Letter: Full cost of empty
Empty properties do indeed cost owners dear (your report, 28 March). But the cost is not from the potential increase in council tax which the Scottish Government is proposing – it lies in the lost rent or lost receipt which the owner could be receiving from letting or selling the empty property.
Empty properties do indeed cost owners dear (your report, 28 March). But the cost is not from the potential increase in council tax which the Scottish Government is proposing – it lies in the lost rent or lost receipt which the owner could be receiving from letting or selling the empty property.
And there is also a community cost to empty properties.
Empty homes can reduce nearby house values by as much as 18 per cent – on top of increased risk of burglary, arson or anti-social behaviour.
That is why it is right for the Scottish Government to take firm action on empty property.
Graeme Brown
Shelter Scotland
South Charlotte Street
Edinburgh