Empty homes
Long-term empty properties are a wasted resource at a time when Scotland needs more homes, and can be a blight on communities. Our focus is on bringing as many empty homes back into use as possible.
£2 million investment in 2025 to 2026
In 2025 to 2026, we are investing a record £2 million through the Scottish Empty Homes Partnership to support local authorities to reduce the numbers of privately owned long-term empty homes.
The £2 million funding in 2025 to 2026 will deliver:
- additional empty homes officers across Scotland (£750,000)
- local and national initiatives (£700,000)
- the core Scottish Empty Homes Partnership and enhanced support to local authorities (£550,000)
Scottish Empty Homes Partnership
The Scottish Empty Homes Partnership is hosted by Shelter Scotland and funded by the Scottish Government. Since 2010 the Partnership has worked directly with homeowners, local authorities and third sector organisations, helping over 11,000 homes become occupied again.
Empty homes officers
Local authorities employ empty homes officers to work with owners of empty properties, or those considering purchasing one, to bring them back into use as homes.
The Scottish Empty Homes Partnership has a list of contact details for empty homes officers across Scotland.
If there is no empty homes officer currently operating in your area, contact the Empty Homes Advisory Service on 0344 515 1941 or at emptyhomes@shelter.org.uk.
Council tax on long-term empty homes
To encourage property owners to bring their properties back into use and discourage properties being left empty for long periods, the Council Tax (Variation for Unoccupied Dwellings) (Scotland) Regulations 2013 were amended in 2023 to provide local authorities with the power to either:
- apply a discount of between 10% and 50%
- apply the standard Council Tax rate or
- apply a council tax premium of up to 100% on certain properties that have been empty for 12 months or more
We publish a list of council tax policies on second and long-term empty homes by each local authority.
From April 2024, we have legislated to ensure new owners purchasing homes empty for longer than 12 months benefit from a grace period of six months without an additional council tax premium while they are undertaking repairs and renovations. This incentivises reoccupation and improvements, and councils have the discretion to extend this period based on individual circumstances.
Read further information for local authorities on council tax on second and long-term unoccupied homes.
Independent audit report
The Scottish Government, on behalf of Scottish Ministers, appointed Indigo House Group to undertake an independent audit of its long-term empty homes policy and interventions. The findings of this audit will help inform how commitments on empty homes within the Housing to 2040 Strategy can best be met.
The Minister for Housing wrote to the Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee on 19 September 2023 setting out the actions the Scottish Government will take against the report's recommendations.