Review of the Private Rented Sector: Volume 4: Bringing Private Sector empty houses into use
A review of initiatives to address the problem of empty houses drawn from case studies across the UK.
ANNEX 3 RESULTS OF ONLINE SURVEY
This annex provides the tabular data, from the online survey of Scottish local authorities.
Response rate
Responses were received from 27 local authorities.
Table A3.1 How significant a problem are empty homes?
| Response Percent % |
Response Count |
|
|---|---|---|
| Significant |
19.0 |
4 |
| Minor |
66.7 |
14 |
| Not a problem |
14.3 |
3 |
Table A3.2 Does the local authority collate figures on numbers/ locations of empty private sector properties in their area?
| Response Frequency % |
Response Count |
|
|---|---|---|
| Yes - at structured intervals |
12.5 |
3 |
| Yes - on an ad hoc basis |
50.0 |
12 |
| No |
37.5 |
9 |
| no response |
3 |
|
Table A3.3 Information sources found most useful.
| Response Frequency % |
Response Count |
|
|---|---|---|
| Council Tax records |
94.1 |
16 |
| Local surveys |
23.5 |
4 |
| 2001 Census |
41.2 |
7 |
| no response |
10 |
|
Table A 3.4 Strategy documents that address the issue of empty homes
| Response Frequency % |
Response Count |
|
|---|---|---|
| Issue addressed briefly in Local Housing Strategy |
78.3 |
18 |
| Issue addressed in some detail in LHS |
4.3 |
1 |
| Issue addressed briefly in Private Sector Housing Strategy |
30.4 |
7 |
| Issue addressed in some detail in PSHS |
8.7 |
2 |
| Specific Empty Property/Homes Strategy developed |
0.0 |
0 |
| Empty Property/Homes strategy under development |
17.4 |
4 |
| No strategy felt to be required |
13.0 |
3 |
| No strategy yet considered |
30.4 |
7 |
| no response |
4 |
|
Table A3.5 Has your LA made an estimate of resource requirements (staff, finances etc) to bring empty properties back into use?
| Response Frequency % |
Response Count |
|
|---|---|---|
| Yes |
8.0 |
2 |
| No |
76.0 |
19 |
| Don't know |
16.0 |
4 |
| no response |
2 |
|
Table A3.6 Resources currently devoted to dealing with empty private sector houses.
| Response Frequency % |
Response Count |
|
|---|---|---|
| Have a full time officer with particular responsibility for dealing with empty homes |
0.0 |
0 |
| Have a part time officer with particular responsibility for dealing with empty homes |
0.0 |
0 |
| Dealing with empty homes is just part of one officer's job description |
29.2 |
7 |
| Have a budget set aside for dealing with empty homes |
0.0 |
0 |
| Maintain lists of empty private sector properties |
0.0 |
0 |
| Have worked with local landlord forums / estate owners to discuss how empty properties could be brought back into use. |
20.8 |
5 |
| No resources |
54.2 |
13 |
| no response |
3 |
|
Table A3. 7 Local pressures to deal with empty homes to which local authorities have been subject.
| Response Frequency % |
Response Count |
|
|---|---|---|
| Owners seeking assistance to bring empty houses back into use? |
29.4 |
5 |
| Approaches from people needing housing that have identified empty properties as a potential source of housing? |
29.4 |
5 |
| RSLs / other bodies identifying empty homes as a housing supply issue? |
23.5 |
4 |
| RSLs / other bodies identifying empty homes as a regeneration issue? |
35.3 |
6 |
| General housing supply issues |
82.4 |
14 |
| Developers looking to convert non-residential buildings to housing? |
23.5 |
4 |
| no response |
10 |
|
Table A3.8 Factors thought to lead to properties being empty and the impact of these factors on empty homes within the local authority's area.
| Major Issue |
Contrib-uting Factor |
Not Signif-icant |
Don't know |
Overall score given for signif-icance (Note 1) |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cost of repairs |
7 |
7 |
2 |
6 |
21 |
| Commercial / estate owners who don't want to let |
3 |
8 |
5 |
6 |
14 |
| Individual owners who don't want to let |
4 |
8 |
5 |
5 |
16 |
| Owners who find being a landlord too onerous |
1 |
8 |
5 |
7 |
10 |
| Empty homes are unsuitable for a variety of reasons |
5 |
3 |
4 |
8 |
13 |
| Empty homes are result of over supply |
0 |
1 |
15 |
4 |
1 |
| Other |
0 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
| no response |
5 |
||||
Note 1 A score of 2 was given for "major issue" and 1 for "having a contributing factor",
Table A3.9 Experience of initiatives available to deal with empty homes
| used successfully |
used but would not use again |
not used but would like to try |
not used and unlikely to do so |
Response Count |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lead tenancies |
7 |
2 |
6 |
5 |
20 |
| Rural Empty Properties Grants |
3 |
0 |
6 |
8 |
17 |
| Repair / improvement grants targeted to empty properties |
7 |
0 |
6 |
5 |
18 |
| Support for private landlords generally ( e.g. Private sector leasing schemes, rent deposit guarantee schemes.) |
17 |
0 |
6 |
0 |
23 |
| no response |
3 |
||||
Table A3.10 Initiatives used to bring second homes into mainstream letting.
