The Scottish Government is keen to encourage empty home owners to bring their properties back into use to increase the supply of housing in Scotland (both to rent and to buy) and particularly to help tackle the shortage of affordable housing. At the moment, there are around 25,000 long-term empty homes in Scotland. The Local Government Finance (Unoccupied Properties etc)(Scotland) Bill was introduced to the Scottish Parliament on 26 March 2012. A Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment (BRIA) and Equalities Impact Assessment (EQIA) have also now been published.
The Scottish Government's 2009 review of the Private Rented Sector identified the need for more focus on bringing empty homes back into use and, following this review, the Scottish Government is funding a partnership with Shelter Scotland to help councils to work with empty home owners. The Scottish Empty Homes Partnership provides support for councils including the creation of an Empty Homes Practitioner Network and specific advice and information.
Through the partnership, a number of Scottish councils have signed up to using the Report Empty Homes website, where members of the public can report the address or postcode of a suspected empty home. This information is then passed on to the appropriate local authority so they can investigate and, if appropriate, get in touch with the owner.
In November 2011 the Minister for Housing and Transport confirmed that the Scottish Government has extended the funding for the Empty Homes Partnership until March 2013.
Shelter Scotland has produced some useful summary guidance for empty homes owners.
More information on the Scottish Empty Homes Partnership is on the Shelter Scotland website.
Consultation
The Scottish Government’s Council Tax on Long-Term Empty Properties and the Housing Support Grant Consultation has now closed, although you can still read an archived copy of the consultation. Responses to the consultation have been published and the Scottish Government's analysis to the consultation is also now available.