If you live in any kind of building containing flats, you have rights and responsibilities, along with your co-owners, to maintain and manage common repairs in your building.
An example of what you might write on the Simple Procedure claim form. You can
If your factor uses an in-house trades firm, you may wonder how the factor ensures value for money. There are of course benefits in using an in-house firm. It avoids…
You need to get together a long list of potential tradespeople and then check out the firms to reach your shortlist. Ask your shortlisted trade firms to give you a…
Repairs are inevitable and need to be tackled quickly before more damage is caused leading to bigger bills, possibly affecting the value of your property. Grants for repairs are seldom…
Gardens can be a very useful asset for your building and some good plans for improving buildings often come out of owners' discussions over a back garden BBQ. But who…
If you don't know the condition of your building, you don't know how to prioritise repairs. A survey can give an objective assessment of the issues for you and your…
Many areas have local advice centres where you can go to talk through difficulties you're facing. Money advice Finding a money advice centre near you Free legal advice Free legal…
If you need an educated guess about what a repair will cost, ask for an estimate. If you want a considered, fixed price, ask for a quote. Putting together a…
You have a legal responsibility to consider health and safety matters on every building contract. If you employ a professional to manage building work, they will take over all these…
Your council has a number of powers it can use to enforce repairs. However, not every council has the resources to do so. This can stop a council from taking…
Sometimes, the need for repair is obvious, such as when you have a damp patch. However, planned repairs can save you money - a stitch in time saves nine. Even…
In the summer of 2017, the Scottish Government carried out a review of the Property Factors (Scotland) Act 2011. This is a summary of what they found. Since the Property…
Repairs for which a single owner is responsible are called 'individual repairs'. These are generally the inside of the flat, doors to individual flats, and windows. Repairs for which a…
You need formal agreement from your co-owners at specific points in commissioning a repair. But, it is also good practice to keep everyone posted of progress throughout the repair process.…
You and your fellow co-owners can agree to divide shares differently to what is stated in the titles. Ideally, you should all sign an agreement that you are going to…
Insurance premiums can make up a large part of your factoring fee, so you'll want to check you are getting the best deal. By law, every flat owner must carry adequate…
Opinions on what is noisy can vary, so the Scottish Government has set out guidelines for councils to follow. You can check noise levels yourself with a smartphone app, but…
What to do when a flat is owned by a couple or a partnership. As always, check your title deeds on this matter. If there is nothing there, then the rules of…
Maintaining a common bank account to hold advance payments for repairs is recommended. This account could be managed by your owners' association or property manager. Creating a Building Reserve Fund…
Keeping the common areas clean is part of your maintenance obligations. These obligations are set out in law and in your title deeds. Like common repairs, you are almost always…
A list of the legal terms you may find in your title deeds or may need if you use Simple Procedures. Arranged alphabetically. Where a term is in italics, it…
You need to check your title deeds to see if they define what 'repairs' and 'improvements' are for your building. Title deeds are often very vague on these issues, especially those…
Some parts of the building are shared between some, but not all, owners. Typically, these are parts of the building that only some owners use. The owners that don't have…
Owners are responsible for paying for repairs from the time a properly agreed decision to go ahead with work is reached. However, if an owner sells and moves, it may…
Meetings are the best means of communicating with owners as everyone gets a chance to ask questions and share their point of view. You don't necessarily need a meeting to…
An owners' association is a formal arrangement between the owners of your building. It arranges regular meetings to discuss how your building will be managed and maintained. By 'formal' we…
Repairs are inevitable and need to be tackled quickly before more damage is caused. Ideally, you will have saved a cash reserve for such occasions. Otherwise, you will need to…
The police can take action (and seek a conviction) on any antisocial behaviour which is a criminal offence. Antisocial behaviour which can be considered criminal includes: vandalism attacking another person…
One of the biggest changes to tenement and flat living in the past few years has been the increase in the number of flats which are rented out rather than…
Check your contract with the builder to see what scope you have for complaints. Use their complaints procedure first, and then escalate to their trade association complaints procedure (if they…
Your tenement may have a basement, sometimes used for living accommodation or sometimes used for storage, cellars or wash-houses. These buildings will often also have a 'dunny' between the basement…
Adding insulation and draught-proofing can save money and the planet but in…
Recent research suggests that traditional solid stone or brick walls provide better…
Flat roofs can be found on buildings of all ages. They can…
On stone tenements, asphalt roofs are found on: 'high backs' - raised backcourt…
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