Empty home owners urged to help tackle accommodation crisis in Scotland's biggest city

Councillor Ruairi Kelly has encouraged the owners of more than 2,500 vacant properties across Glasgow to use council support to bring homes back into use.

Mr Kelly, convener for housing and development at Glasgow City Council, said letters are being sent to the owners of vacant homes asking them to act and setting out how the authority can help.

Scotland's biggest city declared a housing emergency in 2023 amid what it described as “unprecedented pressures.” Rents in the city have skyrocketed in recent years - the average monthly price is now close to £1,200 - while thousands of homeless cases remain open.

Mr Kelly said bringing existing homes back into the market could help ease the pressure on the council and provide homes for those in need.

He said: “The supply of new housing has not kept pace with demand for decades, with the result that we currently have around 7,000 homeless applications and in excess of 4,000 households living in temporary accommodation.

“At the same time, more than 2,500 homes in the city are lying empty. That's not sustainable.

“I've got an obligation, and a moral responsibility, to pursue any resource I can that might increase the supply of housing in the city. Addressing the thousands of vacant properties in Glasgow could be one of the quickest and most cost-effective ways of making a major impact.”

The council has begun to increase its use of compulsory purchase orders to bring vacant homes back into use as it deals with a lack of housing for homeless people.

But Mr Kelly said that route was not his first preference. Instead, he wants to support owners to sell or let their properties, including providing practical assistance where homes require investment.

The SNP politician explained: “I understand that there are all sorts of reasons why properties may have fallen out of use and I want to do everything I can to support owners to create a home for someone in the city. If that means selling empty property, we can offer information on investors who are looking to buy.

“If the owners want to rent out homes, we can provide support for private landlords or connect owners with charities that are experts in letting property to alleviate homelessness.

“Where a home requires repairs or renovation to get it ready for rental, there are merchants' discounts and VAT discounts that owners can take advantage of and council officers can help them navigate that.”

According to the latest Scottish Government statistics, there were some 43,538 properties across Scotland that had been empty for six months or longer as of September 2024. Aberdeen City was home to the highest proipeortion of empty properties of any local authority, with East Renfrewshire having the lowest proportion. There has been a 158 per cent increase in the number of long-term empty homes since 2013.