Charged with managing repairs that applied to all flats in traditional tenements or any other shared properties, the department was found to have been favouring certain contractors as well as overcharging owners and much more. The wrongdoing was so substantial that it was decided to get rid of the whole department.
However, we felt strongly that Edinburgh residents and landlords needed some kind of authority to co-ordinate repairs, as it would simply be unrealistic and unfair to leave this work to individual home owners. Ironically, it is the council that is best placed to deal with co-ordinating those repairs as it holds data of registered landlords, council tax payers (i.e. tenants) and council tenants alike and should therefore be in a position to contact all involved easily.
Be that as it may, it is the council that has now announced its Shared Repairs Service is due to launch on Tuesday tasked with providing "advice and information to owners through the process of organising repairs from finding a contractor to arranging payment".
The council also retains its powers of statutory notice, maintaining the current 24/7 emergency repairs service. Plus there is talk about expanding the council's responsibilities once more over the next few months.
So what does it mean for you? As a landlord, we will look after your property, including any liaison with other landlords in the same stair. As a home owner in Edinburgh, you have an instance for support once more and it will hopefully prove to be more accountable than its predecessor.
However, we felt strongly that Edinburgh residents and landlords needed some kind of authority to co-ordinate repairs, as it would simply be unrealistic and unfair to leave this work to individual home owners. Ironically, it is the council that is best placed to deal with co-ordinating those repairs as it holds data of registered landlords, council tax payers (i.e. tenants) and council tenants alike and should therefore be in a position to contact all involved easily.
Be that as it may, it is the council that has now announced its Shared Repairs Service is due to launch on Tuesday tasked with providing "advice and information to owners through the process of organising repairs from finding a contractor to arranging payment".
The council also retains its powers of statutory notice, maintaining the current 24/7 emergency repairs service. Plus there is talk about expanding the council's responsibilities once more over the next few months.
So what does it mean for you? As a landlord, we will look after your property, including any liaison with other landlords in the same stair. As a home owner in Edinburgh, you have an instance for support once more and it will hopefully prove to be more accountable than its predecessor.
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