An app that helps homeowners that live in shared buildings to report any damage, as well as listing traders that are trusted by the council is to be rolled out in two other councils, following a successful first year.
City of Edinburgh Council began using the app in April 2021, just over a year ago, and has seen the number of properties reporting damage double, leading to it now being adopted by the Perth and Kinross Council and East Ayrshire Council to support homeowners in their areas.
City of Edinburgh Council’s finances and resources convener, Councillor Mandy Watt, said:
“Edinburgh is leading the way in this work in Scotland, and it is great news that two other councils are now about to launch it in their area as well. Our shared repairs team is doing a fantastic job helping people who live in shared buildings through the steps they need to take to carry out repairs to their properties. The app helps people take greater control of the process. It’s very accessible and easy to use.
Edinburgh has around 170,000 tenement flats and other shared buildings with multiple owners. It’s great to see so many property owners already engaging with the app. As many of these buildings are in need of urgent repair.
The feedback I’m getting is that without the app, some people say they wouldn’t have had the confidence to approach neighbours and get the repairs done, or the process would have taken a lot longer due to communication breakdowns and uncertainty about the correct course of action.”
Over 500 tenement buildings are currently using the app, with 5,000 properties getting £700,000 worth of repairs that range from replacing locks, to repairing roofs.
