Tenants in Nisbet and Hawkhill Court deserve better. After years of neglect, it is time to demand action from Edinburgh Council. Add your name to the collective letter and answer four questions about how you can build the campaign. Living Rent is Scotland's Tenant and Community Union - it is a member led union fighting to defend the interests of ordinary people. 

Collective Letter from residents in Nisbet and Hawkhill Court: Urgent Action Required for Unsafe and Substandard Homes 

Dear Paul Lawrence,

CC: Gareth Barwell (Interim Executive Director of Place), Graeme Reid (Head of High Rise), and members of the Housing, Homelessness, and Fair Work Committee

Your tenants and residents of Hawkhill and Nisbet Court are writing to you in your capacity as Chief Executive of the City of Edinburgh Council with the following reasonable demands regarding inadequate living conditions and cost of living in our homes, which are falling well below acceptable and statutory standards while the cost of our rent is increasing.

The flats in Hawkhill and Nisbet Court are unreasonably cold and difficult to heat properly. There is poor to no insulation in the buildings, windows across the flats are broken and not airtight causing draughts and excessive heat loss, and storage heating systems are alarmingly expensive and ineffective to run. Your tenants and young children are being left in the cold. 

There here is endemic dampness and mould growth throughout the buildings. This is not being adequately addressed and poses an urgent and serious risk to health and wellbeing. Urgent intervention is necessary to bring these properties up to a liveable standard before winter arrives.  Tenants in Nibset and Hawkhill cannot endure another winter in these conditions. 

There are further serious concerns regarding repairs and maintenance in the buildings which require investigation urgently. Electrical systems in various properties are outdated or unreliable, creating hazards that jeopardize tenant safety. Additionally, repair response times are unacceptably long, leaving residents to deal with faulty wiring or broken fixtures for extended periods. Fire safety regulations also remain a major concern, with numerous properties lacking appropriate safety measures. These failures put lives at risk and require immediate corrective action.  

These issues are persistent and long term and you and your team have failed to properly address the concerns of tenants to date.  It is unacceptable that tenants are expected to endure these issues while also being subjected to rising rent costs.  

Given the unacceptable conditions tenants are forced to endure, it is not reasonable to expect residents to pay full rent - let alone an increased rate while the fundamental issues with heating, insulation, and health and safety remain unresolved. 

We, the undersigned, ask that the City of Edinburgh Council commit to delivering the following reasonable demands: 

• Investigate and properly address the root cause of damp and mould.

• Insulate the flats sufficiently.

• Fix broken and draughty windows. 

• Install a cheaper heating system to reduce extortionate bills. 

• Complete an in-depth survey and inspection of each entire building to address any potential safety hazards.

• Postpone rent increases until substantial repairs and improvements have been completed to ensure properties meet basic habitability standards.

• Negotiated compensation for residents.

• Write off outstanding arrears prior to April 2025 of tenants living in substandard homes.

• Right to rehousing elsewhere where homes cannot be made safe to live in before winter.

We invite you and the relevant decision makers to negotiate on these reasonable solutions with a delegation of City of Edinburgh Council tenants, Living Rent Union members, at a convenient date as soon as possible. It is imperative that tenant welfare is prioritised, ensuring that all rental homes meet the fundamental standards for safety, warmth, and habitable housing. We look forward to receiving your confirmation that you will negotiate with tenants to [email protected] within one week of receipt of this letter, and to meeting and moving matters forwards constructively. 

Signed: