Our aims & objectives
Our aim is to support the Scottish Government's commitment to bringing empty homes back into use as affordable housing where possible. We will do this by meeting five objectives:
What we do
We are here to encourage local authorities to provide advice and assistance to owners at a local level. We know that more homes are brought back into use where an Empty Homes Officer can speak to an owner to understand why the property is empty and then offer tailored solutions to turn it into a home again.
Not all councils have an Empty Homes Service or a dedicated Empty Homes Officer. We want every council in Scotland to recognise the importance of our existing assets, and to proactively offer advice and assistance to people who are stressed or struggling to deal with an empty home. Where they don’t, our Advice Service provides information and support to owners directly so that no one has to deal with an empty home on their own.
You can find out here how our advice service has assisted owners, neighbours and those looking to take on an empty home.
How we can help
46,217
Long-term empty homes in Scotland. These are properties that have been empty for six months or longer and are liable for council tax.
1,875
Properties brought back to use in 2023/24, bringing the total brought back into use since commencement of SEHP to 10,889
28,280
The total number of long term empty homes that have been empty for more than 12 months.
Living in a community with a run-down or derelict house nearby is unpleasant. If you are aware of an empty home in your community, you can help by:
If your council does not have an Empty Homes Officer and you want help, you can:
- Contact your local councillor either by letter or email - their contact details should be on your local council website or get in touch with the Advice Service for assistance
- Contact your local councillor face to face - they hold regular drop-in 'surgeries' for the people they represent to raise issues with them
- Arrange a specific meeting with community members
Common empty homes issues
Use the slider below to see the visual impact of empty homes.
More information