a house broker, fine, but now you're going to have to keep your account up to date.

Although I like the decision, I do wish there was something we could do for people who are deployed.

I know we have a guy in our guild who is deployed often...but our GM works his characters and looks after his house and account for him...not everyone has those kind of people they can trust. I do hope they hear of this in time...

Now Im basing this on older info, but the housing situation on Cats was certainly not in need of this change when I was playing.

Now, people who want to have more than 1 location to call home have to pay ALOT more than what they were...