Water damage in a condo: who pays what, and what to document

The question "who pays?" is settled upfront, with dated photos and a claim form filled in the same day. Here is the method, in order.

Water damage is the most frequent claim in condo buildings, and the one that produces the most neighbour disputes. Not because the rules are obscure, but because the question of the origin arises weeks later, once the marks have dried and nobody photographed anything.

The principle: liability follows the origin

The general rule is simple: repairing the cause falls to whoever owns the failing element. A pipe embedded in a structural wall or a shared riser belongs to the association; a washing-machine hose or a shower seal belongs to the owner. The damage itself is covered by insurance according to the conventions in force between insurers.

The whole difficulty therefore rests on one word: the origin. And the origin, two months later, is either demonstrable or it is not.

The first six hours

1. Stop the flow: shut off the relevant supply, even if that means closing a riser — establishing liability comes afterwards.
2. Photograph immediately: a wide shot placing the area in the building, a close-up, and the visible source if there is one. A photo taken after drying proves nothing.
3. Note the time of observation and who observed it.
4. Inform the property manager in writing, even after phoning: it is the written record that will settle the date of the alert.
5. Have a water damage claim form completed between the parties, the same day, while everyone remembers what they saw.
6. Record the event in the building's issue log.

What was not photographed on day one will no longer exist on the day of the survey.

What the board brings

The board is neither insurer nor loss adjuster. Its contribution lies elsewhere: it alone can say whether this defect is the first or the fourth in the same spot.

An isolated leak is a claim. The same leak reported three times in eighteen months is a structural defect, and that changes the conversation with the insurer and with the contractor who intervened. That is precisely the value of an issue log kept over time.

Following through to settlement

• Date the claim was filed and the reference given by the insurer.
• Date of the adjuster's visit, and their name.
• Conclusions received, and the delay between survey and offer.
• Reinstatement works: contractor, amount, acceptance date.
• Amount settled, excess applied, balance left to the association.

This tracking is not paperwork: it is what reveals that a file is dragging, and lets you chase with dates rather than irritation — see the escalation method when the manager does not reply. It also feeds the claims section of your annual report.

Anticipating rather than enduring

Most water damage of common origin was announced in advance: marks on the car park ceiling, tired seals, an ageing riser. That is exactly what the annual building walk-through spots, and what a multi-year works plan funds.

With CoproHarmony, every report is recorded with its date and photos, and the repetition of the same defect becomes obvious. Create your space for free.

Before the claim, learn to spot the invisible leak: excess water consumption.

A leak sometimes comes from a balcony: see balcony waterproofing and condition.

Before filing, identify the source: damp, condensation or ingress. And check what the building policy covers.

When several flats are affected, look higher: the roof waterproofing.

Upstream, the maintenance that avoids half the claims: cleaning the waste stacks.