An Edinburgh joiner said he is in disbelief after his block’s lift has been left out of use for seven months.
Michael MacDonald bought his flat on Breadalbane Street, Bonnington, 12 years ago and said in the past they have had general lift breakdowns but they were always promptly fixed.
However the current situation has been ongoing for seven months, leaving the 34-year-old frustrated as he has to travel up seven flights of stairs from the block car park.
Lowther Homes, part of the Wheatley Group, are paid a £160 a month factor fee from homeowners to look after the communal areas, organise repairs and look after the car park within the block.
But Michael has decided to withhold his payment until the current lift issue is dealt with.
Join Edinburgh Live’s Whatsapp Community here and get the latest news sent straight to your messages.
The Wheatley Group bosses argue the lift situation is complex and they have been doing everything they can to rectify the problem since it was reported in July 2024.
They claim they never received the schematic designs for the lift and issues with the elevator’s age have meant repairing the issue has been extremely problematic, time consuming and costly.
They said their only option now is to carry out a full upgrade but all home owners must be consulted and agree to the work taking place as they will be responsible for the cost.
“The lift has been broken down for seven months,” Michael said. “I’ve been back and forth with Lowther regarding the issue but have been getting nowhere.
“I stay on the fifth floor but the car park is on level -2 meaning I have to climb up seven flights of stairs every time I come home. They explained they do not have any schematic designs for how the lift works which has made it hard to fix.
“But it has been seven months now and if the company they went to could not figure it out then they should have got someone else in to fix it. They have not given me any indication as to when it will be fixed.”
Matters were made worse in October 2024 when Michael broke his ribs in a traffic accident which made navigating stairs extremely difficult.
“I was in a traffic accident which left me with some broken ribs, nothing too serious, but when I had to get up the stairs it was very difficult,” he added. “When I phoned them up and told them I’d have to sleep in my van they did not seem bothered. It felt like they were saying it is my problem and not theirs.”
Michael went on to say although he still experiences discomfort from his rib injury, he has sympathy for others in his block who rely on the lift more than him.
“Everyone is having to lump up the stairs,” he said. “There are two flights above me and I really do not know how they do it.
“Homeowners pay £160 a month for the maintenance of the block, the car park and for a caretaker, which is a lot of money. The whole thing is a joke.
“I’ve recently decided to stop paying them but in a contract I’ll have to pay them eventually but I’m withholding for now. The whole thing is depressing really.
“I do not even want to go back to the house as I know I’m going to have to climb up seven flights of stairs. I just want them to fix it, seven months is a joke.”
Sign up for Edinburgh Live newsletters for more headlines straight to your inbox
A Lowther spokesperson said: “We’re working to get the lift fixed as soon as we can. We’re very sorry it’s taken longer than we’d hoped.
“The lift was fitted back in 2002 when the building was converted into flats. We only took over as factors for the block in 2015 and, due to the age of the lift, the parts are no longer available.
“We’ve carried out several repairs to the lift, but, unfortunately, they did not fix the issue. We are working with specialist lift contractors and independent consultants to try and resolve this. They’ve confirmed the lift needs upgraded.
“We’ve put proposals, including costs and timescales, to the residents’ committee and we will seek consent from owners to start work on the upgrade shortly.”