Council tax data shows that some 43,000 council-tax liable properties in Scotland have been unoccupied for six months or longer, restricting housing supply.
“Long-term empty properties are a wasted resource at a time when Scotland needs more homes,” according to Daniel Curran, the founder and CEO of Finders International, a company that identifies the owners of empty properties as part of its work finding next of kin for unclaimed estates.
Of the 43,000 properties, 28,000 have been unoccupied for 12 months or more and while that equates to approximately 1 per cent of Scotland’s homes, island and rural council areas have larger numbers of unoccupied dwellings, the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (SPICe) notes.
Empty for 12 months or more
A total of 3.6 per cent of dwellings in Na h-Eleanan Siar, 3.5 per cent in the Shetland Islands, and 2.6 per cent in the Highland Council remain empty for 12 months or more.
A previous parliamentary committee study into unoccupied homes found that municipal areas in economic decline may also result in empty properties. In addition to the restriction to housing supply, poorly maintained empty properties can be unsightly and attract criminal activity.
So why do so many properties in Scotland end up unoccupied?
No known next of kin
“There are various reasons for unoccupied homes,” says Daniel Curran. “If the owner dies, for example, then the property might lie empty, or the owner might have trouble selling their home, particularly in today’s volatile housing market.
The costs of renovation can be another reason. Renovating empty properties to make them habitable can put off would-be occupants as the costs can seem astronomical, and then there are the difficulties in identifying the rightful owner if the previous owner has died and has not left a will and there appears to be no known next of kin.”
The Scottish Government has introduced several vacant home policies and Shelter Scotland hosts the Scottish Empty Homes Partnership, funded by the Scottish Government. The partnership advises and assists council vacant homes officers.
Vacant house officers
Many local authorities employ vacant houses officers who can help owners find their homes and advise them on renting, selling, or refurbishing them.
Homes that have been empty for 12 months or more (or 24 months if the property is
actively listed for sale) might be charged double the standard council tax amount.
For 2022-23, 29 of 32 Scottish councils impose double council tax for long-term unoccupied properties. Three councils give a 10 per cent discount or ordinary council tax on such residences without using the power.
Affordable Housing Supply Programme
The Scottish Government can fund councils, housing associations, and other organisations to buy existing homes to turn them into affordable housing under its Affordable Housing Supply Programme, based on local priorities and housing strategies.
Finders MD, Daniel Curran adds: “The Scottish Government’s long-term housing strategy, Housing to 2040, outlined what the government will be doing to address unoccupied homes, including auditing all local authorities to decide which buildings should be repurposed, supporting the Empty Homes Partnership, and allowing councils to regulate and charge owners for empty properties and bring them back into use.
“We have worked with Scottish local authorities in the past to deal with empty properties. A house that had been vacant for ten years was renovated and returned to the market, eventually selling for £105,000, almost double what the estate agents initially offered. Our team can work to clear and refurbish properties and we can also help to establish the clear legal titles to a property.”
Danny Curran’s team at Finders International can trace owners to empty properties quickly and easily, meaning that they can be used for housing and as a long-term investment.
