Edinburgh Council's flagship retrofit scheme, the Mixed Tenure Improvement Service (MTIS), is being rolled out across working-class areas of the city — but it has landed owners in huge amounts of debt, forced tenants out through eviction, and ignored council tenants' needs.

Energy prices, extreme weather and leaky homes are a problem for our communities. We need homes that can stay warm and cool, and that are maintained, not falling apart.

Retrofitting homes (from insulation, to heat pumps, to solar panels) is vital. But crucially, this process needs to be fair, just and affordable and done with residents, not to them.

Why the scheme needs to change:

• The Council sets cost and timeline, with no real decision-making power for owners or tenants

• In "council majority" blocks, works go ahead regardless of how owners vote — leaving people billed £15,000–£40,000

• In "council minority" blocks, a "no" vote from owners means council tenants miss out on repairs their neighbours receive

• Either way, residents lose — landlords pass costs on to tenants through rent hikes or eviction

• Poor-quality work has left roofs open during rainstorms and flooded homes, and in March 2026 we learned the Council has no long-term maintenance plan for these buildings at all

Retrofitting our homes cannot mean debt, eviction and disempowerment. We're demanding a just transition to energy efficient, warm homes  — one that's fairly-costed, responsible, and democratically delivered.

Together, we must make sure Edinburgh Council deliver a fair, affordable and democratic retrofit scheme for residents in Lochend and beyond.