This ACT lot owner wonders who pays for repairs to the stop cock.
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Question: Our building only has 3 shut off values for all 24 units. Owners are unable to turn off the water. Who is responsible if a burst pipe damages a lot while the owners are away.
For our building, there is only one main water supply for the entire block of 24 flats. There are only 3 shut off taps designated by the owners corporation, 8 units per shut off tap. Owners are unable to turn off the water. Who is responsible if a burst pipe damages a lot while the owners are away.
Answer: If the stop cock services more than one unit, strata would be responsible.
If the stop cock services more than one unit, strata would be responsible. If it services only one unit, it would be that unit owner’s responsibility.
Unfortunately, unless unit owners have applied to install an individual stop cock for their unit, this would be the same for the majority of older strata schemes.
Of course, the recommendation is to turn off all taps, especially the laundry taps, whenever you go away.
Any water damage to an internal unit from an insurable event should be covered by the strata insurance excluding carpets, some light fittings, window treatments and personal belongings.
Jan Browne
Bridge Strata
E: jan@bridgestrata.com.au
P: 02 6109 7700
This post appears in Strata News #647.
Have a question or something to add to the article? Leave a comment below.
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This article is not intended to be personal advice and you should not rely on it as a substitute for any form of advice.
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If there’s is only one main supply of water for the entire block of 24 flats and only 3 shut off taps designated by the body corporate to 8 flats per shut off tap, who will be responsible if a burst pipe damages your flat while you might be away since you don’t have an individual shut off tap to turned off before you go away.
Hi Mfg
Jan Browne, Bridge Strata has responded to your comment in the article above.
If the Owner’s Corporation installed the stop-tap which is servicing an individual apartment, then the plumber who installed the shut-off tap would be required to fix it, if it the stop-tap is faulty and his work is still under warranty. That’s what consumer law says. We had communal water in our apartment block, but the owner’s corporation changed it to individual stop-taps. They made the unit owners pay for the stop-taps to be installed. That new plumbing work was guaranteed for a set period.
In our apartment block, the external stop-tap and water meter were both installed by [removed by admin]. They are responsible for fixing and maintaining the shut-off tap and water meter, as well as the mains-to-meter pipes outside which service the apartments. All internal pipes in a unit are the legal responsibility of the private lot owner if the pipes are not communal. If you’ve had to call a plumber to assess a faulty external stop-tap which the water company installed, then the water company can reimburse you for the cost of calling out a plumber. You can download a Water Reimbursement Claim form from the [removed by admin] website.
it should be fix by Strata ..and Strata will notice all residents for fixing time .
I wonder if the rules are different in WA? In my complex all units are townhouses on their own foundations and their respective water isolation valves are buried in common property. If a plumber is to replace a dysfunctional isolation valve he will need to cut off water services to all 18 units in the strata.. This suggests to me the strata company is needed at the very least, to coordinate and liaise with other owners. To me the valve is an essential component of infrastructure necessary for the water service to be brought to the lot boundary and so is a strata responsibility.
Wouldn’t it depend on the location of the stop cock? In our block, individual lot stop cocks are located on common property (in the garage area).
Hi J. Fisher
We have received this response from Jan Browne, Whittles Strata Partners:
Unit owners are responsible for the repair and maintenance of their unit and any pipe, cable, ducting, taps/conduit. Light switches and utilities servicing their unit only. The Owners Corporation is responsible for the common stop cock only.
Section 24 e requires the Owners Corporation to be responsible for the following.
(e) if a utility service mentioned in the Unit Titles Act 2001, section 35 (Easements given by this Act) is provided for the potential benefit of all units—facilities associated with the provision of the utility services including utility conduits;