Looking after your property

If you are an owner of a house or flat you are responsible for looking after that property. Having a maintenance plan in place can help you prepare for future works to your property.

All owners are responsible for maintaining their properties. Owners of flats may also have responsibility for other parts of the building that are in shared ownership.

Carrying out regular maintenance and small repairs to a property can help to offset larger works and associated costs at a future date. It is good practice to put a plan in place to make sure maintenance works are regularly carried out to any property in your ownership and to any common areas. Your title deeds may require you to appoint a factoring agent to oversee any common works. 

If you need help to deal with repair and maintenance, advice and assistance is available from the council. More information on the help we can provide to owners is available on the Scheme of Assistance page.

Where no action is taken by owners

New powers introduced by the Housing (Scotland) Act 2006 allow the council to take action against owners who fail to carry out maintenance to their properties. These powers can be used where an owner is failing to maintain their property to a 'reasonable standard'. It is intended that these powers will be used where major maintenance works are identified, not for minor works such as gardens, paths or fences.

Where a maintenance order is served owners will be required to put in place a maintenance plan. The plan will specify when and how maintenance is to be carried out and will require to be implemented over a five-year period. 

Factoring details

The Property Factors Scotland Act provides a public Property Factor Register which can be searched to find out who the property factor is for a certain property address or area of land

For addressees where North Lanarkshire Council is named as the factor, it should be noted the council is not employed in the role of factor by the owners of the above property nor retains any monies from owners in this regard. The council, when proposing or organising any potential works to mixed tenure blocks would be acting in its role as simply another owner of at least one other property in a block.

If you require any further information on addresses for which North Lanarkshire Council is named as factor, please email investmentowners@northlan.gov.uk.