Water Leaks

Preventing Damage & Avoidable Costs

Water leaks are the main cause of preventable insurance claims in our buildings, resulting in upward pressure on premiums which all leaseholders must pay. This has also increased the excess you will have to pay if the leak originates in your flat

To help reduce the risk of leaks and the associated costs, all leaseholders and/or their tenants are asked to always follow this advice.

You MUST adhere to the building consent process and please also
- Undertake regular maintenance and checks of the plumbing in your flat – e.g. toilets/sinks etc - particularly the hot water cylinder and connections to appliances such as washing machines.
- Know where your stop cock is and how to turn it off, so you can examine it and are confident it is in working order.
- Ensure washing machines and dishwashers are professionally plumbed and regularly checked to ensure they are free of leaks.
- Do not pour hot fat or other non-soluble material down sinks, toilets or drains.
- Do not flush nappies, wet wipes or similar down toilets
Act immediately to minimise damage – this could save you thousands of pounds
- If you notice a leak in your flat, turn off your stop cock. Your stop cock is inside the water riser cupboards inside your property – often located in the kitchen
- If you suspect the leak is from a flat above, then it is best to inform all the neighbours on the floor above you as the leak might not originate in the apartment immediately above yours. If the neighbours above you are not in, the concierge can check the water service cupboard to see which of the water meters are registering a flow. Even a small leak should register on the water meter (although it might need to be observed for a few minutes). Ask if the water can be turned off for the apartment where you believe the leak is originating.
- If your flat has the leak, contact a plumber/contractor to fix the cause quickly as possible. Ensure the plumber/contractor has appropriate insurance as you could be liable for damage caused by any further leaks following repairs
- Also report the matter to the R&R Building Manager and if you need to make a claim follow the process set out the insurance broker that manages claims on the RTM’s behalf
Escape of water claims are one of the most likely causes of damage when a property is unoccupied, undergoing renovation or simply when you are on holiday.
To mitigate these claims we recommend:
- Turn your water off at the stopcock and run all the taps to drain them in these scenarios.
- In winter months consider keeping the hearing on low – this could help keep you property safe from freezing pipes.

Water Insurance Claim Excess - £2,500

Important note for leaseholders and residents:

If your apartment is the apartment where the leak originates and you refuse to allow your water to be turned off and/or refuse to arrange to have the leak in your apartment identified and fixed, you could face substantial costs for repairs to other parts of the building.

Please also note that leaseholders are fully responsible for dealing with leaks and other work in their own flats.

The Estate Management team is not responsible for organising contractors to deal with problems inside individual flats unless directly related to a fault which falls within the freeholder’s remit.