Property type
Extending a tenement or terraced home in Glasgow
Glasgow's sandstone housing stock is its defining feature and its biggest extension constraint. Ownership, access and structure all behave differently here.
Written bySusan Fairweather, Extension Design Specialist
Typical 20 m² build
£40k – £60k · 12 weeks
Glasgow · Scotland
180+
Glasgow extensions delivered
Warrant & completion certificate included
Extending a Glasgow tenement flat is governed by the title deeds and the Tenement (Scotland) Act 2004 rather than by permitted development rights, because flats hold no such rights. A ground-floor flat with exclusive rights to rear garden ground is the only tenement position that can usually be extended, and it requires planning permission, a building warrant and the consent of the other proprietors.
Start with the deeds, not the drawings
Before any design work, obtain the title sheet from Registers of Scotland and read what it says about the rear ground, the solum and any burdens on alteration. Three outcomes are common.
| What the deeds say | What it means for extending |
|---|---|
| Exclusive right to the rear garden | Extension is possible in principle; other proprietors may still have rights over the building fabric. |
| Rear ground held in common | You cannot build without the agreement of the co-owners, in the form the deeds require. |
| Burden prohibiting alteration | The burden must be varied or discharged, potentially through the Lands Tribunal for Scotland. |
Scotland has no Party Wall Act
The Party Wall etc. Act 1996 does not extend to Scotland. There is no statutory notice-and-award procedure for works affecting a neighbour's wall. Instead, your rights and duties come from the title deeds, common law and, for tenements, the Tenement (Scotland) Act 2004. Any guidance telling you to serve a party wall notice in Glasgow was written for a different jurisdiction.
The Tenement (Scotland) Act 2004 in practice
Where the deeds are silent or unclear, the Act supplies default rules: the Tenement Management Scheme for decisions, rules on which parts are owned individually and which in common, and a duty on every owner to maintain support and shelter for the building. An extension that alters loading on a shared structure engages that duty directly.
- Scheme decisions may be taken by majority for maintenance, but an alteration for one owner's benefit is not maintenance.
- You cannot remove or weaken anything providing support or shelter to another flat.
- Consent should be recorded in writing, not agreed verbally over a fence — your solicitor and any future buyer will need to see it.
Terraced houses: different rules, similar constraints
A terraced house does hold permitted development rights, but they are tighter than for a detached property and the practical constraints are severe: no side access, shared boundary walls on both sides, and neighbouring windows close to the extension line.
- Access — all materials and spoil usually travel through the house, which adds labour and requires floor protection throughout.
- Daylight — a rear extension between two terraced neighbours is assessed closely for overshadowing.
- Structure — removing the rear wall of a terraced property demands careful temporary support and a beam design that accounts for the party walls.
- Drainage — shared and often unrecorded Victorian drainage runs are frequently discovered under the footprint.
What we do differently on sandstone properties
- Trial holes before design to establish the depth and condition of existing foundations, which are often shallow.
- A junction detail between new insulated construction and solid sandstone that manages moisture rather than trapping it.
- Lime-compatible repairs where existing stonework is disturbed, instead of cement patching.
- A drainage survey before layout is fixed, so the kitchen is not designed over a live sewer.
Frequently asked questions
Can you extend a tenement flat in Glasgow?
A ground-floor tenement flat with exclusive rights to rear garden ground can sometimes be extended, but the works need planning permission, a building warrant and the consent of the other proprietors as set out in the title deeds and the Tenement (Scotland) Act 2004.
Do flats have permitted development rights in Scotland?
No. Permitted development rights for extensions apply to houses, not to flats or maisonettes. Every tenement extension requires a full planning application.
Who owns the back court of a tenement?
Ownership is determined by the title deeds. Back courts are frequently held in common by all proprietors, in which case a single owner cannot build on them without the agreement required by the deeds and the Tenement (Scotland) Act 2004.
What is the Tenement (Scotland) Act 2004?
It is the statute that supplies default rules on ownership, maintenance and decision-making for Scottish tenement buildings where the title deeds are silent or unclear. Scotland has no Party Wall Act; this Act and the deeds do that work instead.
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