What is the Mixed Tenure Improvement Service and how can we change it?
The Mixed Tenure Improvement Service (MTIS) is a City of Edinburgh Council programme aiming to carry out repairs and energy efficiency upgrades on blocks of flats in mixed-tenure areas, where some flats are council-owned and others are privately owned. Work can include roof replacement, external wall insulation, stair repairs, and window and door replacements. Depending on how many flats the Council owns in your block, private owners may have little or no vote on whether the work goes ahead, and costs even after grants can run to tens of thousands of pounds per flat.
MTIS started in Wester Hailes in 2021, expanded to Lochend in 2023 and Magdalene in 2024. Edinburgh Council plans to expand the programme to other areas of the city. If you live in an area affected by MTIS you don't have to face this alone.
Living Rent has been organising residents in Lochend and Restalrig affected by MTIS since 2023. We, owners and tenants in Lochend, understand the process, question the Council's approach, and push back against unfair costs and excluding residents from the process. So far, we have won better protections for private tenants, secured 0% interest payment plans, and helped owners get redress when works damaged their properties. We are currently challenging high costs, high management fees, contractor accountability for their work on site, lack of long term maintenance planning and how works are signed off.
- You can see our open letter to the council in 2024 here: Insulate Lochend Fairly
- Members compiled a report to the MTIS operations team, which you can read here: MTIS Operations Report
- Members complied a report to the Just Transition Commission, which you can read here: Lochend MTIS: A Retrofit Case Study
Join us if you haven’t already, at https://www.livingrent.org/join to keep up the pressure for more wins for our homes and our neighbourhoods.
