Statutory notice & shared tenement roof work
Statutory notice work is roof and building repair ordered by the City of Edinburgh Council on shared tenement buildings, where the cost is split between all the owners. It is one of the most common roofing jobs in Edinburgh's tenement and conservation stock.
What statutory notice work actually involves
When a roof, chimney or stretch of stonework on a shared building becomes dangerous or starts letting in water, the City of Edinburgh Council can serve a statutory notice requiring the owners to put it right. Because roofs and chimneys are common parts of a tenement, the repair is a shared one and the bill is divided across every flat in the building. That is where most of the difficulty lies: the roofing is straightforward, but coordinating owners, agreeing the scope and apportioning the cost fairly is not.
We have worked across Edinburgh's tenements since 1996 (and our founder since 1983), so we know how these jobs run in practice. We survey the defect, quote it per share, carry out the work to the standard a conservation-area building deserves, and keep every owner informed from start to finish. The aim is to take the friction out of a process that can otherwise drag on for months.
How the cost is shared between owners
The split between flats usually follows your title deeds. Where the deeds are silent, the Tenements (Scotland) Act 2004 applies, dividing common repair costs either equally per flat or by floor area. A simple majority of owners can authorise common work under that Act, so a single absent owner does not have to hold up the whole building. We give you a clear, itemised quotation broken down per share, so each owner sees exactly what they are paying for and why it was needed.
Throughout the job we produce a detailed, dated photo report: the defect before work starts, the work in progress, and the finished repair. That record is what lets owners and factors apportion the cost fairly, settle any questions about what was genuinely necessary, and support an insurance claim or a future sale.
What's included
- Council-ordered and voluntary shared tenement repairs
- Joint roof, chimney, gutter and stonework works on common parts
- Per-share itemised quotations so each owner sees their cost
- Owner and property factor liaison, end to end
- Detailed, dated photo reporting for fair cost apportionment
- Matched materials and detailing for conservation-area buildings
- Free, no-obligation survey and a fixed written quote
Working with owners and factors
Some buildings have a property factor or managing agent; many older Edinburgh tenements do not, and the owners deal with repairs between themselves. Either way, we can act as the single point of contact, dealing with the factor or a nominated owner, gathering the consents needed and keeping everyone informed. If you have had a notice served, or you can see a shared problem coming, the cheapest thing to do is act early. Read our guide on the signs your roof needs attention, see how a photo record helps with roof insurance claims, or book a free survey and we will tell you exactly where you stand.
Common questions
What is a statutory notice in Edinburgh?
A statutory notice is an order from the City of Edinburgh Council requiring owners of a building to carry out repairs that affect safety or the fabric of the property. On shared tenements the cost is divided between all the owners, usually according to each flat's share as set out in the title deeds. The council can serve a notice where a roof, chimney or stonework has become dangerous or is letting in water and the owners have not acted.
Who pays for statutory notice roof repairs?
The owners do, between them. Roofs, chimneys, common stairs and external walls are nearly always shared (common) parts of a tenement, so the bill is split across every flat in the building. The split usually follows the title deeds, or failing that the Tenements (Scotland) Act 2004, which divides common repair costs equally per flat or by floor area. We give you a clear, itemised quotation broken down per share so each owner can see exactly what they owe and why.
Do all the owners have to agree before the work starts?
For a shared repair under the Tenements (Scotland) Act, a simple majority of owners can authorise common work, so you do not need every flat to say yes. Where the council has served a notice, the obligation to repair already sits on all the owners regardless. We handle the practical side, surveying the defect, quoting per share and liaising with owners and factors, so the building can move forward without one absent or reluctant owner stalling the whole job.
Can you deal with our factor on a shared repair?
Yes. We work alongside property factors and managing agents across Edinburgh every week, and we are happy to deal directly with yours, or with a nominated owner where there is no factor. We provide the survey, the dated photo report and the per-share costings the factor needs to instruct the work and recover the money fairly from each owner.
Why do you take dated photo reports on shared jobs?
Because shared repairs are as much about evidence as roofing. A detailed, dated photo report shows the defect before work starts, the work in progress and the finished repair. That record helps owners and factors apportion the cost fairly, settle any disputes about what was genuinely needed, and support an insurance claim or a sale where the buyer's solicitor asks what was done to the roof.
Do you cover all of Edinburgh's tenement areas?
Yes. From our Leith HQ at 20 Gordon Street we cover the whole of Edinburgh and every EH postcode area, including the tenement and conservation stock of the New Town, Old Town, Marchmont, Bruntsfield, Stockbridge, Leith and beyond, plus the Lothians and Fife. Much of this housing sits within a conservation area, so we match materials and detailing to the building's period.
Need this done properly?
A free, no-obligation survey and a fixed written quote from Edinburgh's award-winning family roofers.