Bringing more empty homes back into use

3rd July 2025

Additional empty homes officers are being recruited to bring more privately owned houses back into use.

The new posts are being supported as part of a £2 million investment through the Scottish Empty Homes Partnership in 2025-26 which will see staff take a more proactive and targeted approach to tackling local housing issues.

Funding will also help to train and induct new staff, grow services and ensure empty homes are utilised, including by increasing support for local authorities to make compulsory purchase orders.

Housing Secretary Màiri McAllan said:

"Bringing homes back into use is a vital part of our plan to tackle the housing emergency. When too many families are struggling to find somewhere to live, it is unacceptable to me that that houses should lie empty.

"It's important to help councils step up measures to turn privately-owned empty properties into much-needed homes and it's encouraging that local authorities have already come forward to make use of this support.

“As the First Minister has set out, this government is determined to eradicate child poverty - and tackling the housing emergency by making sure families have access to a home is a crucial part of that."

Scottish Empty Homes Partnership National Manager Tahmina Nizam said:

“Every home matters as we work together to end Scotland’s housing emergency.

“In councils across the country Empty Homes Officers are delivering results, with over 11,000 homes having brought back into use since 2010. The additional posts supported by this funding will expand on that vital work. New Empty Homes Officers are already in post at City of Edinburgh Council, while recruitment is underway in several other local authorities.

“Homes weren’t built to sit empty; every empty home has the potential to transform a family or individuals' life but collectively they have an enormous role to play in reducing housing need and tackling the housing emergency.

“We look forward to welcoming more new Empty Homes Officers as they come into post and supporting their efforts to bring more homes back into use."

The £2 million investment builds on a decade of funding for Empty Homes Officers in 22 local authorities.

Council tax figures from September 2024 show that 43,538 properties across Scotland have been empty for more than six months with 73% of these empty for longer than a year.

Nine local authorities have so far agreed to employ additional empty homes officers.