A water leak can damage finishes, furniture and electrical equipment, while also affecting neighbouring lots and common property. Acting early can help limit the damage and make it easier to identify who should arrange repairs.
This guide explains how to find the likely source, reduce damage safely, report the problem and check maintenance responsibility.
How do you manage a water leak in a strata property?
Start by dealing with any immediate safety risk. Do not enter flooded areas, climb onto a wet roof or touch wet electrical equipment.
If it is safe, take these practical steps:
- Check where the water appears to be entering.
- Try to stop or contain the water without undertaking repairs yourself.
- Move belongings away to limit further damage.
- Photograph the leak, affected areas and any visible cause.
- Report the issue promptly to the relevant owner, committee or body corporate manager.
- Keep invoices, reports and other records relating to the incident.
These steps are practical actions rather than a required legal or insurance sequence. The order may change depending on the urgency, source and safety risks.
How can you find where the water is coming from?
The place where water becomes visible may not be the source. Water can travel along ceilings, walls, pipes and other building elements before it appears inside a lot.
Check nearby:
- ceilings, cornices and light fittings
- walls, windows and external doors
- balcony and courtyard drains
- gutters and downpipes visible from ground level
- plumbing fixtures and appliances
- the lot above, where relevant.
If you suspect water is coming from another lot, contact the resident or owner. They may have an overflowing appliance, damaged pipe or another problem they have not noticed.
Record when the leak occurs. For example, note whether it appears during rain, when an appliance is operating or after water is used in an upstairs lot. This information can help a plumber, roofer or other qualified contractor investigate the cause.
Do not access a roof or remove building materials to investigate. Arrange professional help where the source is concealed, difficult to reach or near electrical equipment.
Who is responsible for repairing a strata water leak?
Responsibility depends on the source of the leak, the registered survey plan, the boundaries between lots and common property, and the regulation module applying to the scheme.
The community management statement identifies the applicable regulation module, while the registered survey plan shows the lot and common property boundaries. Queensland’s Body Corporate and Community Management Act 1997 and the relevant module then help determine the maintenance responsibility.
A standard format plan defines land using a horizontal plane and marks on the ground. A building format plan uses structural elements such as floors, walls and ceilings to define land.
As a starting point, the body corporate must maintain common property in good and structurally sound condition, while an owner must maintain their lot in good condition. Either party may be liable if a failure to maintain their area causes damage elsewhere.
Do not assume responsibility from the location of the visible damage alone. Check the registered plan and the cause before arranging permanent repairs.
Common examples include:
- Roofs – on a building format plan, roof maintenance will often be a body corporate responsibility where the roof is common property. On a standard format plan, the roof of a lot will often be the owner’s responsibility. An owner may remain responsible where their solar panels, satellite dish or another installation caused the leak.
- Gutters and downpipes – responsibility follows the plan boundaries and whether the infrastructure serves an individual lot or forms part of common property. A shared gutter spanning several lots may be a body corporate responsibility. A blockage caused by a tree or other feature within a lot may affect who is responsible.
- Windows and doors – on a building format plan, doors and windows opening onto a balcony, patio, courtyard or side access area may fall within the lot owner’s maintenance responsibility. Those opening directly onto common property may be a body corporate responsibility. Under a standard format plan, exterior walls, windows and doors are commonly within the lot boundary.
- Balconies – where the balcony forms part of the lot, the owner should keep its drains clear of leaves and debris. The cause may instead relate to common property, waterproofing or shared infrastructure, so the plan and contractor’s findings still matter.
- Courtyards – first confirm whether the courtyard is part of the lot, common property or an exclusive use area. Compacted soil can reduce water absorption, while blocked drainage or extensive hard surfaces can contribute to water pooling.
Changes to a courtyard or another area may be an improvement rather than maintenance. A lot owner needs approval before making an improvement to common property, and must comply with any approval conditions and maintain the improvement.
Our body corporate maintenance factsheet provides further guidance on common maintenance questions.
What should you do to reduce water damage safely?
If you cannot stop the leak immediately, focus on containing the water and protecting people and belongings.
Where it is safe to do so:
- move furniture, rugs and personal belongings away
- remove curtains or blinds from the affected area
- place containers under drips
- use towels to stop water spreading
- photograph visible damage before moving items
- arrange prompt drying and ventilation.
Wet carpet should be dried as soon as practical to reduce the risk of mould. Depending on its condition, carpet may sometimes be professionally lifted, dried and relaid, but replacement may still be needed. Wait until the damage has been assessed before assuming either option will be suitable or less expensive.
Take particular care around electricity. Do not touch wet appliances, switches, powerpoints, lights or electrical fittings. Wet or damp electrical items must not be used, and electrical work should be completed by a licensed electrician.
If water is near electrical fittings, keep people away and switch off the affected circuit only if you can safely reach a dry switchboard without passing through water. Seek urgent professional assistance if there is any doubt.
When should you contact the body corporate, manager or insurer?
Notify the body corporate or body corporate manager promptly when the leak may involve:
- common property or shared infrastructure
- the roof, external walls or common drainage
- more than 1 lot
- ongoing water entry
- damage that requires urgent contractor attendance.
Provide photographs, the time the leak started, affected locations and any information about the likely source. A written record helps the committee and contractors respond efficiently.
You should also contact the relevant owner if the source appears to be within another lot. The body corporate manager can assist with communication and the scheme’s process, but responsibility for authorising or paying for repairs still depends on the plan, cause and applicable maintenance provisions.
Contact the insurer or follow the scheme’s claim notification process where the damage may involve body corporate insurance. The insurance required for a scheme is affected by its survey plan, and body corporate building insurance does not include every item inside a lot.
Do not assume that a claim will be accepted or that the body corporate will pay the excess. Who pays an excess depends on the circumstances, including what property was affected and whether a failure to maintain common property contributed to the damage.
Our body corporate insurance factsheet explains the general insurance framework. Further information about maintenance-related property damage is also available in this guide to damage to property.
What if repairs are delayed after heavy rain?
Ongoing rain can make some investigations and repairs unsafe. Roof work may need to wait for suitable conditions, and roofers or plumbers may have limited availability after widespread heavy rain.
While waiting:
- continue containing water where safe
- keep people away from electrical or structural hazards
- provide the contractor with photographs and clear access information
- ask whether a temporary measure is safe and appropriate
- keep the committee or body corporate manager informed
- record any further damage.
Avoid attempting temporary roof repairs yourself. A rushed repair in wet conditions can create further safety risks and may not address the actual cause.
If you need help reporting a leak or confirming the next step for your scheme, contact the StrataCare team at reception@stratacare.com.au.
