Renting out your empty home
If you own an empty home, renting it out could be a good way to bring it back into use and generate income. The Highland Council provides advice and support to help you understand your responsibilities and get started.
Benefits of renting
Renting out your property can:
- provide regular income
- reduce council tax costs
- prevent disrepair and vandalism
- help someone in housing need
For example, a two-bedroom property rented at Local Housing Allowance rates could earn around £7,120.36 per year.
Becoming a landlord
If you want to rent out your property, you must meet legal standards and register as a landlord. Your property must meet the Tolerable Standard and the Repairing Standard.
You must also ensure:
- electrical installations and appliances are safe, see Electrical Safety First for advice
- the property has a valid Energy Performance Certificate (EPC)
- fire and gas safety checks are carried out
- legionella risk assessments are completed
Landlord registration
You must register as a landlord with Landlord Registration Scotland.
You can also read guidance from Highland Council on private landlord registration.
The Highland Council Residential leasing scheme
Our Residential Leasing Scheme can help meet housing needs where options are very limited. Owners lease their properties to us and we sub-let them. This is an option for bringing empty (or second) homes, back into use. For more information see our leasing pages.
Finding a tenant
You can find a tenant by:
- advertising in local papers or shops
- using notice boards in hospitals or schools
- posting on websites such as Gumtree
Using a letting agent
Letting agents can help with:
- marketing your property
- managing viewings
- vetting tenants
- preparing tenancy agreements
- collecting rent
- arranging repairs and inspections
Before choosing an agent check if they are accredited by a professional body and compare their fees and services. Some examples you can check are: