MOST renters in Scotland think their local authority should be doing more to tackle the issue of empty homes, a new survey has found.

The research, commissioned by the Scottish Empty Homes Partnership (SEHP) and published today, found that just 10 per cent of adults in Scotland believe their council is doing enough on the issue.

And 52 per cent of respondents who currently rent their own home saying their local authority should be doing more to bring Scotland’s 46,000 empty homes back into use.

Tahmina Nizam, national manager for the SEHP, said some progress was being made on reducing the number of empty homes, but that local authorities need to go further.

“In the context of a housing emergency that shouldn’t be surprising, work to bring empty homes back into use has never been more vital,” she said.

“Empty homes continue to have a significant role to play in our collective response to the housing emergency, offering a cost-effective, quick and environmentally friendly way to drive up the supply of much-needed homes.”

The Scottish government said it was investing £2 million next year to help councils bring empty homes back into use.