Tenements and other forms of 'communal' property, that is where parts of a building are in shared use, are commonplace in Scotland but comparatively rare in East Lothian. Nonetheless there are tenement and similar buildings in most of the main towns, particularly at the western end of the county.

Many of these tenements are 'mixed tenure', that is to say they contain both owner-occupiers and private tenants. The balance of responsibility for repair, between owner and tenant will vary between properties. However, for a general outline of who is responsible for what, you should go here.

Sometimes properties are 'factored', which means that a management company (usually an estate agency, or law firm) takes responsibility for arranging repairs and maintenance and bills owners according to prior agreement as to the proportion of the costs each should bear. Factoring is relatively rare in East Lothian and the alternative is for the upkeep of properties to be organised by owners collectively forming a management committee.

There is concern at the moment about the poor state of repair of much tenement and other private property in Scotland. The Scottish Parliament has passed the Tenements Act, in a bid to clarify the law and responsibilities. Edinburgh City Council has published a guide to interpreting the Act, which you can find here. The Tenements (Scotland) Act 2004 can be read in full here.