| Response Frequency % |
Response Count |
|
|---|---|---|
| Yes |
8.7 |
2 |
| No |
91.3 |
21 |
| Please use this space to add any comment you wish to make |
4 |
|
| no response |
4 |
|
Table A3.11 Has the LA followed any initiatives for conversion of unused buildings / structures to housing use?
| Response Frequency % |
Response Count |
|
|---|---|---|
| Yes |
50.0 |
12 |
| No |
50.0 |
12 |
| Please use this space to add any comment you wish to make |
12 |
|
| no response |
3 |
|
Table A3.12 Has the LA followed any initiatives to lease vacant properties owned by other public sector bodies? ( e.g. Health Boards, Forestry Commission etc.).
| Response Frequency % |
Response Count |
|
|---|---|---|
| Yes |
21.7 |
5 |
| No |
78.3 |
18 |
| no response |
4 |
|
Table A3.13 Occupancy of homes developed under stated initiatives.
| Used mainly for below market rent |
Used mainly for market rent |
Used mainly for rent but end occupancy not known or mixed |
Not used at all |
||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lead tenancies |
4 |
0 |
1 |
8 |
|
| Rural Empty Homes Grants |
0 |
1 |
1 |
10 |
|
| Repair / improvement grants targeted at empty properties |
2 |
2 |
0 |
6 |
|
| Support for private landlords e.g. private sector leasing schemes, rent deposit guarantee schemes |
5 |
5 |
2 |
3 |
|
| Second homes brought into use |
1 |
0 |
0 |
9 |
|
| Converted properties brought into use |
2 |
4 |
0 |
6 |
|
| Other public sector properties brought into use (as in Q13) |
3 |
2 |
0 |
5 |
|
| No response | 10 | ||||
Table A3.14 Estimate of number of empty homes brought back into use over the past 3 years.
| Years |
Response Count |
|---|---|
| 0 |
6 |
| 1 - 10 |
4 |
| 11 - 30 |
1 |
| 30+ |
2 |
| no response |
13 |
Table A3.15 End use of the empty houses brought back into use (estimate).
| Average % |
|
|---|---|
| Below market rent (%) |
48 |
| Market / near market rent (%) |
42 |
| Sale on open market (%) |
10 |
| no response |
17 |
Table A3.16 Estimate of the resources required to deal with empty homes.
| Respondent 1 |
Respondent 2 |
|
|---|---|---|
| Cost of upgrading identified empty properties |
£4M |
£6.4M |
| Promotional / support staff numbers |
1 |
40 |
| no response |
25 |
|
Table A3.17 Views on the usefulness of specified support mechanisms in bringing properties back into use.
| Potentially useful |
Not sufficiently useful to justify use of resources |
Unlikely to be useful |
No views |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Officer support group - as in National Association of Empty Property Practitioners |
12 |
2 |
2 |
6 |
| New agency (as in Empty Homes Agency) |
8 |
5 |
2 |
6 |
| Regional consortia of authorities to provide specialist services to deal with empty properties. |
13 |
2 |
1 |
6 |
Table A3. 18 Views on applicability of specified initiatives
| Already using |
Would like to try |
Likely to be not worth the effort |
Not useful at all |
Overall score (Note 1) |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Empty Dwelling Management Orders (a power given to English LAs to allow them to take over management of empty properties) |
0 |
13 |
7 |
1 |
4 |
| Council tax penalties |
5 |
9 |
5 |
0 |
9 |
| Public Request to Order Disposal (power in E&W to force sale of unused public property) |
0 |
7 |
9 |
2 |
-6 |
| Support mechanisms for RSL and LA officers dealing with empty homes |
1 |
15 |
1 |
1 |
13 |
| Lists of empties available to those who would like to rent / develop |
0 |
17 |
3 |
0 |
14 |
| Web site listing void properties |
0 |
16 |
3 |
1 |
11 |
Note 1 The overall score was derived from scoring 1 for already using and would like to use, -1 for likely not to be worth the effort and -2 for not useful at all
Table A3.19 Number of local authorities applying reduced Council Tax discount
| Discount offered on empty or second homes |
Number of responses |
|---|---|
| Up to 10% |
10 |
| 10% - 50% |
3 |
| Over 50% |
7 |
| No response |
7 |
Table A3.20 Views on the impact of reduced Council tax discount on vacant properties
| Response Frequency % |
Response Count |
|
|---|---|---|
| Encouraged voids back into use |
9.1 |
2 |
| No impact on numbers, but raised additional revenue |
27.3 |
6 |
| No impact on numbers or revenue. |
13.6 |
3 |
| Don't know |
50.0 |
11 |
Table A3.21 Views on the impact of the new Scheme of Assistance (Housing (Scotland) Act 2006) on properties being brought back into use
| Response Frequency % |
Response Count |
|
|---|---|---|
| Likely to have large positive effect |
0 |
0 |
| Likely to have small positive effect |
47.4 |
9 |
| No effect |
26.3 |
5 |
| Likely to have small negative effect |
15.8 |
3 |
| Likely to have large negative effect |
10.5 |
2 |
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