Who's responsibility is a leak from the ceiling in an apartment?

Question

My parents have an apartment rental and recently the unit below noticed a leak from the ceiling (unclear at the moment whose pipe). In this case, who is responsible and for what? Does the other owner need to contact the insurance company? This is in Mass. if that is important. Thanks guys.

Henry Huang · Answer

@Julie Hartman thanks Julie. It’s a line of droplets across their ceiling in the bathroom, so not too serious. I thought I heard somewhere that in these situations it’s up to their Insurance, especially because it’s not yet clear whose pipe it is, so it’s good to hear that from you. Thanks a bunch

Nathan Gesner · Answer

If it were a water supply line, the water would constantly drip. If it's an occasional drip, it's probably a drain line that only leaks when someone is running water in a sink or shower.

You won't know for certain who it belongs to until a plumber gets inside to repair. Take care of that first and then determine the next step. It may not be big enough to justify an insurance claim but you'll know once they dig in.

Joe Splitrock · Answer

My parents had a bathroom that would get droplets of water on the ceiling after people took showers. There was no fan in the bathroom to remove the moisture. Make sure it is not related to condensation.

Also be aware that tiny drops on the ceiling could be a bigger leak above. Sheet rock slows the movement of water. The water follows the path of least resistance, so it could be running down inside a wall and only a little bit is dripping through. Over time the sheetrock will get more damaged.

A plumber can either cut away a section of sheet rock or even drill a hole and put a camera in. Tell them to hire a plumber to diagnose and go from there. Odds are good that the water is coming from your parents drain or bath fixtures. Who is responsible for the cost depends on the legal agreement in place. Insurance is usually not the one who pays, but could be in some circumstances. Many leaky pipes may only cost $500-1000 to fix, so it may be a bad idea to involve insurance even if they will pay.

Scott M. · Answer

By your description might also be condensation VS an actual leak.  Reminds me of my AC line to the furnace.  On hot days I go to the basement and I see the whole line has water droplets about 1" apart.  Anyway, the answer to your question is 100% impossible to know until you cut a hole in the ceiling.  Need to know who's line it is.

Julie Hartman · Answer

@Henry Huang Leaks in condos/apartments are a real bear to deal with because no one wants to be the responsible party. I would start by trying to trace the origin from the location (ceiling over a bathroom? Kitchen fridge water line?). This may entail calling a plumber and allowing them to cut into drywall to see if they can find the source. I don't know if I would call insurance on your end yet unless it's something big and has done serious damage. Plus, if there is damage to another unit, it's probably a matter for their own insurance. However, if they are claiming damages, I would ask to have access into their unit for a plumber, property manager, etc. to see where the leak is ending up. In some cases, a leak can be the responsibility of the HOA (if there is one). In one case, we had a leak from a roof, flow down between the walls of 3 units and the HOA had to cover it. Good luck!

Who's responsibility is a leak from the ceiling in an apartment?

Most Popular Reply