Who Pays for Water Damage? The Twins Will Inform You!
The Twin Home Experts have provided condominium service for over 20 years. Many homeowners, especially first-time home buyers, do not have a clue as to who is responsible when there is a leak. Dealing with this issue can be quite daunting for a first-time homeowner. We want to educate you in today’s blog on things that you can do to assist in getting paid for the damages when it’s not your unit.
We highly recommend that, when you first begin noticing water, to contact the upstairs unit right away. Ask them if they are noticing any water in their unit. Better yet, if you’re able to knock on the door to get inside and verify if they have any water on their floor, look for signs like saturated towels on the ground. Sometimes toilets overflow and those living in the home catch it when it is too late.
You will also want to contact your HOA president and the property management company, especially if the water is not stemming from the unit above. Usually, the rules in an HOA are that any fixtures that are outside the wall are the homeowner’s responsibility; anything inside of the walls is the HOA’s responsibility. Take photos and videos for documentation of the affected areas.
If you cannot contact anyone, we recommend that you call a plumbing company that responds, is insured and experienced in condo-type plumbing repairs. This is extra vital because, at this point, you need a professional to not only locate the leak, but to repair it and write a detailed report of their findings.
Another source to use is your homeowner’s insurance company. There are many policies that will cover you and will go after the responsible parties’ insurance when it is determined who, what, and where the cause is.
It is the HOA’s responsibility to pay when :
- A drain pipe in a wall is leaking
- A water line in a wall is leaking
- Drain clog is overflowing from a common area pipe
- Problems pertain to the air conditioning condensation line inside of the wall
- Central water heater for the building is leaking
It is the unit above’s responsibility to pay when:
- There is an overflow of the toilet
- There are leaky shut off valves or supply lines
- The caulking around a tub or a shower is compromised
- There is leaky, visible plumbing under cabinets
- The hot mop of a shower has worn out
Some things to know when buying a condo are to make sure that you have the contact information for board members, the building plumber, your neighbors, and the property manager.
The best advice we give to our customers when thinking about buying a condo is to purchase, if possible, a unit that is on the top floor. It’s always the first floor units that get hit the hardest, especially when there is a backup.
Check the video out below, where Dave takes an HOA emergency call for a flooded unit. This was clearly the responsibility of the HOA.
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