Updates

Diarmid Mogg is the founder and curator of the project Tenement Town, a website where he posts photographs of old tenement doorways in Edinburgh and the stories of the people who once lived there.  

Earlier this year, the Scottish Government announced a series of updates to the existing Repairing Standard that will be enforceable from 1st March 2024. The Repairing Standard covers the legal and contractual obligations of private landlords to ensure their property or properties meet the minimum physical standard of repair.

During autumn and winter, tenement buildings and flats often face more common maintenance issues. Keep reading to find out what to look out for to protect your property and maintain its value this winter.

Owning a tenement flat in Scotland comes with certain responsibilities and considerations. Sometimes, it can be hard to know where to start. We’ve compiled a list of six things that every flat owner can do to ensure they’re meeting their obligations. 

The Novoville Shared Repairs app was developed in partnership with the City of Edinburgh Council and launched in 2021 to help make the shared repairs process smoother. This month we have a guest article from the creators of Novoville Shared Repairs, explaining the reasoning behind the app and its key features that help make shared repairs more manageable.

Organising common repairs can be time consuming and stressful, and the common repairs process can be difficult to navigate. Following proper procedures is a critical element in the repairs process, and is essential should you need external help from your local council or if you need to take legal action.

All flat owners in a tenement building have a responsibility to maintain and manage the building. This includes their individual flat as well as the exterior and common parts of the building, such as the close and stairs, the roof, the external walls, and the foundations.

In our June newsletter and on our social media, we asked for information and tips from tenement owners who have successfully set up an owners’ association. We received several responses and one owner agreed to be interviewed about their experience.

In any tenement building, the owners are responsible for the management and maintenance of their building. If no factor has been appointed to help maintain and manage the building, then the owners will need to self-factor.

All owners of tenement flats should have adequate building insurance. For landlords, building insurance is a legal requirement under the Tenements (Scotland) Act 2004. Not having an insurance policy can result in landlords failing to fulfil their legal obligations, facing significant costs if damage occurs to the property, and potentially legal action against them.