OWNERS of Glasgow’s 2,500 vacant homes should sell up or become landlords and the SNP-run city council says it will offer them help to do it.

Amid what it called “unprecedented pressures,” the council declared a housing emergency in 2023, but since then that pressure has only grown alongside rocketing rents. 

The council has begun to ramp up use of compulsory purchase orders to bring empty homes back into use in an effort combat the crisis.

But the SNP convener for housing and development, Cllr Ruairi Kelly, admitted that was not his first preference.

Insisting creating new landlords could alleviate the crisis, he said: “I want to do everything I can to support owners to create a home for someone in the city.

“If that means selling empty property, we can offer information on investors who are looking to buy.

“If the owners want to rent out homes, we can provide support for private landlords or connect owners with charities that are experts in letting property to alleviate homelessness.”

Unimpressed, Bianca Lopez Glasgow City chair of tenants’ union Living Rent said: “Glasgow’s housing crisis will not be solved by a few owners of empty properties becoming landlords.”

Calling on the city to enforce planning rules dictating new developments contain 25 per cent “affordable housing,” she added: “If this council is serious about ending Glasgow’s housing crisis it needs to ensure that developers are meeting the requirements set out in the national planning framework. 

“It should encourage stock buy-back and help housing associations to buy up the empty homes so that prospective tenants can live in truly affordable housing. 

“Encouraging more private landlords without changing the availability of social housing or properly regulating private landlords is not the answer to Glasgow’s housing crisis.”