Tenants and owners in the Breadalbane Street flats have been advised to move out while remedial work is carried out on the building.
This was the site of a fire in 2024 which, according to a report by the Scottish Fire Rescue Service, was caused by a mattress lying over underfloor heating.
Part of the horseshoe shape development has remained unoccupied since. Now owners in the other parts of the building have been told to move out by the builder, Persimmon Homes, who have said they will pick up the cost of what they call “temporary” accommodation.
It is understood there is a programme of works about to start which may take up to 80 weeks to conclude. In light of new advice Persimmon emailed all owners and tenants on Monday.
Speaking to The Edinburgh Reporter, Ashley McKemie, who lives in the block of flats, said: “Yesterday we got this letter, but prior to that, maybe a couple of weeks ago, we got letters about fire inspections going on.
“They had asked people to provide details and availability for when they could do an inspection of the underfloor heating and some other elements in the flats, and then also the fire alarms.
“That hasn’t happened yet, but then we got this notice yesterday evening that is from Persimmon Homes and is based on the advice that they received from a specialist, and as a precautionary measure in the interest of resident safety, they’re strongly recommending all residents temporarily relocate from the Bond Building.
“So, they are funding a bunch of different safety measures in addition to the relocation and there’s immediate temporary hotel accommodations if people want – and they say they strongly encourage you to take up that offer – and [it says] there’s also long-term accommodations of a similar standard to your current apartment that will be provided.
“I just talked with people at ICAB – who I guess are managing the liaison between Persimmon and residents – but they said we have to be moved out by 24 July at the latest.”
Whilst the fire occurred in March 2024, Ashley only moved into her current flat in February this year, but says residents directly affected by the blaze are still unable to move back in.
Ashley said that the Insurance Claims Accommodation Bureau (ICAB) have informed her that the needs and requirements of residents will be met in the temporary accommodation that they are provided with.
She said: “I have two dogs so they’re going to accommodate that. When I was talking to the ICAB people, they are essentially getting everyone’s information and what they require from, and currently have, in their current flat and will find similar accommodation meeting basic minimum criteria.
“So if you have a two-bedroom flat, it’ll usually have the same [number of] bedrooms and bathrooms.
“They asked about children as well and then accessibility accommodations. One of my dogs is older and has arthritis so I did ask not to be up a bunch of stairs or without lift access, which matches with where I am currently.
“Then, because I work from home, that’s why I have two bedrooms but because they’re accommodating the bedrooms that should work out for me.
“They’ll all be furnished, so I think that part may impact some people more than others. They are supposed to provide storage, but they haven’t provided more information on that yet.”
Ashley believes that everyone within the U-shaped building has been asked to evacuate but says she does not know where that relocation will be to yet.
She explained: “I don’t know [where the accommodation will be]. I think they’re going to look and they’re waiting to get more information from their suppliers and more information from the residents to then get the supply of places.
“In their FAQs it does say that they will work to accommodate requirements. So for example, if you don’t have a car, if you need to be by a park, need to be by a school or have certain different life needs that may affect where you live.
“We’ll see. With the Fringe coming up in Edinburgh, we’ll see how reasonable some of that is going to be.”
The relocation attempt comes as Fringe and Festival season begins to heat up in the Scottish capital, which in turn usually means good accommodation can become both pricey and hard to come by.
One former tenant who has already moved out said nothing was disclosed to her before she agreed to the tenancy.
A former tenant moved out earlier this year when she became aware of a project to remedy what appears to be defective cladding.
She said: “What was particularly frustrating was that this wasn’t something the landlord disclosed to us before or during our tenancy. When we first moved in, we asked about the scaffolding on the neighbouring building and were simply told there had been a fire caused by an issue with the underfloor heating.
“There was no mention of the wider cladding issues, the fact that the building required remediation, or that there was a waking watch in place. Looking back, it seems clear that the landlord knew there would be some form of cladding project in the future, even if the exact timing hadn’t yet been confirmed.
