Preventing Water Damage In Rental Properties

Wow! Many thanks indeed. Sounds like you learned the hard way though....

Well done steve. I really appreciate it. I,ve been a landlord for 20 odd years and even using the anti mould sealant had occesional problems. i'll get my guys to fit the upvc quadrant trim and Bobs your uncle. Reading the remarks I suggest you just cut and paste matchmades article and use it for your next article!! Phil Walters Eastern Landlords Association director and Norwich Branch Chairman.

I hope nobody minds if I extend this discussion a little bit further. I have been a managing agent of leasehold property for the past 21 years as well as having built a buy to let portfolio as my pension. The single thing which causes more problems than anything else in blocks of flats is issues with leaks from flat above where the the bathroom (and kitchen) connections are unsound or where sealant is worn. Unfortunately, tenants don't really care and letting agents most often do not inspect and arrange for worn/missing sealants to be replaced and the damage caused by a bath which is allowed to overflow can be extensive in a lower flat. What then happens is the affected flat makes an insurance claim for the damage from above; insurers pay out but then when this happens frequently in one building as it does in many blocks; at renewal insurers often will not offer insurance or will seek to increase "excesses". This is perfectly correct and insurers are obvioulsy entitled to protect themselves, especially in a building where you can have an issue like this four or five times a year. I have seen buildings owned by independent landlords (in very upmarket areas) where one excess for water damage was increased to £500 per incident and another building (different freeholder and different insurers) where it was increased to £5,000 per incident I am not an insurance expert and I do not deal with claims but I have been told that when there is an abnormal excess like this it falls on the owner of the flat causing the damage to pay it rather than on the service charges.
From my daily reading of 118 it looks to me as though most landlords own houses but I thought this widening of the discussion was worthwhile as you can see the owner of a tenanted flat could face a huge bill if his tenants did not take care of the bathroom not only for damage done to other property affected by a tenant's carelessness but also to the landlord's flat as condensation issues and the cost of repair of leaking connections and sealants etc which would not be covered by insurance and the costs of dealing with mould, rot etc can be very high

Just out of interest, a tenent of mine jammed a suitcase on top of the hot water tank feeder tank, jamming the ball valve down so the water was running down the overflow constantly, I got a phone call from the management company saying water was going into the flat below , when I got to my flat not only was the overflow running, but the push fit connector in the cupboard had come apart!! So water was going downstairs, the upshot was that I had to pay the excess on the redecoration bill for downstairs.I was told by someone that any excess should have come out of the maintenance charges but the management company say no. So I paid up, but it will come out of there deposit when they leave, question is should it have come put of the maintenance charges ?

Hi Ell, Thats a tough one..... in my rentals I don't allow access to the loft space for this very reason. In fact I put a concealed lock on the loft hatch so it can't be opened other than for access and maintenance. I also put a timber frame around central heating storage tank so as the tenants can't stack directly on top of them. I suppose I do things a bit belt and braces but that means I have absolutely minimal problems from my tenants.

sorry I beg to disagree.........

There you go....... I never had anyone from EH visit me, but then I suppose ive been lucky with my tenants over the past 20 years. Well thought out response - Cheers.......

Unfortunatley the tanks are in the airing cupboard in the hall

Service charges do NOT pay for insurance claims fo leaseholders' flats unless the damage has been caused by the managing agents.
It is for the claimant to recover any excess by county court from a flat above if that is where the flood came from.
My flats have had £55000 spent on them for floods.
The policy excess is now £500
One flood caused by the flat above me paid my £500 excess as it was linked into the flat above claim.

Wow thats unbelievable....... Keep an eye out for the last item in my blog about preventing floods from baths overflowing. It will be out on friday I think.....