Who’s Responsible For Water Leak Repairs?

*Written by Zoe Price

Fixing water leaks should ideally be a painless process. The faster the response to identifying and repairing the leak, the better off everyone involved will be.

After all, water leaks that worsen can cause major property damage, endanger health and safety for those nearby, and send water bills soaring. While nobody should be flirting with needless risk-taking at the best of times, today’s climate means it’s especially important to stay on top of these matters.

Part of that means knowing who’s responsible for water leaks one encounters. Once those questions are cleared up, fixes can occur sooner rather than later.

Here are a few different water leak scenarios where responsibilities can vary.  

When Homeowner’s Mains Supply Pipe Leaks

There can be many misunderstandings when a mains supply line leaks. Some people assume that their water company must repair the faulty pipe. That may be the case in very few circumstances.

Generally, the homeowner is responsible for fixing the mains supply pipe leak. They will need to resolve issues that occur between their property and any external valve. These problems can occur beneath the property or garden areas.

Some services can help homeowners detect and resolve these leaks quickly. In addition to providing an in-depth water mains leak guide, Miracle Leak Detection also run a highly speedy water mains leak repair service throughout the UK, with a special focus in Surrey and Hertfordshire. It’s important that this leak is sorted as soon as possible. Their in-person inspections can be undertaken for free as well. They take their responsibilities in helping you to identify and resolve these water leaks very seriously, and their fast responses and unwavering professionalism are testaments to that.

When the Council Should be Involved

Some leaks in a property can affect nearby neighbours and passersby. When the local community is affected, the council sometimes needs involvement.

A Leicestershire man recently experienced these uncomfortable circumstances. A leak on his property began to affect nearby people, but he still had to wait for council permission so contractors could dig up the road as part of his home insurance cover. He suffered long wait periods for the work to go ahead and tensions with others while blame games took place.

In such circumstances, the local council needs to be more involved in getting the ball rolling. While the homeowner is still responsible for making contact, reporting issues, and bringing in contractors, politely pushing for the council’s green light is still a prerequisite. 

When Landlords Should Intervene

Some tenants experience communication breakdowns with their landlords. These property investors can also blame their tenants for everything that goes wrong, and there can be uncertainties over who should do what.

In these situations, the landlord must fix sanitary fittings like pipes and drains, in addition to baths, basins, and sinks. If they hire a shady contractor that does a poor job with everything, then once again, landlords are expected to arrange and cover the cost of these repairs too.

There can be exceptions to these rules, as sometimes detailed in the tenancy agreement. Should the water leaks damage a neighbouring tenant’s flat, the tenant of the offending property may be responsible for repairs too. Water leak damage caused by themselves, family members, or friends will also need to come out of pocket.

*This is a collaborative post. For further information please refer to my disclosure page.