Housing Revenue Account (HRA) Statistics: Scottish Local Authority Housing Income and Expenditure 1997-98 to 2021-22 (actuals) 2022-23 (estimates)

An annual statistical publication which details Local Authority council housing income and expenditure including amount, type and balance at the end of the year.


8. Rents lost due to empty properties (void losses)

(charts 8, 9) (tables 14, 15)

8.1 Councils lost £32m due to un-let all types of properties held on their HRAs in 2021-22 representing 2.5% of total rent income from all properties. From 2008-09 the statistics collected from Local Authorities have separately identified rents lost from un-let dwellings. For Scotland as a whole rents lost due to un-let dwellings amounted to £26m in 2021-22 representing 2.1% of total rent income on these dwellings.

8.2 The percentage of rent on dwellings lost through voids in 2021-22 was highest in Angus and (4.6%) and lowest in North Ayrshire (0.5%). Levels of rent lost may be strongly influenced by factors such as different levels of demand for properties, different void management practices and targets, decanting for improvement or investment programmes or the inclusion of properties awaiting demolition. As reported earlier some councils cited COVID-19 as an influence of the level of void properties.

Chart 8: Rents Lost Through Un-let Properties as a Percentage of Standard Rental Income, Scotland, 1997-98 to 2022-23 (estimates) [Note 4]
Line chart showing rents lost on all properties through voids as a percentage of standard rental income, in Scotland, from 1997-98 to 2022-23. Trends in current and constant prices shown.
Chart 9: Rent Lost as a Results of Unlet Dwellings as a Percentage of Gross Rental Income, Scotland, 2021-22 (actual) and 2022-23 (estimate)
Line chart showing rents lost on dwellings through voids as a percentage of standard rental income, by local authority, in 2019-20 and 2022-23.

Contact

Email: chma@gov.scot

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