Edinburgh,
stone, stairs and sash.
Georgian terraces, Old Town closes and tenement flats from Marchmont to Leith. What Edinburgh pros need to know, and how booking one works on AYS.
- NationScotland
- RegionLothian, South East Scotland
- Postcode areaEH (Edinburgh)
- Popular herePainting and decorating, Roofing, Home cleaning
Pros choose the postcode districts they cover, so results can differ from one street to the next. Check yours to see who covers it today.
Booking a pro
in Edinburgh.
Edinburgh's homes are older and taller than most. The Old and New Towns are a World Heritage Site, many of the city's flats sit in stone tenements, and many buildings are listed. A simple window repair or a new coat of paint on a front door can need permission here, and a pro who knows the city will ask the right questions before quoting.
AYS is new and opens area by area, so we cannot promise a pro covers your Edinburgh street yet. Enter your postcode, whether that is EH6 in Leith, EH9 in Marchmont or EH3 in the New Town, and you will see who covers it today. If you are an Edinburgh tradesperson, cleaner or mobile beauty therapist, you can join now and be ready as customers arrive.
Georgian, Victorian and tenement
The New Town is a planned Georgian grid of stone terraces and main door flats, with timber sash windows, basements and slate roofs. Around it, Victorian tenements fill Marchmont, Bruntsfield, Leith and Gorgie, four or five storeys high with a common stair. Many have a property factor, and owners share the roof, stair and external walls.
For a pro, that means access and permission come first. Scaffolding on a tenement front needs planning, sash windows need a joiner who repairs rather than replaces, and stonework should be matched. In the World Heritage Site and for listed buildings, recent relaxations on replacing windows do not apply, so planning permission or listed building consent is still needed. Check with the council before you book changes to the outside of a building.
Good to know
before you book.
Local things that change how a job is done, or what it costs.
The Low Emission Zone
Edinburgh has enforced a Low Emission Zone across a large part of the city centre since June 2024. Motor vehicles that do not meet the emission standards, older vans included, can be fined for entering it. If your home is inside the zone, mention it when you book so your pro can check their vehicle. The council's website has the map and current rules.
Parking zones and trades permits
Much of central Edinburgh is a controlled parking zone, where you pay and display or hold a permit. The council sells visitor permits to residents and a trades permit to businesses, though neither guarantees a space. Tell your pro what parking is like on your street, and whether you can give them a visitor permit. Check the council's website for the current zones.
Help with shared repairs
Organising a repair with your neighbours can be the hardest part of a tenement job. The City of Edinburgh Council runs a Shared Repairs Service for private owners, with free advice and a step-by-step tenement toolkit. It can also help when an owner will not pay their share. It is worth a look before you collect quotes for a common roof or stair.
Festival month
In August the Festival and Fringe fill the city centre, and streets around the Old Town, the Royal Mile and the main venues get very busy, with some road closures. If your job is central, allow extra time for parking and access, or book outside August. Moving house in the city centre that month needs careful planning.
Often needed
in Edinburgh.
Each service page explains what is covered, how pricing works and how to get ready.
Painting and decorating
High ceilings, cornicing and timber sash windows are common in New Town and Marchmont flats, and they take careful preparation before any paint goes on.
Roofing
Slate tenement roofs, lead valleys and chimney stacks face strong winds. Many are common repairs, so neighbours or the factor usually agree the work.
Home cleaning
With several universities in the city, student flats turn over each summer and end of tenancy cleans on top floor tenements need stairs planned in.
Removals
Narrow closes, common stairs with no lift and tight parking in Leith or the Old Town all shape a removal. Tell movers the floor and the street.
Window cleaning
Tall tenements and Georgian terraces have windows that are hard to reach. Say how many floors up you are so the cleaner can bring the right kit.
Can I book a pro in Edinburgh on AYS yet?
AYS is a new platform and is opening area by area, so coverage in Edinburgh depends on which pros have joined and chosen your postcode district. Enter your postcode to see who covers it today. If no one does yet, check back soon. Every pro passes a photo ID check and a review by our team before they can take bookings.
Do I need permission to replace windows in Edinburgh?
It depends on the building. Listed buildings and homes inside the Old and New Towns World Heritage Site still need planning permission or listed building consent for replacement windows. Some homes in other conservation areas can now replace windows without planning permission, though front windows may need prior approval. The City of Edinburgh Council's planning pages explain the current rules.
Do I need a building warrant for work on my flat?
In Scotland, work such as an extension, a loft conversion, removing a load-bearing wall or changing a roof normally needs a building warrant before it starts. Starting without one is an offence. Small repairs and redecorating do not need one. The City of Edinburgh Council's building standards team can tell you whether your job needs a warrant.
Who arranges repairs to the roof of my tenement?
The owners do, together. Your title deeds usually say how common repairs are agreed and split. Where they are silent, the Tenement Management Scheme gives one vote per flat. Many buildings have a property factor who gathers quotes, and factors in Scotland must be on the Property Factor Register. If you rent, ask your landlord to deal with it.
Work in Edinburgh?
Get booked for it.
Join AYS as a pro. Choose the Edinburgh postcode districts you cover, set your own prices and take bookings from customers nearby.