Edinburgh University spends millions on nearly 100,000 maintenance callouts in two years

The University of Edinburgh has spent millions on maintenance callouts since 2024, The Tab Edinburgh can reveal.

Over 94,000 maintenance callouts were logged over the last two years, resulting in costs of over £50 million.

The annual costs in 2024 hit £24,871,798, with costs for 2025 (up to November 30) reaching £24,818,113.

The costs of these callouts exceeded the university’s annual budget for repairs, set at £23,384,039 in 2024 and 21,393,333 in 2025.

The university confirmed that budgets are assigned at the start of the year but reforcasted quarterly, with any overspend being addressed by cutting costs or spending in other areas to prioritise maintenance.

The university manages a property portfolio containing over 450 buildings, with The Herald finding it to be the capital’s second largest landlord, behind only the council.

While many callouts are minor and easy to repair, the university has previously been criticised for the the conditions of some university buildings, including the undergraduate acommodation David Horn House which saw a shower “cave in” with additional complaints of a mice infestation in 2024.

The accomodation is now up for sale and on the market for over £2 million but was photographed by Edinburgh Live reporters last year showing the ceiling of a communal shower caved in leaving shattered tiles on the floor and a hole in the roof.

Other photos showed mould growing on the accomodation’s walls and the residents complained of mice sightings.

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Responding to Edinburgh Live’s reporting, a university spokesperson said: “Our accommodation teams ensure that our student accommodation meets all health and safety standards, and we work hard to resolve any issues as quickly as possible. We are aware of maintenance issues at David Horn House and would like to express our sincere apologies to the residents who have been affected by this.

“We provide cleaning services in all of our University buildings and we also share regular guidance around the importance of cleanliness in common areas to students in our halls of residences. We work closely with a pest control team to monitor reported vermin infestations.”

A university spokesperson told The Tab Edinburgh: “We are responsible for more than 450 buildings across Edinburgh and the wider region, many of which are centuries-old historic properties and specialist facilities.

“Ongoing maintenance of our buildings is essential to ensure that our community can continue to study, learn and work effectively across campus.”