Residents express frustration over a broken lift in Edinburgh flats, left unrepaired for seven months, causing significant inconvenience.
Edinburgh: A local joiner is feeling pretty fed up. His building’s lift has been out of action for seven months, and he just can’t believe it.
Michael MacDonald, who’s lived in his flat on Breadalbane Street for over a decade, says they’ve had lift issues before, but they always got sorted quickly. This time, though, it’s a different story.
Now, he’s stuck climbing seven flights of stairs every time he comes home from the car park. That’s a real pain, especially for someone who’s only 34.
Lowther Homes, the company managing the building, charges homeowners £160 a month to handle repairs and maintenance. But Michael’s had enough and is withholding his payment until they fix the lift.
According to the Wheatley Group, the lift situation is complicated. They claim they’ve been trying to sort it out since July 2024 but have hit a few snags.
They say they never got the designs for the lift, and because it’s old, fixing it has been a real hassle. Now, they’re talking about a full upgrade, but they need everyone’s approval first.
Michael’s been in touch with them a lot, but he feels like he’s getting nowhere. “I live on the fifth floor, and the car park is on level -2. Climbing those stairs is exhausting,” he said.
Things got even tougher for him after a traffic accident left him with broken ribs. “Getting up those stairs is a real struggle now,” he shared. “When I told them I might have to sleep in my van, they didn’t seem to care.”
He’s also worried about his neighbors who rely on the lift even more than he does. “Everyone’s having to deal with this,” he said. “It’s just ridiculous.”
With homeowners paying a hefty fee each month, Michael feels it’s just not right. “I’ve decided to stop paying for now. It’s just so frustrating,” he added.
Lowther’s spokesperson said they’re doing their best to fix the lift and apologized for the delays. They explained that the lift is quite old, and parts are hard to come by.
They’ve been working with specialists to find a solution and are ready to propose an upgrade to the residents soon. Let’s hope they get it sorted out quickly!