“After the big discussion/meeting where the project details were disclosed, I also noticed that a number of apartments were suddenly listed to rent. The majority of those listings did not mention the announced project, which was concerning.
“I also noticed the same apartment being relisted over time after tenants found out about the works, which made it seem as though people were leaving once they became aware of the situation.”
The Edinburgh Reporter was told by the relative of an existing tenant that they had just moved in to a flat in the development last month entering into a new tenancy. We understand that the tenants have not yet decided what to do, and we are unaware of which letting company is managing their tenancy.
Properties to rent
There are properties still available online. For example, property agents, DJ Alexander are marketing a two bedroom flat in the development for rent on payment of a £500 deposit and a monthly rent of £1485.
The letting agents mention specifically the impending works which may take up to 80 weeks from July 2026 (with a target date of February 2028 and say the details about these are subject to change.
The agents say that “resident safety and continued access will be prioritised throughout the duration” and that site working hours will be from 8am to 4pm Monday to Friday.
We contacted DJ Alexander for further comment in light of the new development.
Advice from Persimmon
Persimmon Homes has funded a range of additional safety measures, including enhanced waking watch arrangements and increased building inspections, with dedicated personnel present across both blocks at all times, supported by a supervising officer. While these measures remain in place, our specialists have advised that temporary relocation provides the highest level of protection for residents during the remediation period.
Immediate temporary hotel accommodation is available for all residents, and we strongly encourage you to take up this offer. If you wish to do so, please contact ICAB on 020 8421 8427 and when prompted select option one and then select the option for the Bond Building. Please note that this number is solely for arranging accommodation bookings.
Longer-term accommodation of a similar standard to your current apartment will be provided as soon as possible. The ICAB team will also discuss longer-term relocation options with you. Residents may also choose to source their own alternative accommodation of a comparable standard, subject to prior approval. Details of any proposed accommodation should be sent to [email protected] and agreed before any tenancy agreement is signed.
Persimmon Homes and ICAB will be hosting a series of online drop-in sessions for owners and residents to discuss accommodation arrangements.
The sessions will take place on 14 July 2026 at the following times:
· 10am – 11am
· 12pm – 1pm
· 2pm – 3pm
If you would like to attend one of these sessions, please email [email protected] and we will provide joining details.
In addition to covering the cost of suitable alternative accommodation, Persimmon Homes will reimburse reasonable associated expenses and provide ongoing support throughout the relocation period. We will also keep residents regularly updated as further information becomes available.
Our immediate priority is to support residents through the relocation process and ensure everyone affected receives the assistance they need. Persimmon Homes has been working closely with the Bond Building Owners Committee and will continue to do so as plans progress.
Alongside the Owners Committee, an owners’ and residents’ meeting will be held on Monday 20 July at 6.30pm at Ebenezer United Free Church of Scotland, 31 Bangor Road, Edinburgh, EH6 5JX. The meeting will provide an opportunity to hear more about the situation, understand the next steps and ask any questions you may have.
Please note: As this meeting is for owners and residents only, we kindly ask that you bring proof of address or ownership with you.
Any questions should be directed to the Persimmon Homes Special Projects Team at [email protected]
A report by the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) into the fire procured after an FOI request states that the main cause of the fire was “combustible articles too close to heat source (or fire) – (or vice versa)”, with the source of ignition listed as “underfloor heating”, which was electric powered.
The fire began on the sixth floor, and the report adds that the item which ignited first was a “bed/mattress”, which was also the main item responsible for spreading the fire.
While the size of the flames when the SFRS first attended were “limited to item 1st ignited”, the report lists that the rapid fire growth was caused by a “flashover”, the point in a fire where nearly all combustible materials in a room ignite almost simultaneously.
This dramatically increases the severity of the blaze, from a single burning item to the entire room erupting into flames at once.
The building contains eight floors above ground and two floors underground.
