TENEMENT flat owners have slammed Glasgow City Council for carrying out building surveys that could see them hit with bills of as much as £150,000.

One owner has been left devastated after the sale of her flat fell through when the buyers discovered the findings in the council's report.

But officials say the surveys - carried out on 500 randomly chosen tenement buildings around the city - are only advisory and insist they are not mandatory repair bills.

Residents in targeted buildings, however, said the scheme has been badly handled and left them mired in confusion.

Catriona Forrest was planning to downsize from her Battlefield flat but the sale fell through just 10 days before completion due to the buyers reading the survey of her building.

Her estate agent has also said the value of the flat has fallen by around 20%.

Reports put work deemed needed into Category 1 to 3 with Category 3 work listed as "requiring urgent or potentially urgent repairs or replacement".

The survey of her building concluded that repairs totalling around £149,000 are needed.

Catriona said: "When you buy a tenement, unless you have come from the moon, you know you are buying into a cycle of repair work.

"There is no suggestion that we are saying the work shouldn't be done - upkeep of the building is important - but the way the council has gone about this is wrong."

Concerns have been repeatedly raised about the condition of Glasgow's 70,000 pre-1919 tenemental properties.

To inspect a cross-section, the council commissioned visual surveys of 500 properties in the south, east, west and north of the city.

Once the surveys were completed, the council shared them with factors and housing associations with these then being sent on to owners.

Council bosses said the surveys are purely for the owners' information and are not bills or demands for repairs.

On seeking legal advice, Catriona was told she must share the report with the buyers - from receiving the survey to her sale falling through was just 48 hours.

A spokesman for Glasgow City Council said anyone looking to buy property would use a full Household Survey, adding that these advisory reports are not full surveys.

He added: "These reports cannot affect the sale of the flats covered through this project."

However, in a solicitor's letter seen by the Glasgow Times, the prospective buyers are explicit in saying they are pulling out of the sale due to the advisory report.

Catriona said: "If this was to gain a snapshot of tenement stock then they should have anonymised the surveys.

"Instead it is atrocious the way it has been handled. I had days of turmoil over this, not to mention the financial loss and the emotional upheaval."

Billy Rodgers and his wife live in a tenement block in Battlefield selected to be inspected.

Council surveyors used drone footage during the inspections before following up with visits to closes.

Surveys were carried out last year but the results only released recently.

A report looking at Billy's block lists work to the front, rear and gable of the building as being in Category 3, along with several elements of the roof, guttering and chimneys.

The report also lists Category 2 work needing done to the close, giving a final estimated total of works required at more than £136,000.

Billy, however, said his neighbour has recently had her flat surveyed as she plans to sell and the ratings given in that report vary markedly from those given by the council.

Billy, who is retired, has set up a Facebook page to support owners, at www.facebook.com/Issues-with-Glasgow-City-Council-Regeneration-Reports-103978871540755/

He said: "We received this report and there was no explanation, no covering letter, no clarification - they have not thought through the potential consequences of this.

"I know of a couple with a young baby in a top floor flat who want to move but are worried they won't be able to sell because of these reports being public knowledge.

"This isn't us trying to get out of repairs but our survey seems to exaggerate the extent of wear and tear and gives an urgency for defects to be rectified that I can't make sense of.

"As a building, we are now going to commission our own survey and see what it says.

"This has been badly handled and caused real stress for owners."

The council spokesman added that should owners or factors move forward with a voluntary repair project, the council has a Voluntary Repairs Grant that may 50% of the work but this is funding-dependent.