A major push to breathe new life into Perth’s night-time economy could be undone by its staggering number of vacant residential properties.
Returning renters to the heart of the city is seen as the key to boosting businesses and the local economy.
It is believed restaurants, pubs and clubs would all benefit from an influx of residents to fill the hundreds of empty flats above retail units.
Howerver, new figures have revealed that, despite the efforts of an award-winning project designed to bring vacant properties back into use, the city is still struggling.
Perth and Kinross Council’s Empty Homes Initiative has gained nationwide recognition but during its two years in existence has succeeded in bringing little more than 30 of 900 back into use.
A city property expert told The Courier he feared many had already been empty for too long to be brought back on to the rental market.
Harry Coates, director with Belvoir, warned the deteriorating condition of many despite being outwardly impressive was being made worse by the ingress of water and vermin, including pigeons.
In addition, he said tough new landlord legislation would make it ever more expensive to rejuvenate the flats, while security concerns may prevent many owners specifically High Street retailers from bringing them back to market.
“There is a shortage of rental properties available within Perth and elsewhere in Perth and Kinross,” Mr Coates said.
“The market is growing and growth is only going to continue but properties have to reach a certain standard and the legislation is very strict.
“The deterioration in a property which has been sitting empty can be rapid and to bring many up to a good residential standard can take an awful lot of money.
“Older properties in particular are unlikely to meet the new energy performance legislation which will come into force in 2016 and meeting these standards may cost more money than many owners are willing or able to spend.
“Sometimes, properties will have multiple landlords and so common repairs can be a major issue.
“In other cases, the owners will be retailers and for them, having residential properties let above their stores can be seen as a security risk.
“Getting its many empty residential properties back into use would certainly make a huge difference to the city centre but the problem does not have a cheap and easy fix.”
Despite those difficulties, Perth and Kinross Council’s Empty Homes Initiative will continue to bring the properties back into use.
It has been praised for understanding the links between empty property and wider regeneration work and how property can be used to pull people into towns both as residents and customers.
The initiative has a budget to provide the owners of long-term empty properties with grants to help them bring flats up to the required standard.
They are directed at properties which have been empty for a minimum of six months and provide assistance with key upgrades such as electrical rewiring, window replacement, heating upgrades, boiler installation and plumbing.
A spokeswoman for the council said: “We are a sector leading local authority in bringing empty homes back into use and the achievements of our empty homes initiative have been recognised by the Camelot Vacant Property Management Awards.
“Perth and Kinross Council is the only Scottish local authority to offer grant funding to landlords to help them to bring any empty properties they may own back into use. In 2013/14 Perth and Kinross Council brought 28 units back into use out of an estimated 900 vacant residential properties across the area.
“The council continues to proactively work with private landlords to look at ways of increasing this figure.”