Long Term Empty Homes – Statistics
The Scottish Government publish annual statistics showing the total number of empty homes (defined as ‘properties which have been empty for more than 6 months and are liable for council tax’) and long term empty homes (homes which have been empty for more than 12 months) in each of the 32 local authorities in Scotland
Statistics showing the total number of dwellings in Scotland are published annually by National Records of Scotland.
The maps below draw on both of these sources to show the distribution of homes and empty homes across Scotland in 2023.
Please click on the links in the tables below to see specific data reports for each council area.
Number of empty homes in Scotland by local authority
Local Authority % of Scotland’s Homes % of Scotland’s Empty Homes Total Homes Total Empty Homes
Aberdeen City Local Authority 4.57% 12.10% 123,363 5,594
Aberdeenshire Local Authority 4.50% 5.85% 121,591 2,704
Angus Local Authority 2.15% 2.67% 58,087 1,236
Argyll & Bute Local Authority 1.81% 2.88% 48,760 1,329
City of Edinburgh Local Authority 9.67% 15.58% 260,924 7,200
Clackmannanshire Local Authority 0.93% 0.48% 25,108 222
Dumfries & Galloway Local Authority 2.81% 3.99% 75,921 1,844
Dundee City Local Authority 2.81% 2.31% 75,839 1,067
East Ayrshire Local Authority 2.20% 1.13% 59,300 524
East Dunbartonshire Local Authority 1.78% 0.69% 47,926 317
East Lothian Local Authority 1.90% 1.08% 51,413 498
East Renfrewshire Local Authority 1.50% 0.27% 40,498 124
Falkirk Local Authority 2.83% 1.77% 76,359 817
Fife Local Authority 6.72% 5.35% 181,341 2,471
Glasgow City Local Authority 11.94% 5.83% 322,376 2,696
Highland Local Authority 4.53% 7.33% 122,205 3,390
Inverclyde Local Authority 1.47% 1.24% 39,758 575
Midlothian Local Authority 1.60% 0.92% 43,217 423
Moray Local Authority 1.73% 2.01% 46,606 928
Comhairle nan Eilean Siar (Western Isles) Local Authority 0.55% 1.49% 14,980 688
North Ayrshire Local Authority 2.58% 2.25% 69,695 1,040
North Lanarkshire Local Authority 5.91% 4.08% 159,459 1,885
Orkney Islands Local Authority 0.43% 0.55% 11,613 252
Perth & Kinross Local Authority 2.79% 2.76% 75,310 1,275
Renfrewshire Local Authority 3.35% 1.72% 90,480 796
Scottish Borders Local Authority 2.21% 3.42% 59,544 1,580
Shetland Islands Local Authority 0.43% 1.36% 11,544 629
South Ayrshire Local Authority 2.09% 1.77% 56,452 816
South Lanarkshire Local Authority 5.83% 3.53% 157,353 1,630
Stirling Local Authority 1.58% 1.31% 42,659 606
West Dunbartonshire Local Authority 1.70% 1.07% 45,846 494
West Lothian 3.10% 1.23% 85,575 567
Number of homes empty for more than 12 months in Scotland by local authority
Local Authority % of Scotland’s Homes % of Scotland’s 12 Months+ LTE Homes Total Homes Total 12 Months+ LTE Homes
Aberdeen City Local Authority 4.79% 9.25% 123,363 2,615
Aberdeenshire Local Authority 4.72% 7.03% 121,591 1,988
Angus Local Authority 2.26% 3.49% 58,087 986
Argyll & Bute Local Authority 1.89% 3.24% 48,760 915
City of Edinburgh Local Authority 10.13% 9.73% 260,924 2,751
Clackmannanshire Local Authority 0.97% 0.36% 25,108 102
Dumfries & Galloway Local Authority 2.95% 4.45% 75,921 1,258
Dundee City Local Authority 2.94% 1.71% 75,839 485
East Ayrshire Local Authority 2.30% 1.30% 59,300 369
East Dunbartonshire Local Authority 1.86% 0.78% 47,926 220
East Lothian Local Authority 2.00% 1.18% 51,413 334
Falkirk Local Authority 2.96% 1.28% 76,359 361
Fife Local Authority 7.04% 6.76% 181,341 1,911
Glasgow City Local Authority 12.52% 4.93% 322,376 1,395
Highland Local Authority 4.74% 11.79% 122,205 3,334
Inverclyde Local Authority 1.54% 1.56% 39,758 441
Midlothian Local Authority 1.68% 1.50% 43,217 423
Moray Local Authority 1.81% 1.91% 46,606 539
Comhairle nan Eilean Siar (Western Isles) Local Authority 0.58% 2.05% 14,980 581
North Ayrshire Local Authority 2.71% 1.96% 69,695 554
North Lanarkshire Local Authority 6.19% 3.85% 159,459 1,090
Orkney Islands Local Authority 0.45% 0.71% 11,613 201
Perth & Kinross Local Authority 2.92% 2.74% 75,310 776
Renfrewshire Local Authority 3.51% 1.39% 90,480 394
Scottish Borders Local Authority 2.31% 3.53% 59,544 999
Shetland Islands Local Authority 0.45% 1.51% 11,544 428
South Ayrshire Local Authority 2.19% 1.07% 56,452 303
South Lanarkshire Local Authority 6.11% 5.28% 157,353 1,493
Stirling Local Authority 1.66% 1.64% 42,659 465
West Dunbartonshire Local Authority 1.78% 0.92% 45,846 260
West Lothian 3.24% 1.09% 85,575 309
*East Renfrewshire is excluded from this table as number of LTE homes empty for 12+ months was not published in the figures reported by Scottish Government.
Sources:
Housing statistics: Empty properties and second homes – gov.scot (www.gov.scot)
Small Area Statistics on Households and Dwellings | National Records of Scotland (nrscotland.gov.uk)
