How Do Owners Approve Major Common Repairs in Scotland?
Owners approving major common repairs in Scotland need to establish what work is required, who is responsible and how a valid decision must be made. Start with the title deeds and relevant legal rules, then give owners a clear proposal covering the scope, costs and next steps before recording the decision.
A quick show of hands can leave important questions unanswered. For an Edinburgh tenement facing roof or stonework repairs, the quality of the information matters as much as the meeting itself.
Establish the repair before asking for approval
Begin with evidence of the problem. Photographs, inspection findings and an appropriate professional assessment can help explain what needs attention and why.
A report of water entering a top-floor flat identifies a symptom. It does not establish whether the answer is a local repair, wider roof work or further investigation. Asking owners to approve an unclear solution risks confusion when quotations arrive.
Set out what is known, what remains uncertain and whether the immediate decision concerns investigation or the repair itself.
Check who can make the decision
Title deeds can set out responsibilities, cost shares and decision-making arrangements. Where they are incomplete, the applicable statutory rules need to be considered. Do not assume that every building uses the same voting threshold or that every owner pays an equal share.
The Scottish Parliament’s guide to flat maintenance explains this framework. If the position is unclear, obtain legal advice before relying on a decision.
An owners’ association helps organise discussion, but its existence alone does not settle its authority to instruct work.
Give everyone the same proposal
A useful decision pack should include:
- The defect and the evidence supporting the proposed repair.
- The recommended scope and any alternatives.
- Comparable quotations or the basis of an estimate.
- Each owner’s proposed share and payment arrangements.
- Relevant professional fees and other project costs.
- The decision requested and how owners can respond.
Explain exclusions and uncertainties. A price that omits scaffolding or investigation is difficult to compare with one that includes them.
Allow owners to raise questions through a clear contact route. Keep written answers available to everyone, including owners who cannot attend a meeting.
Record what owners actually approved
A decision record should identify the proposal considered, the responses received, the outcome and the next action. Retain the supporting documents so the decision remains understandable months later.
Be specific about any spending limit and how changes will be handled. Approval for a defined repair should not be treated as unlimited permission for a substantially different project.
Send the outcome to all relevant owners, including those who did not attend. Include the agreed next step and a contact for queries, so nobody has to rely on a neighbour’s recollection.
Agree who will communicate with the contractor and who will update owners. The factor’s authority and the agreed service determine its role; professional advisers may also be needed.
Make the financial position clear
Before planned work is instructed, establish how it will be funded and when payments are needed. An approved proposal and available funds are separate practical requirements.
If an owner raises an affordability concern, address it early through the appropriate process. Avoid promising that other owners will cover a shortfall or that a reserve fund can be used without checking its rules.
Our factoring service for homeowners supports the coordination of shared property responsibilities. Clear records and communication help owners understand the decisions in front of them.
Questions owners ask about major common repairs
What counts as a major common repair?
There is no single price threshold that describes every major repair for every building. Roof renewal, substantial stonework and replacement of shared installations can involve significant cost and coordination. Check the nature of the work, the building’s decision rules and the factor’s delegated authority. The description “major” does not itself determine the approval process.
Can one owner request quotations?
An owner can raise a concern and seek information, but obtaining a quotation is different from authorising work on everyone’s behalf. Agree who is coordinating enquiries so contractors receive a consistent scope and owners avoid duplicated effort. Before any commitment is made, establish the authority required and whether professional input would help define the repair.
Do all owners need to agree?
Not every repair requires unanimity, but a simple majority should not be assumed to cover every situation either. The answer depends on the title deeds, applicable law and the decision being proposed. A repair and an improvement can raise different questions. Ask for the basis of the decision process to be explained before votes are collected.
Can emergency work start before a meeting?
Urgent action can be necessary to protect people or prevent damage, subject to the applicable legal rules and authority to act. Owners should be told what has happened, what action was taken and what follows. Making an immediate hazard safe does not automatically authorise a wider programme of permanent works without further consideration.
Start with a clear conversation
If your building is facing a substantial shared repair, contact Factors Direct with the issue, available reports and your current management arrangements. Our Property Factor Register guide can also help owners considering a new factor understand the checks to make.
