It is the responsibility of homeowners to maintain their property and to keep it in good order. However, there are many reasons why residential properties become empty, and the council wants to help owners to bring these homes back into use.

The council has a dedicated empty homes officer who works with the Scottish Empty Homes Partnership to provide advice and assistance to owners of empty residential homes.  The service is able to provide a range of practical support and guidance to home owners, helping them to explore the options available for bringing their property back into use.

Options could be to rent the property out, to renovate for sale or even to sell at auction if an owner does not have the finances to do work themselves. Every case is different, and advice is tailored to the home owner’s particular circumstances.

Report an empty home

If you are concerned that a residential property is empty in your area, or wish to speak to the service about how it can help any home owners you know, you can report it to us by using the online form on the council’s website.