An act of the Scottish government covers common repairs to a tenement.
When you hear the word “tenement,” you might first picture a three- or four-story sandstone building. However, it’s important to understand that a tenement is any building that has two or more flats stacked on top of each other. This means the term can refer to a range of structures beyond just the traditional image. Houses converted into flats, high-rise buildings, and new apartment blocks are all classified as tenements and are subject to shared repairs.
The law
The Tenement Management Scheme:
- explains what maintenance counts as common repair to a tenement.
- lists the ‘scheme property’ (the parts of the tenement every flat owner should maintain).
- tells you how to come to agreements about maintenance (known as ‘scheme decisions’).
- This information outlines the equitable distribution of maintenance costs among owners, ensuring everyone shares the responsibility fairly.
Common insurance
- It is important to have insurance for your property and share the common areas to ensure your financial security and support the community. When the time comes to rebuild the tenement, you want to be fully prepared to make a meaningful contribution.
You can find detailed information on the Scottish Government’s website.
Help from the City of Edinburgh Council
Edinburgh has a Shared Repairs Service offers free advice and information to help owners organise repairs to their property’s shared or common areas. The service’s contact details are below.