Empty homes worsen town’s housing crisis

New report shows up to 20% of unoccupied dwellings in the town centre

Around one in five houses in the centre of St Andrews are lying empty, new figures have shown.

The data has prompted calls to tackle the housing crisis in the university town as a matter of urgency.

The National Records of Scotland has identified 636 homes in St Andrews classed as “empty”, or 10.5% of the total housing stock in the town.

However, the figure rises to 20% in the town centre specifically, and 17% in the North Haugh, compared with a Scottish national average of just 3%.

The data was compiled by Green MSP for the Lothians Andy Wightman, as part of his review of empty and second homes, and comes amid concerns about the number of houses of multiple occupation (HMOs) and a general lack of housing for permanent residents and the growing student population.

His Green Party colleague, Mid Scotland and Fife MSP Mark Ruskell, said: “Housing in St Andrews has become a pressure cooker, with high house prices and high rents making life difficult for students and locals alike.

“New accommodation has not kept up with rising student numbers, and the ongoing HMO moratorium is further limiting options for students.

“This is playing into the hands of unscrupulous landlords, who can charge high rents for poor quality accommodation.

“To find out so many houses are lying empty in the town is galling.

“We need to come up with a plan for bringing as many of these homes as possible back into use.”

Mr Ruskell intends to meet Fife Council’s empty homes officers to discuss an action plan to tackle the issue.

The St Andrews Student Association has been campaigning against the moratorium on HMOs which has been effective in the centre of the town since 2011.

Paloma Paige, association president, said students who choose to move into private accommodation face stress and uncertainty and the HMO moratorium was making the situation worse.

“What first-hand accounts bring to light is more multiple bedroom flats/ houses are being rented out as one bedroom and two bedroom flats which avoid HMO licensing, as well as artificially diminishing the housing stock in St Andrews,” she said.

“High demand and low supply has been met with increasing rents and worsening conditions. In this context, it is ever more imperative that the statistics for empty homes be thoroughly analysed and discussed.

“I think that for St Andrews to thrive as a well-balanced town which is welcoming to all members of the community, regardless of income background and permanence, the town needs to utilise its limited space creatively and wisely.”

Housing in St Andrews has become a pressure cooker, with high house prices and high rents. MARK RUSKELL MSP

Picture: Steven Brown. Calls have been made to tackle the housing problems in St Andrews.