According to the The Scottish Empty Homes Partnership, nearly 7,000 homes are lying empty across Edinburgh.
Despite a growing social housing waiting list of more than 23,000, large portions of the capital’s housing remains unoccupied, unused and, in many cases, uninhabitable.
Research by Admiral Home Insurance reveals that 6,904 homes in Edinburgh are currently vacant, with over 1,000 of those having stood empty for more than a decade.
The combined value of these properties is estimated at £1.8 billion. Nationwide, Scotland has more than 43,000 homes that have been empty for six months or longer, with nearly three-quarters vacant for over a year.
The Numbers Behind the Crisis
The City of Edinburgh Council owns over 20,000 homes, but a Freedom of Information request by housing campaigners revealed that around 1,500 of these are currently vacant, equating to roughly one in every 14 council properties.
More than half are not available for rent due to repair backlogs, and a significant portion have been left empty for more than 12 months.
These homes are technically available, but removed from circulation, driving rising demand and limited supply.
The situation is particularly bad in the social housing sector. In December 2024, no council or housing association homes were available to rent anywhere in Edinburgh, according to data from Third Force News.
The city’s property portal, EdIndex, showed a 23% drop in advertised homes year-on-year, falling from 1,408 in 2023 to just 1,092 in 2024.
At the same time, rents across Edinburgh’s private sector have soared more than 30% above inflation over the last 15 years, according to data from Living Rent.
A Costly Alternative: New Construction
The costs of building new homes have made refurbishment of existing properties a more viable option, at least on paper.
The average construction cost of a new house in the UK is between £1,400 and £3,000 per square metre according to Checkatrade.
A standard 3-bedroom home, for example, can cost between £126,000 and £300,000 before factoring in land, legal, and planning fees.
By contrast, campaigners estimate it would cost approximately £30 million to bring all 1,500 vacant council homes in Edinburgh back into use, significantly less than the cost of constructing the equivalent number of new properties.
But even this relatively modest figure has yet to be met with the funding or urgency required.
Barriers To Progress: Finance, Policy and Risk
While restoring empty homes presents a more cost-effective route than new construction, a range of practical and financial barriers stand in the way, particularly for younger people or small developers seeking to take action.
Firstly, the cost of acquiring and developing such properties is now more expensive than ever due to rises in stamp duty taxes.
Properties left vacant or deemed uninhabitable are usually exempt from mainstream mortgage lending, and banks are reluctant to finance purchases without functioning kitchens, bathrooms, or basic structural integrity.
Buyers are often left with no choice but to seek bridging finance or cash deals, which are not accessible to most first-time buyers and come with high interest rates that can be hard to keep up with.
Second homes and long-term vacant properties are also subject to higher council tax rates. Since April 2024, Scottish local authorities have been permitted to charge a 100% premium (effectively doubling council tax) on such properties, which adds further deterrents to ownership.
What’s Being Done, and What’s Still Missing
The City of Edinburgh Council has acknowledged the growing crisis, citing rising construction costs, planning delays, and a lack of funding as key barriers.
A Housing Emergency Action Plan has been launched, and the council is reviewing its allocations policy to improve access and reduce inequality in housing distribution.
At a national level, the Scottish Government is increasing pressure on local authorities to address vacancy. In September 2024, it announced a £40 million Empty Homes Acquisition Fund, with Edinburgh and Glasgow receiving a significant share.
Additionally, a £2 million fund has been set aside to help bring privately-owned empty properties back into circulation.
Yet many campaigners argue that more needs to be done. But what?
What Needs To Be Done?
To address the growing housing crisis, campaigners and housing experts say Edinburgh must focus on repairing and re-letting its existing council stock as a matter of urgency.
With 1,500 council homes currently vacant, speeding up repairs could quickly free up badly needed accommodation.
There are also calls for the council to expand buyback schemes for long-term empty private properties, using national funds to bring them back into public use. Simplifying planning and legal processes could also help unlock homes stalled by inheritance disputes or speculative holding.
Ultimately, campaigners argue that Edinburgh needs a shift in priorities, one that treats housing as a basic need, not an investment asset.
Edinburgh's Future
Edinburgh finds itself at a crossroads. As property prices climb, waiting lists grow longer, and housing options shrink, the city is faced with a clear but politically challenging path forwards: unlock the potential of its empty homes.
The question is not whether it can afford to act, but whether it can afford not to.