COUNCIL chiefs have been urged to take urgent action to reduce the number of homes lying empty in Renfrewshire.

Campaigners say hundreds of houses and flats are at risk of becoming derelict and uninhabitable during the Covid pandemic.

Scottish Government figures show the number of abandoned properties in Renfrewshire, including second homes, rose from 789 in 2019 to 883 last year.
The number of residences that had lain empty for more than six months jumped from 625 to 719 in the same period.

The Scottish Empty Homes Partnership (SEHD), which is funded by the Scottish Government, wants council bosses to force owners to take better care of properties.

It says homes which lie empty often end up with crumbling brickwork, broken windows and overgrown gardens, making communities look rundown and giving the impression of poverty.

Council chiefs can issue notices to owners to ensure properties are kept in a reasonable state of repair.

If the owner fails to do the work, the council can take enforcement action.
Councils can also impose a 200% council tax surcharge on owners if they fail to keep their properties up to scratch and, in extreme cases, can obtain a compulsory purchase order.

Shaheena Din, SEHD national project manager, said: “The full impact of Covid-19 on the number of long-term empty homes is still emerging and the figures may continue to rise for some time.

“We believe empty homes can provide a cost-effective way of providing much-needed affordable homes after the pandemic.”

“The average cost of returning an empty home to a habitable state is between £6,000 and £12,000 – ten times less than the average cost of building a new home.

“Furthermore, bringing empty homes back into use can provide a vital cash revenue to businesses and the local economy.”

According to the government figures, published in December, a total of 47,333 properties in Scotland lay empty for six months or more last year – up 16% from 2019.

*SEHD also wants every Scottish council to appoint its own empty homes officer to keep the number of abandoned properties to a minimum.*

A council spokeswoman said: “Our empty homes officer is working to ensure any properties in Renfrewshire which are in danger of falling into disrepair are brought back into use in a positive way.

“Providing good quality, affordable housing will be a vital part of Renfrewshire’s economic and social recovery after Covid-19.

“Our £100million Regeneration and Renewal Programme will help us achieve this by delivering investment in new build and existing council properties.”