Upstairs unit losses
A leak from a bathroom, a washer or a water heater in the unit above that reaches the ceiling and walls below. The lower unit is the one that shows the damage first, and the source unit is often unaware until the call comes in.
Serving Orange County
Condo and Apartment Water Damage in Orlando, FL
Water losses that cross shared walls and ceilings in Orlando condo and apartment buildings, with the association and neighbors involved.
- Phones answered 24/7
- Storm flooding, slab leaks, A/C condensate
- Price confirmed on site before any work
- Drying tracked to dry-standard readings
Get a fast quote
Fastest: call (833) 490-5225. Or send this and we call you back.
Condo Water
Condo and Apartment Water Damage: what it covers
Quick answer
Condo and apartment water damage is a leak that moves through a shared wall, ceiling or stack into units that belong to other owners or tenants. In Orlando, condo and HOA stock and student apartments mean many losses cross units. The restoration works across each affected unit, and the association's rules set access and repairs. Calls are answered 24/7.
In a multi-unit building a leak is rarely a single-unit problem. Water from an upstairs bathroom or a washer can run down a stack, along a shared wall or through the ceiling of the unit below, and the damage then belongs to two or more households, sometimes to a common area and often to an association with its own insurance.
The condo and apartment stock across the metro is wide. MetroWest has many apartments, condos and townhomes, Dr. Phillips has gated and condominium communities, and Altamonte Springs has condominium and apartment complexes along the I-4 corridor. The student housing around Alafaya adds a steady number of multi-unit losses.
Coordination is the hard part. Each unit needs its own readings, its own drying plan and its own record, and the owners and tenants need access on a schedule. The work goes faster when the building's rules, the insurers and the affected households are brought into the plan at the start.
- Service area
- Orlando & Orange County
- Availability
- Phones answered 24/7, hurricane season included
- Phone
- (833) 490-5225
Warning signs
Signs you need condo and apartment water damage
Do not enter a neighbor's unit without their agreement, and do not cut into a shared wall until the association and both owners have approved it. Keep children and pets away from wet floors in both units. Shut off the power to any wet circuit in the affected units, and do not run a fan in a closet with a wet stack. If water is running down a stack from upstairs, call the association's emergency number and (833) 490-5225 to stop the flow first.
- A stain or a bubble on the ceiling of a unit under a bathroom, a kitchen or a laundry closet above
- A damp wall that is shared with the neighboring unit, with the paint blistering along the lowest few feet
- A musty smell in a hallway or a closet that is strongest near a riser or a pipe chase
- Water running down a stack or a pipe chase inside a closet, often unseen until it reaches the floor below
- A carpet that is damp near a shared wall in a bedroom or living room in a lower unit
- A dark mark on the ceiling of a corridor outside the unit, pointing to a leak above
- A door or cabinet that has swollen after a leak in a unit above, with the frame damp at the base
Options
Types and options for condo and apartment water damage
Shared wall and stack losses
Water that runs down a plumbing stack or along a shared wall into the neighboring unit. The damage can be hidden inside the wall and show up in a room that was never near the leak, so the readings matter more than the visible stain.
Common-area and corridor losses
A leak in a hallway, a stair or a shared laundry room that wets the units on the floor below or the common finishes. The association's insurer and its repair process usually lead this kind of claim.
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If it's an emergency, call now. For non-urgent condo and apartment water damage, send the form and we'll call you back.
Who is responsible when a leak comes from the unit upstairs?
The owner of the unit where the leak started is generally responsible for stopping it, and the insurer for that unit or the association's master policy handles the shared structure. The declaration and the association's rules set the split, so ask for them early.
A written notice from the affected owner to the owner of the source unit and the association starts the claim process. Keep a copy, with the date and the photographs of the damage.
Association rules often define which parts of a unit are common and which belong to the owner. A wall, a stack or a ceiling may fall on either side of that line, and the answer changes who pays.
Does the association have to approve the work?
Often, yes. Many associations require approval before any contractor works in a unit or on a shared structure, and the approval can set the hours, the access and the insurance the contractor must carry. Ask the board or the property manager before the work is booked.
In Dr. Phillips, association approval is commonly required before a contractor starts, so the schedule should allow for it. Ask the association for its rules in writing and for the name of the person who approves access.
A quick, written access agreement with each affected owner and tenant keeps the work moving, and it also gives the crew a record of when it was let in.
Who pays for the repair inside a unit?
The insurer for the unit or the association, depending on whose structure was damaged. The owner's policy usually covers the finishes and contents inside the unit, while the association's master policy often covers the shared structure. Ask each insurer in writing what it covers.
Ask the association for the master policy's deductible and its claim process, and ask the owner for their own policy's claim number. Keep both in the file, because the two insurers often need to coordinate.
Tenants have their own insurance for their belongings, and the landlord's policy covers the building. The lease and the owner's insurance decide what is paid for each part.
What should I keep for an insurer when my unit is affected?
Keep the photographs of the damage, the notice to the association and the source owner, the drying log, the readings and the removal list. The record shows when the water was found, where it came from and what was done.
