Annual Impact Report 2024
What happens to empty homes brought back to use
EHOs provided us with information on the outcomes of the cases that they had concluded during the year. EHOs reported 1,159 outcomes. The responses illustrate the wide range of options that can be available to owners of empty homes to bring their property back into use.
| Outcome | Number of homes | % of total |
|---|---|---|
| Purchased by the council (including buybacks) | 179 | 13.39% |
| Let through a housing association management scheme | 4 | 0.30% |
| Let through a private sector leasing scheme | 18 | 1.35% |
| Let at affordable rent | 68 | 5.09% |
| Sold through a matchmaker scheme | 13 | 0.97% |
| Owner occupied | 387 | 28.95% |
| Let privately | 342 | 25.58% |
| Sold through estate agent | 227 | 16.98% |
| Sold at auction | 10 | 0.75% |
It is encouraging to note that purchases by the council accounted for 13% of all outcomes.
We welcome the guidance published by the Scottish Government to coincide with the launch of the National Acquisition Programme, which noted that ‘engaging with local authority Empty Homes Officers to identify privately owned homes that could be returned to active use’ was one way that local authorities may find useful for identifying properties to acquire under the programme. We hope that local authorities will use funding available through the National Acquisition Programme to increase the number of homes purchased in this way over the coming years.
Owner occupation was the most common outcome identified in our survey accounting for 29% of homes brought back to use. This will include properties inherited by the current owner, properties requiring extensive renovation, and those that owners were struggling to sell.
Private lets also accounted for a quarter of all outcomes. We assume that the majority will have been let in line with current private rental rates. This should still be seen as a positive outcome as the rental contributes to easing housing pressures and reducing the negative impact that empty homes can have on communities.
17% of homes were sold through estate agents. Further information on what happened after the purchase is unavailable.