Collette Miller

The guidance offers clear, practical advice on:

• Understanding ownership and title implications
• Securing necessary consents from co-owners
• Drafting and managing agreements for installation and maintenance
• Establishing owners’ associations to support collective decision-making

The guidance was drafted by Collette Miller, a partner in the social housing team at law firm Harper Macleod, and was developed in consultation with Local Energy Scotland, Loco Home Retrofit CIC which is a Glasgow-based co-operative of householders, contractors and advisers, and Under One Roof, Scotland’s only charity dedicated to providing free and impartial advice to tenement flat owners. This collaborative effort aims to support homeowners in overcoming legal and logistical barriers to retrofitting shared buildings.

Collette, who specialises in housing and property factoring, regularly advises on legal matters relating to the retrofit of existing buildings – an increasingly important area as Scotland accelerates its journey to net zero.

She said: “We were pleased to contribute to this important piece of work for tenement flat owners. Retrofitting existing buildings is essential to achieving Scotland’s net zero ambitions, but for many tenement owners, the legal aspects can be a real barrier.

“This guidance is designed to make those processes more accessible and to support communities in taking forward energy efficiency improvements with confidence.”

The full guidance note is available to download from Local Energy Scotland.