100 Tenements - Edinburgh World Heritage Trust
TENEMENTS - EDINBURGH WORLD HERITAGE TRUST
The tenement is one of the most striking building types in the Edinburgh World Heritage Site . These primarily domestic buildings are made up of multiple storeys of self-contained apartments , and house approximately half of Edinburgh ’ s residents .
A tenement is a type of building with multiple dwellings ( typically flats or apartments ) on each floor and a shared entrance and stairway access .
The legal principle underpinning the tenement in Scots law is that individuals can own a storey , or part of a property without having to own the land on which the property has been built .
When Edinburgh ’ s population began to grow in the late middle ages , the city ’ s topography and large defensive walls meant that building vertically was the sensible choice meaning that tall tenements became the best solution to provide housing for a growing population .
In the 18th century the legal definition of a tenement was further refined ; namely that tenements are properties in which storeys , or apartments , are owned by individuals and the central point of access – the stair or ‘ close ’ – is under co-ownership .
Regrettably , this classification saw the close being treated like an extension of the street by some co-owners and becoming filthy and creating a huge contrast between the apartments and points of access .
Fortunately , the tenements of today are kept in a much better condition . However , since they account for such a large proportion of the Old and New Towns ’ housing stock , Edinburgh World Heritage frequently works to maintain
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