Tenement selling
Selling a tenement flat in Edinburgh
Most Edinburgh homes share a roof, a stair and a back green with somebody else. That is where tenement sales slow down — not in the rooms a buyer walks through, but in the common repair that was agreed two years ago, the factor's account nobody has requested, and the chimney stack shared with three other flats. These pages explain how shared ownership and shared repair work in Scotland, and what to have in order before you market.
About Lothian Property
An independent starting point, not an estate agency
Lothian Property is an independent property information and introduction service. We are not an estate agency. We help homeowners understand their property, their options and their local market, and — where appropriate and only with your permission — introduce them to independent estate agents and other property professionals who can assist.
How Lothian Property worksThe four things sellers ask about
Common repairs before you sell
Outstanding common repairs are the single most common reason a tenement sale slows down. What counts as common, how costs are split, and what to settle before marketing.
Shared roofs and chimneys
A shared roof is the biggest single liability in a tenement sale. How responsibility works, what the Home Report surveyor looks for, and how to evidence a sound roof.
Property factors and the sale
What your factor must provide, how the Property Factors (Scotland) Act protects you, and the statements a buyer's solicitor will ask for.
Preparing a shared-building flat
The close, the back green, the bin store and the bike in the stair. What actually needs doing to a shared building before photographs and viewings.
Common questions
- What counts as a tenement in Scotland?
- Legally, any building of two or more flats divided horizontally and in separate ownership — so a modern block, a converted villa and a Victorian stair all qualify under the Tenements (Scotland) Act 2004, not only the classic Edinburgh stone stair.
- Is selling a flat in a shared building different from selling a house?
- The legal process is the same, but a flat brings shared elements into it: title burdens, common repair liability, a factor's account and the state of the close. Most of the extra work is documentary and is best done before marketing.
- Does Lothian Property sell tenement flats?
- No. We publish property information and, with your permission, can introduce you to a solicitor estate agent, surveyor or other professional who carries out the work. We are not an estate agent and take no part in marketing or negotiating a sale.