Repairs Group

Our members are tenants and residents from across the city and we meet regularly to discuss the Council’s repairs service and what improvements we would like to see made. We then meet with the Council and Edinburgh Building Services to try and progress this.

In 2007 a group of tenants visited Repairs Direct and Edinburgh Building Services to learn more about the back office operations that aim to ensure that tenants’ repairs are carried out promptly and efficiently. Earlier this year we visited a number of empty properties to learn how Edinburgh Building Services prepares houses ready for new tenants moving in. On both visits we were able to tell staff how it feels being a tenant in that situation, and make recommendations for changes and improvements in the process.

This summer a group of tenants from Edinburgh Tenants Federation carried out a Tenant-Led Inspection of the repairs reporting process. Tenants decided what to inspect and what they were looking for. Over a four week period they spoke to tenants, listened to calls at Repairs Direct, visited local offices to test out the phones there, and spoke to staff at the local offices and concierge offices. They then wrote a report of their observations and recommendations. This was presented to the Council in October and staff from the Council, Repairs Direct and Edinburgh Building Services are now working together to draw up an action plan to implement our recommendations.

If you would like to be involved with this group contact Nikki Thomson in the Federation office or email her at nikki@edinburghtenants.org.uk