Pull the plug on leaks

5 April 2012

The tenant in the second-floor flat in a west London block was in such a hurry to catch his flight he forgot to turn off the bathroom tap. Eventually, the bath overflowed and water started dripping into the flat below.

There was no way of getting into the flat, so the managing agent had no choice but to break down the door.

Scenes such as this are becoming more common in apartment blocks that have a high proportion of transient tenants and absentee landlords. And although there is strict legislation covering fire and gas safety, it is impossible to legislate against water leaks.

When they happen, they must be attended to instantly, but what are the best ways of ensuring access?

"Because there is so much absenteeism these days, and the owner is likely to be a Hong Kong corporation, it is essential for somebody responsible, who lives on the premises, to have a spare key," advises Andrew Murphy of agent Copping Joyce.

"We keep keys only if we are actually managing the property, not if we just act as letting agents. Nor are the agents who manage the block likely to have keys for every flat. But unless there is a 24-hour concierge service in the block, which is rare, agents and neighbours must know how to get hold of a key at all times."

This advice is echoed by Michael Lee, from managing agent Shaw and Company. He says: "We've had cases where residents have called the police to force entry. If there is an actual flood, the police or fire brigade will come out, but not otherwise. All water leaks need rapid attention, but not all are considered an emergency.

"We are making a huge effort to address the ever-growing problem of access. The sensible answer would be for all occupiers to appoint specific neighbours as keyholders, as with burglar alarms, then inform us as the block's managing agents.

"Although this sounds a good idea, persuading everybody in the block to agree to it is difficult. You cannot force occupants to let others have keys."

Michael Lee adds that this kind of problem is almost always caused by a tenant, rather than an owner-occupier.

"Some blocks we manage are now twothirds tenanted. Tenants may not be used to the property, don't know how things work, and tend to be less careful than the owner. We like owners to give us tenants' names and mobile numbers, but this does not happen much of the time, so we have no way of contacting the occupant."

There is also the question of who pays for the emergency plumber. Lee says: "Such people will always be expensive, and unless the flat is fully managed by the letting agent, which is rare, we have to pay and then bill the owner. By far the greatest headaches are caused by difficulty, or downright impossibility, of access.

"It is time for landlords, tenants and voluntary directors of blocks to wake up to this problem and address it," says Lee.

The likelihood of water leaks is getting greater because of the increasing number of showers, en-suite bathrooms, washing machines and dishwashers, all of which can go wrong and cause a flood. They are not always correctly plumbed in, either.

In apartment blocks, there is also a distinct danger of water seeping in from the outside. To prepare for winter, owners and agents should make sure that gutters are free from leaves, pointing is watertight and that hoppers are not blocked.

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Pull the plug on leaks

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