Plumber call out - Strata vs Owner responsibility

Right, so any of the pipes in the walls are strata responsibility.


If you have a blocked drain and your PM sends a plumber, and it turns out the blockage is past the section of your responsibility (ie a strata problem), who pays for the plumber?


I got a call today about an IP sink not draining. I am pretty close so I ducked over to check it out myself rather than get a plumber. I drained it out and there was no blockage before the main pipe behind the wall (so not my responsibility), so I got the PM to sort it out with strata.


There is a potential for flooding though. The pipe is blocked below my IP, so when people above send water down, it actually fills up the main pipe, then flows into my pipes and flows up into my sink. So with enough water from above it could overflow....

I am guessing strata insurance covers such eventualities? I have my own insurance anyway but still.
 
Last edited:
Waste water from the other units should not go into your unit. Advise BC of the problem.

In the instance that you have gone out and cleared a blockage it was in your pipe not outside of your strata area so that is your responsibility.
 
Yep, I already got the PM to contact the BC and get a plumber out on their coin.

I didn't clear any blockages - I just checked that the blockage was not in my IP before contacting the BC. I could have let a plumber do this, but it was easy (and cheaper) for me to do it.


The question is, if I had gotten a plumber out to check the issue, and they informed me that the blockage was not in my IP, will (or should) the BC cover that cost? Or do I still have to pay that plumber myself, while the BC then pays for a plumber to fix the actual problem?


Or what if my plumber fixed the issue, despite it being the BCs responsibility? Will the BC pay?


It's all hypothetical, since I didn't get a plumber myself and the BC is sorting it out. But I could not find an definitive answer online and my PM did not know, so I was curious to find out other people's experiences.
 
It depends on the strata. Some are easier to negotiate with than others.

If the plumber states where the problem is and it clearly defines that it is a strata issue strata SHOULD reimburse you.
 
I don't think you could compel strata to pay. It's ultimately not their issue that you had a plumber to come out and check your own installation to find it was fine. I'd say they are only compelled to rectify the common issue.

That's why it's always helpful to ask the question "is anyone else having issues?"

You often see it with power outages too, with private electricians roaming around. The individual hasn't checked with neighbours, to avoid a callout fee. Noway is anyone going to reimburse that.
 
Back
Top