Meeting the Repairing Standard

The short answer

The Repairing Standard is the legal minimum condition for a private let in Scotland. The property must be wind and watertight, its structure and installations in proper working order, fixtures and appliances safe, alarms fitted and working, and — since March 2024 — safe kitchen, common door entry and residual current device provision included. Tenants who believe it is not met can apply to the First-tier Tribunal.

What the work involves

A landlord works through each element in turn — structure and exterior, water, gas, electricity, sanitary fittings, heating, alarms, fixed appliances — records the condition with dated photographs, and fixes what falls short before the tenancy starts and whenever it slips during the let.

Rules and responsibilities in Scotland

The standard sits in the Housing (Scotland) Act 2006 as amended. It applies for the whole tenancy, not just at the start, and the landlord must inspect before a tenancy begins. Failure can lead to a Repairing Standard Enforcement Order from the First-tier Tribunal (Housing and Property Chamber) and, ultimately, a rent relief order.

What commonly goes wrong

Treating the standard as a one-off pre-let checklist rather than a continuing duty, and having no dated evidence when a tenant later disputes the condition at handover.

What it usually costs

Indicative ranges only, to help you judge a quote. They are not an estimate for your property — only the business doing the work can give you that.

• Bringing an older flat up to standard is usually driven by heating, electrical and alarm work rather than cosmetic items.
• A pre-let condition inspection by a surveyor or letting agent costs far less than a tribunal-ordered scheme of works.
• Elements added in 2024 — RCD protection, safe kitchen food-preparation space, common door entry — catch out older stock most often.

What to do, in order

1. 1Inspect the property against each element of the standard before advertising it.
2. 2Photograph every room, the meter, alarms and the heating system with dates.
3. 3Fix anything failing, and keep the invoice with the file.
4. 4Repeat the inspection at least annually and after any tenant repair report.
5. 5Keep gas, electrical and alarm certificates together in one compliance pack.

Local detail for the Lothians

• Edinburgh's large pre-1919 rented stock means single-glazed sash windows, older wiring and shared stair repairs are the usual failure points.
• Tenement common repairs affect the standard even though they are shared: a leaking common roof still makes the flat below fail.
• The City of Edinburgh Council's private rented services team deals with reports about condition alongside the Tribunal route.
• Coastal East Lothian lets need more frequent external checks for wind and watertightness.

When you need a professional

A chartered surveyor can carry out a Repairing Standard inspection, and a solicitor should be involved once a tribunal application has been made.

Common questions

How often does a landlord need to check the Repairing Standard?

Before the tenancy begins and at regular intervals during it. Most landlords inspect annually, and again whenever a tenant reports something that could affect the standard.

Does the Repairing Standard cover common parts of a tenement?

The duty applies to the let property, but defects in common parts that affect it — a leaking roof or unsafe stair lighting — still have to be pursued with the other owners.

Related pages

• The annual property inspection

  What to look at on a periodic inspection, how to record it, and how to raise issues with tenants.

• Handling tenant repair reports

  A repair reporting process that keeps tenancies calm and evidences the landlord's response.

• EICR and electrical safety

  The five-yearly electrical installation condition report and portable appliance checks in a let.