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Empty Homes in Edinburgh

Health, Social Care and Housing Committee
6 March 2012

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Purpose of report This is the fifth annual empty homes report following a motion to the City of Edinburgh Council in October 2007 requesting that empty homes are monitored and reported to Committee. This report also sets out what the Council is doing to address empty homes in the city and recommends that future reporting of empty homes is carried out through the City Housing Strategys annual update. Summary Edinburgh has a low number of empty homes. At the end of December 2011, only 967 (0.5%) of private sector homes in Edinburgh had been empty for more than one year. This level is low compared to many Scottish local authorities and the number of empty homes in Edinburgh is significantly below the Scottish average. The Council is also one of the best performers in re-letting its own homes. Scottish Government figures show that Edinburgh has the fourth lowest percentage of rent lost due to empty homes across the 26 Scottish local authorities that still own and manage their own homes. Main report
Empty Homes in Edinburgh

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The Council monitors the number of private sector empty homes through an annual snapshot of Council Tax discount records. At December 2011 the number of homes that had been empty for more than a year was 967 this is set out in Table 1. These homes are often referred to as long-term empty homes. The table shows the number of empty homes in Edinburgh but excludes homes that have been empty for less than six months as these tend to be properties that are undergoing a change of ownership.

Table 1: Empty Private Homes in Edinburgh

June 2007 Vacant for 6 months to 1 year Vacant for more than 1 year Total Vacant Private Homes for more than 6 months (% of total private sector homes) 136 772 908 (0.5%) January 2009 575 732 1307 (0.7%) January 2010 276 583 859 (0.4%) January 2011 559 873 1432* (0.7%) December 2011 519 967 1486 (0.8%)

Table excludes properties owned by Registered Social Landlords. *Figures revised upwards from the Empty Homes in Edinburgh report to Health, Social Care and Housing Committee on 1 March 2011 due to a data error resulting in the omission of 99 properties. Source: The City of Edinburgh Council

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According to latest figures from the National Records of Scotland (NRS), 2.2% of Edinburghs homes were empty throughout 2010. This figure includes all tenures, as well as those homes empty for less than six months. The Scottish average was 2.8%; 22 other local authorities have a higher percentage of empty homes than Edinburgh. The number of empty Council homes also remains low. Scottish Government figures show Edinburgh to have the fourth lowest percentage of rent lost due to empty homes across the 26 local authorities that continue to own and manage tenants homes. Edinburghs percentage of rent loss from vacant Council homes has remained low at 0.6% and 0.7% in 2009/10 and 2010/11 respectively. The number and percentage of empty Council homes is recorded monthly as a key performance indicator. This gives a monthly snapshot that varies depending on the number of tenancies terminated in any given month. Table 2 provides a snapshot of empty council homes in January each year since 2009.

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Table 2: Empty Council Homes in Edinburgh January 2009 Empty Homes Percentage of CEC net homes 156 0.71% January 2010 154 0.72% January 2011 166 0.82% January 2012 117 0.52%

Source: The City of Edinburgh Council

Council Tax and Empty Homes

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A change to legislation in the Housing (Scotland) Act 2010, which came into force during 2011, means that Council Tax records can now be used by local authorities to identify empty homes and contact owners to encourage them to bring their empty homes back into use. This brings Scotland in line with local authorities in England and Wales.
Current Approach

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Although Edinburgh has had, and continues to have, a low number of empty homes, the Council has put measures in place to help owners and developers bring empty homes back into use. The Council commissions two services, Letfirst and Private Sector Leasing, which allow owners to let their property easily and provide homes for people in need. These services can help owners convert their empty homes for private rent, generating an income for the owner and providing additional homes that help meet the high demand in Edinburgh. The Council has also helped reduce the potential for larger numbers of empty homes during the recession. It has worked with house builders and housing associations to buy unsold new properties and convert them to affordable homes. The last empty homes report outlined the purchase of 19 unsold new build homes in 2010/11 and this was supplemented by a further 12 before the end of the year. This resulted in a total of 31 new build unsold properties being purchased in 2010/11. The Council will use the Council Tax data collected in preparation of this years report to send out a leaflet to owners of empty homes. This will raise awareness of housing need in the city and the available options to help owners bring their empty homes back into use.
The City Housing Strategy

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The City Housing Strategy is the Councils key strategic document for housing that covers all of Edinburghs homes. The Strategy was approved at the Health, Social Care and Housing Committee on 13 December 2011. The Strategy will be reviewed annually and progress monitored throughout the year. A delivery plan sets out the actions put in place to deliver the Strategys outcomes, and establishes the indicators that will be used to measure success. Future empty homes reporting will be carried out as part of the City Housing Strategys annual review. Financial Implications There are no direct financial implications arising from this report. Equalities Impact A full Equalities Impact Assessment was carried out as part of the City Housing Strategy. Measures that make it easier to bring empty homes back into use will

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increase access to homes to a wide range of people and contribute to improved health and wellbeing. 6 6.1 Environmental Impact Bringing empty homes back into use has a positive environmental impact and the Council will continue to work with partners to provide services that make it easier for owners to bring their empty homes back into use. Bringing all longterm empty homes back into use in Edinburgh would not meet existing demand for new homes. Conclusions Edinburgh has a low number of empty homes. Most Council homes are re-let very quickly. Services commissioned by the Council, such as Letfirst and Private Sector Leasing make it easier for owners of empty homes to rent them out. Recommendations That Health, Social Care and Housing Committee notes that: a) b) Edinburgh has a low level of empty homes; and Future empty homes reporting will be done through the City Housing Strategy annual review. Mark Turley Director of Services for Communities

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Appendices Contact/tel/Email

None Mairi Keddie: Planning, Partnerships and Commissioning Manager, 0131 529 7287, mairi.keddie@edinburgh.gov.uk All (7) We have tackled the significant equalities in Scottish Society. (10) We live in well-designed, sustainable places where we are able to access the amenities that we need. (11) We have strong, resilient and supportive communities where people take responsibility for their own actions and how they affect others. City Housing Strategy 2012 2017 (Health, Social Care & Housing Committee; 13 December 2011) *

Wards affected Single Outcome Agreement

Background Papers