Keep copies of the access agreement, the association's correspondence and any repair invoice. A complete file lets each insurer see its part of the loss without asking for the same records twice.
The insurance claims guide explains the questions that come up with a shared-loss claim.
Our process
How our condo and apartment water damage visit works
Find the unit and the path
The crew checks the unit where the water started and the units around it, and the path through the wall, the ceiling or the stack is mapped. The source is usually found by following the moisture up through the building, not by looking at the first wet ceiling.
Notify the association and the owners
The owner of the source unit, the owners of the affected units and the association are told in writing what happened and who is doing the work. Access to each unit is agreed in advance, and the crew explains the plan to each household.
Stop the source and remove the water
The leak is stopped by the owner of the unit where it started, through the plumber who serves that unit or through the association's repair process. Water in each affected unit is pumped and the wet finishes are removed.
Dry each unit to its own reference
Each unit is dried against a reference reading taken from an unaffected part of that unit or the building. The shared wall, the ceiling plenum and the stack chase are dried as part of the work, since they are where the water travels.
Rebuild and document each unit
Finishes are replaced in each unit once its readings match. Each unit gets its own drying log, photographs and removal list, so each owner's insurer can see the loss that belongs to it.
Orange County
Why condo and apartment water damage is different in Orange, Seminole and Osceola counties
The condo stock in MetroWest, Altamonte Springs and Dr. Phillips is a mix of older and newer buildings, and the common pattern is a leak in an upper unit that reaches the ceiling and walls below. The association's rules and the shared-wall construction set how the work is done.
Student apartments in Alafaya and the rental stock near the University of Central Florida have a high turnover of tenants. A leak reported by a tenant often takes longer to reach the owner, so the notice has to go to both.
The Kissimmee condos and townhomes near the US 192 tourist corridor include many absentee-owner units. A leak in one of those can run unnoticed for days, and the first call often comes from a property manager, so Kissimmee work begins with the manager's access records.
Where we work
Condo and Apartment Water Damage across Orange County
- Condo Water in College Park
- Condo Water in Conway
- Condo Water in Azalea Park
- Condo Water in Orlo Vista
- Condo Water in Winter Park
- Condo Water in Belle Isle
- Condo Water in Pine Hills
- Condo Water in MetroWest
- Condo Water in Maitland
- Condo Water in Lockhart
- Condo Water in Lake Nona
- Condo Water in Gotha
- Condo Water in Altamonte Springs
- Condo Water in Casselberry
- Condo Water in Clarcona
- Condo Water in Goldenrod
- Condo Water in Ocoee
- Condo Water in Windermere
- Condo Water in Meadow Woods
- Condo Water in Hunter's Creek
- Condo Water in Dr. Phillips
- Condo Water in Winter Springs
- Condo Water in Apopka
- Condo Water in Longwood
- Condo Water in Alafaya
- Condo Water in Oviedo
- Condo Water in Winter Garden
- Condo Water in Kissimmee
- Condo Water in Lake Mary
- Condo Water in Oakland
Not sure if you're covered? Check your ZIP code.
Related
Related services
AC Condensate Water Damage
Drying the ceilings, closets and walls wet by an air conditioner's condensate overflow in Orlando homes and condos.
Appliance Leak Water Damage
Drying the floor, cabinets and walls wet by a washer, dishwasher, refrigerator or ice-maker leak in Orlando homes, rentals and HOA units.
Commercial Water Damage Restoration
After-hours water removal and drying for offices, retail space and hospitality rooms along the I-4 corridor and across Orange County.
Water Damage Restoration
Stopping the source, removing the water, drying to a measured target and documenting it, for homes across Orlando and Orange County.
Guides
Read before you book
Condo and HOA Water Leaks in Orlando
A leak in a condo or an association community rarely stays in one unit.
FAQ
Condo and Apartment Water Damage FAQs
Who do I call first when my unit floods from above?
The owner or the manager of the unit above, and the association's emergency contact. Tell both in writing, then call for the restoration so the water is stopped and removed from your unit.
Will the upstairs owner's insurance pay for my damage?
It may. The upstairs owner's policy or the association's master policy can cover the damage to the unit below, depending on the cause and the wording. Ask each insurer in writing which part of your loss it covers.
Can the crew open the shared wall?
Only with the agreement of the association and both owners, and only after the wall has been checked. A fire-rated wall must be closed back to the same standard, and the work follows the building's rules.
How long will my unit be out of use?
Until the readings match the reference in each room and the rebuild is finished. Units drying from a shared stack or a shared wall often take longer than a single room, so the daily log is the best guide to the schedule.
Do I need to move out during the work?
Usually not for a small loss, though the affected rooms are closed off. For a larger loss, or where the only bathroom or kitchen is in the work area, staying elsewhere is often simpler.
What if the owner upstairs is not answering?
Send a written notice to the owner's address on file and to the property manager, and tell the association. The association can often enter the upstairs unit to stop the leak in an emergency, and it should be told immediately.