Credit: PxHere

An app developed by Edinburgh Council has been “so successful” in its first year it will be rolled out in two other local authorities.  

The app, made by technology company Novoville alongside the council, allows homeowners living in shared buildings to report damage and areas in need of repair. 

Launched in April 2021, the app has more than 500 tenement buildings registered in Edinburgh, while over 5,000 individual properties have benefitted from £700,000 worth of repairs. Repairs ranged from extensive roof repairs costing £50,000, to replaced locks costing £200. The app currently lists around 150 trusted traders.  

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Following this success, Perth and Kinross and East Ayrshire Councils have announced they will roll out the app to homeowners in their council areas.  

The service was developed through the Scottish Government's CivTech accelerator programme.  

Councillor Mandy Watt, City of Edinburgh Council’s finance and resources convener said: “Edinburgh has around 170,000 tenement flats and other shared buildings with multiple owners. It’s great to see so many property owners already engaging with the app, as many of these buildings are in need of urgent repair. The feedback I’m getting is that without the app, some people say they wouldn't have had the confidence to approach neighbours and get the repairs done, or the process would have taken a lot longer due to communication breakdowns and uncertainties about the correct course of action.”