Dealing with a water leak can be difficult and expensive, and can involve talking with multiple different parties including LCMA, other residents, contractors, Nicholson’s and the insurers. The source of the leak is important, as this determines who is responsible for it.

This page gives advice on what to do and who contact in the event of a leak. In all cases, please keep the LCMA informed of any ongoing situations, using the help@leatclose.org.uk contact email, so that we can help and offer advice.

Key points

As a quick summary of this article, the most important points are:

1. Stop the leak
2. Find the source of the leak
3. Contact LCMA.
4. Take photos, keep invoices, get multiple quotes for repairs.
5. Act quickly to avoid further damage.

Stopping the leak

Escape of water can cause a large amount of damage very quickly, so the first action should be to prevent further escape of water by isolating the affected area. This may involve shutting your stopcock. Please make sure you know exactly where this is and how to do it, as it may need to be done quickly in an emergency.

Identifying the source

Where the leak is coming from is important for being able to stop the leak and repair it, and also for who is responsible for any damage. Broadly speaking there are four possibilities:

1. The leak is outside in the gardens or public areas, such as a burst water main or a blocked sewer. This is the responsibility of the relevant utility company, Affinity Water for the mains supply, or Thames Water for the sewerage.
2. The leak is coming from a communal area of the building, such as through the roof. This is the responsibility of the LCMA.
3. The leak is coming from a pipe within your flat, such as from an appliance, radiators, toilets, showers, etc. This is your responsibility.
4. The leak is coming from another flat, most likely the flat above yours. This is the responsibility of the owner of that flat, who you should get in touch with.

If it is not clear where the leak is coming from, you may need a track and access service to find the source.

Contacting utilities

If you are reporting a leak in the fresh water supply, you should contract Affinity Water (Report leak to Affinity Water online). We also advise that you take a meter reading so you are not billed for excess usage. If the leak is external of the water meter then it is the responsibility of Affinity Water and you will not be liable for any costs incurred or water usage.

If you are reporting a sewage leak or a drain / manhole cover leak or to report a smelly drain, or any issues with sewage etc please call Thames Sewage on 0800 316 9800 or (Report problem to Thames Water online).

Arranging repairs

If the damage is to the communal areas or external building elements, then LCMA will arrange the repairs.

For damage inside your flat, you should arrange for the repairs. Please note that for the insurance (see following section), it is likely that you will need to get multiple quotes and agree the repair in advance.

If you have a leak from a neighbouring property, then you need to let your neighbour know, and also inform the Leat Close Management Association so we can monitor the resolution. The leak needs to be dealt with by the leaseholder of the flat above/adjacent. The source of the leak needs to be traced and repaired before insurers can consider any claim for the damage sustained.

Each leaseholder has a duty of care to mitigate the claim by dealing with the leak in a timely fashion. When the leak has been resolved the invoice should be sent to J Nicholson & Son and should be a split bill to show the repair element. Photos should be taken at regular intervals to show the extent works required to locate the leak, and this should be the easiest and most cost effective way throughout.

Once the leak has been addressed, insurers will require photos of the damage to your property and 2 estimates for the repairs. Again this will need to be handled by J Nicholson & Son.

Insurance

If the water leak inside your property has caused any damage to your personal items, you should be covered on your own home/contents insurance. This includes any items that are not part of the fixed furnishings of the flat.

Any damage to the walls, floor or ceiling will be covered by the buildings insurance policy, although there is a large excess (£750 at time of writing) due to multiple claims in recent years. Please contact the LCMA and we will put you in touch with the insurance company via Nicholson’s.

Usually you will need to get at least two quotes for a repair. Please make sure the insurance company has agreed to the costs before arranging any repairs (possible exception if it is an emergency). It is also worth taking photos as evidence.

Trace and access is likely covered under the insurance, so please keep any invoices for that.

The cost of repair to the pipes is NOT covered. Neither is damage caused by wear and tear, or poor maintenance.

If the cost of a claim is only slightly higher than the excess, the LCMA may opt to pay directly rather than make the insurance claim. This would only be done if we believe that keeping the insurance premiums down by having fewer claims will be of benefit to the residents as a whole.

Insurance excess

If the source of the leak is part of the LCMA’s area of responsibility, we will refund the excess. Please get in touch before making any claim if you believe this will be the case.

If the leak is coming from the flat above, the owner of that flat should pay the excess. You should co-ordinate the repair with their knowledge and co-operation so this is not a surprise to them.