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 priority is bringing as many empty homes back into use as possible.
What we are doing
We're delivering on promises set out in our Housing to 2040 strategy, including:
- giving councils powers to charge owners of empty homes
- helping councils identify empty homes that should be brought back into use
- supporting the Scottish Empty Homes Partnership
In September 2025, the Cabinet Secretary for Housing updated Parliament on our progress since a 2023 report on empty homes in Scotland.
£2 million Investment for 2025 to 2026
We are investing £2 million in 2025 to 2026 through the Scottish Empty Homes Partnership to help councils reduce privately owned long-term empty homes.
This funding will deliver:
- £750,000 - for more empty home officers
- £700,000 - for new projects across Scotland
- £550,000 - for core partnership work and council support
Our progress
We're making good progress.
In 2024 to 2025, we brought 2,066 empty homes back into use - 10% more than the year before.
Since 2010, we've helped bring nearly 13,000 homes back into use.
See: Scottish Empty Homes Annual Impact Report.
Scottish Empty Homes Partnership
We fund the Scottish Empty Homes Partnership, which is hosted by Shelter Scotland.
Since 2010 the Partnership has worked directly with homeowners, local councils and third sector organisations, helping almost 13,000 homes become occupied again.
Empty Homes Officers
These council workers help owners of empty properties bring them back into use.
You can find a list of empty home officers at the Scottish Empty Homes Partnership website.
If your area doesn't have an empty homes officer, call 0344 515 1941 or email emptyhomes@shelter.org.uk.
Council tax on empty homes
To encourage owners to bring empty properties back into use, we changed council tax rules in 2023, giving local councils the power to:
- give discounts of 10% to 50%
- charge normal council tax
- add extra charges up to 100% on homes empty for over 12 months
We publish each local council's specific council tax policies on second and long-term empty homes to ensure transparency.
Since April 2024, new owners of long-term empty homes get 6 months without extra charges while they do repairs.
We're planning to change the law to let councils charge even higher premiums on empty homes through the Housing (Scotland) Bill.
Local councils can access detailed information on how to administer council tax on second and long-term unoccupied homes.