Strata Plumbing Issues: Who is Responsible?

Although the strata scheme was established to alleviate the lives of property owners and resolve problems in current models, only some complications still remain with this kind of co-ownership.

If you’re facing an unprecedented plumbing issue at home, it’s understandable that you want to determine who is responsible for the repair and maintenance issues before the problem worsens.

Most plumbing problems can be easily and quickly solved if taken care of as soon as possible. Link Plumbing is ready with all the expertise, a qualified emergency plumber, and the most updated equipment to resolve all your plumbing concerns, be they common or urgent.

Call 0412 056 027 and let our professional plumbers solve your plumbing problems once and for all today.

How is strata plumbing addressed: who is responsible?

Generally, owned lots don’t have separate pipelines, complicating the plumbing issues in a strata scheme.

The pipe system runs through every part of the strata building and crosses common private properties and owned lots. Identifying the liable party when plumbing problems arise is difficult and necessitates a liability assessment.

For example, a blocked floor drain or a burst pipe can cause damage to the owner’s private property.

After the assessment, the plumbing expert will identify the owner of the part of the plumbing system or the boundary wall.

The job process usually involves legal counsellors, a loss adjuster, OC insurance companies, and any private lot owner alleged to have caused the plumbing concerns.

The body corporate or the unit’s owner will be liable for strata plumbing. The owner must contact a licensed plumber for any deterioration or wrecking inside the place, such as airspace, internal walls, and plumbing fixtures.

The corporate body must solve the issue of a hot water system or damage caused by storms that affect residents. 

What is a Strata Scheme?

A strata scheme is a form of property ownership used in multi-unit residential buildings and complexes, such as condominiums and apartments. It is mostly popular in Australia and New Zealand.

Otherwise known as strata title or strata community, it provides an organised system to manage multi-unit properties to ensure regular strata plumbing maintenance and owners’ fair contribution to improvements.

They all constitute the owner’s corporation (OC) and share the common property. They chip in for the bill and take responsibility for regularly maintaining shared areas, including gardens, stairwells, and others.

Simultaneously, the owners’ corporation is in charge of caring for the parts considered as restricted as part of their lot which can be a townhouse, unit, or apartment including its interiors and indoor plumbing systems.

A building, property, and strata manager can help you fulfil your owners’ corporation responsibility and strata scheme.

According to Strata+, there were 89,049 strata plans in New South Wales as of November 2022. That is a 6% increase from the previous survey in 2020.

What is a Strata Plumbing?

Strata plumbing refers to the specific plumbing required in buildings with multi-unit residential units, such as apartments, condominiums, or townhouses, which are otherwise controlled and administered under a strata title system.

This would include all essential pipework shared by all the owners, which allows the water to flow in and out of a lot, including the surrounding common property.

Regardless of strata plumbing responsibility rules, there are a few things that could be improved regarding strata plumbing lines and pipes.

Strata Community Association notes that half (50%) of Australia’s strata building stock was established before the year 2000.

Common Strata Plumbing Issues

Strata schemes are practical and contemporary ways of co-ownership governed by legal ordinances and regulations, alleviating the analytic procedure involving issues encompassing the property.

The strata plumbing responsibility in such situations will depend on common strata plumbing problems, such as:

1. Burst Pipes

Various factors may lead to pipes bursting under the property’s floor, such as blockages, freezing temperatures, installation problems, high water pressure, or weak plumbing infrastructure. The owners’ corporation will be held responsible whenever such damage occurs.

On the other hand, a burst pipe in the lot is the owner’s responsibility. The owner is also answerable for minor repairs in bathrooms, kitchen sinks, and laundry troughs due to blocked drains or clogged gutters.

According to the 2021 strata insurance report, out of all the top causes of claims in Australia, water damage, leakage, and burst pipes are at the top.

2. Mould

Mould can emanate from a plumbing problem or may stem from inside condensation and make the private lot owners responsible.

The owners’ corporation is responsible for penetrating water from external walls or floor drains, which might be due to imperfections in the pipelines or infrastructure.

3. Leaking Fixtures

The owner is responsible for leaking fixtures such as baths, sinks, shower taps, and showers. However, it’s the OC’s responsibility to rectify interior fixture leaks.

4. Leaking Pipes

Generally, the private owner is responsible for pipe leaks and should rectify the damage. Water leaking from the tiles and ceiling must be determined from the installation flaws, becoming the OC’s responsibility.

On the other hand, the private owner of the other lot may become responsible for the water that seeps into your property from a leaking pipe.

Just make sure the property’s internal fixture caused the leak and not because of the plumbing lines placed between shared walls.

Conclusion

Even a small leak can cause great damage when addressed after a period of time. Our Link Plumbing experts are available round-the-clock to handle your plumbing emergency and ensure immediate solutions.

We provide the most satisfying residential and commercial plumbing solutions at affordable prices. No matter what your plumbing requires, we are the right people to handle repairs.

Contact us today at 0412 056 027 and let us get the job done faster and more efficiently.