Moray Council is to review its policy of handing over control of buildings it owns to public groups.
The move comes amid fears that the rules over “community asset transfers” are currently not clear enough.
The policy has seen several buildings handed over to the public in recent months as the council looks to cut its overheads.
The list of transferred buildings includes the Tollbooth in Forres, the old railway building in Aberlour and Tomintoul Museum.
However, the local authority is now seeking to clarify its own rules following a bid by the Out of the Darkness Theatre Company to take over former council offices in Academy Street, Elgin.
The theatre company is currently looking for new premises as renovation work continues at its usual home in Elgin Town Hall.
However, although the council has agreed to give a short-term lease to the theatre company, it has stopped short of agreeing to transfer the building permanently.
Council leader Allan Wright stated that such a transfer would give him “cause for concern” as the building is a valuable asset worth an estimated £340,000.
He said: “Good as this theatre company are, I’m concerned that if we decide to effectively give them a £340,000 grant, we could have a queue of similar applications.”
Mr Wright added that the council now needed to clarify its own rules over exactly what type of buildings could be transferred.
The step was required, he said, so that community groups do not waste time and money preparing detailed business plans to take over premises that are not available.
The opening of the new £4million annexe building two years ago left the council with seven offices lying empty across Elgin.
However, these have all been either sold or leased out, with the exception of 19/23 High Street which is due to placed on the market for sale next month.