Roles and responsibilities
Property factor
We may be registered as the property factor for your building. This means we manage the common parts of your block, including:
- stairwells and lifts
- common services
- the building structure and roof.
As your property factor, we can arrange repairs and handle maintenance on behalf of owners as well as manage budgets, collect payments and communicate with you.
If you own a property factored by the Council, you will have received a 'written statement of services'. This explains our role and the specific services we provide for your building. The written statement of service should be read in conjunction with your property schedule. The property schedule details information regarding your own shared block, including the core and non-core services the Council will provide for the management of your block as property factor.
Important: Being the property factor does not mean we automatically carry out repair work at our own cost. In most cases, owners must first agree to work on the common parts and confirm they will pay for them. Without this agreement, we have no obligation to proceed with works. As property factor, we act as a spokesperson and agent for the owners.
Owner of flats
If we own a flat in a multi-storey block, we are subject to the same regulations as any other owner in the block. This means:
- we can be served with planning, building, or other enforcement notices
- we are responsible for maintaining and repairing our own flats
- we must contribute to the upkeep and maintenance of the building's common parts.
The Council has no greater obligation than any other owner to maintain the common parts or initiate repairs.
Landlord
We are a public sector landlord with specific legal obligations for council tenants. These duties are set out in laws governing public sector tenancies.
We're legally required to ensure that properties are wind and watertight, and fit for habitation for council tenants at the beginning of a lease, and to maintain it in that condition throughout the tenancy.
If you are a council tenant, you can find out more about support and advice that is available to you.
Regulatory authority
We are Edinburgh's local government authority. As well as providing services, we perform regulatory functions including:
- acting as the planning authority
- enforcing planning and building regulations
- investigating breaches
- taking enforcement action when required.
We have specific powers to deal with dangerous and defective buildings (or parts of buildings) in the city. Under various laws, we can issue notices requiring homeowners to carry out work to bring a property up to the required standard. If you don't comply with a notice, we may carry out the work ourselves and recover the costs from you. These statutory powers apply to all homeowners in Edinburgh.