The audit committee will be updated this week on the challenges which will emerge from the council’s attempts to bring back void properties into use, The Press and Journal reports.

With more than 22,000 homes in Aberdeen belonging to Aberdeen City Council, it has recruited an empty homes officer to help it bring back some of the empty homes into use.

A report to the members of the council said: “There are currently more than 2,000 long term empty homes across the city. The Council Tax (Variation for Unoccupied Dwellings) (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2016 allow local authorities to charge increased council tax on certain homes that have been empty for one year or more.

“The power contained in the regulations is intended as an additional tool to help local authorities encourage owners to bring empty properties back into use, both to increase the supply of housing for those who need homes and to reduce the blight on communities caused by homes being left empty and allowed to fall into disrepair.”

Aberdeen councillors will hear the £50,000 from the fund has been assigned to allow the council to establish an empty homes loan fund to get properties lived in once more.