Page 26 - January 2024
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Helping                                                                                                                                  EXPERT ADVICE





                                            historical homes                                Traditional  tenement  buildings  (i.e.,  those   Proposed changes to the laws of
                                                                                                                                     tenement maintenance
                                                                                            built before 1919) are also at greater risk of
                                                                                            developing damp and mould, which can be   The  Edinburgh  Building  Retrofit  and
                                                                                            difficult and expensive to put right.    Improvement  Collective  is  a  group  of
                  The laws around tenement maintenance are changing                                                                  organisations dedicated to improving the
                             – what do you need to know?                                    However,  repairs  aren’t  always  easy  to   quality  of  life  for  Edinburgh  tenement
                                                                                            arrange,  particularly  when  it  comes  to   homeowners, by improving the buildings
                                                                                            those required in the common areas of the   they call home. The group has made some
         f you have ever lived in Edinburgh, it’s very   What are the current issues?       tenement  building.  Owners  of  tenement   proposals  to  the  Scottish  Government
         likely that, at some point, you might have   Across  Scotland,  traditional  properties,  such   flats  are  jointly  responsible  with  their     surrounding   changes   to   tenement
      Ilived in a tenement flat.            as tenement flats, are generally in a poor and   co-owners to maintain the common parts   maintenance law:
                                            failing  condition,  due  to  decades  of  neglect   of the building, namely those that provide
       Scotland is famous for its traditional tenement   and general weathering. Roofs, windows,   support and shelter.              Building inspections
       buildings,  and  in  Edinburgh,  it’s  estimated   chimneys,  stonework  and  plumbing  that’s                                The “scheme property” of all tenements
       that  tenement-style  properties  make  up   hundreds of years old can cause myriad issues   There  are  other  issues  in  the  pipeline  for   should be inspected every five years and
       around  two-thirds  of  its  total  housing  stock.   with the building’s structure, and inappropriate   tenement owners to consider too; with the   a  report  made  available  to  existing  or
       Many  of  these  are  located  across  the  city’s   repairs  can  exacerbate  many  issues,  such  as   Scottish Government’s current consultation   prospective owners and tenants, as well
       World Heritage sites, making them incredibly   the common ‘fix’ of using cement in tenement   on the Heating in Buildings Bill and other   as neighbours and policymakers.
       important  to  the  history  of  the  Capital,  and   brickwork  or  pointing,  which  can  affect   announcements  to  be  made  around  the
       therefore essential to conserve.     breathability and cause leaks, mould and other   EPC  certification  of  properties.  Tenement   Establishing compulsory owners’
                                            damp issues.                                    owners are likely to be faced with difficulties
       There  have  been  new  laws  proposed                                               and expenses when it comes to retrofitting   associations
       surrounding  tenement  maintenance  and   Largely, many tenement owners are unaware   and  the  transition  to  making  properties   The  collective  believes  that  owners’
       timely repairs, so if you own a tenement flat,   of  the  extent  of  the  damage  facing  their   closer to net zero.        associations  are  essential,  by  providing
       read on to find out how this could affect you   properties, until they are forced to act – perhaps                            leadership,  effective  decision-making,
       and your property.                   from a sudden leak, or a dangerous stone fall.   What help is available?                 and  the  ability  of  groups  to  enter  into
                                                                                            The dedicated tenement repair and retrofit   contracts.
                                            Stone  falls  (where  parts  of  a  stone  building,   support  organisation  Under  One  Roof
                                            such  as  a  tenement,  literally  fall  off  the   offers help and advice to tenement owners.   There are complex policy and technical
                                            building on to the street below) are sadly more   There are also several grants available from   issues in introducing legislation to create
                                            common than ever in Edinburgh. There were       Edinburgh World Heritage, which can  fund   this model, which are being reviewed by
                                            143 dangerous buildings reported to Edinburgh   traditional, appropriate repairs to properties   the Scottish Law Commission and will be
                                            City Council as of November 2023, following on   that sit within Edinburgh’s World Heritage   recommended  to  Parliament  within  the
                                            from a count of 201 reported the previous year.   sites and their immediate vicinity.    next two years.

                                            Sudden leaks are considered part and parcel     For tenement owners looking to improve   Establishment of Building Reserve
                                            of  tenement  life,  but  according  to  experts,   their  home’s  environmental  impact,   Funds
                                            this shouldn’t be the case. Water ingress can   Edinburgh  World  Heritage’s  Climate    Common  in  Europe,  this  goes  hand-in-
                                            cause rot throughout the property, and is also   Change Emergency Grant opens its third   hand with the establishment of owners’
                                            an  expensive  fix.  It  can  be  caused  by  many   round  of  funding  in  2024.  Owners  of     associations. A minimum amount is paid
                                            things: from blocked gutters to ageing piping,   pre-1919 buildings can apply for funding for   into a jointly owned bank account for the
                                            roof slates and stonework, all of which can be   energy efficiency improvements, alongside   ongoing maintenance of the communal
                                            ignored for years by homeowners.                conservation repairs.                    building.


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