Condo and HOA Water Damage

If water is coming into your condo from above, or your leak has reached the unit below, call 786-919-0159. A live person answers 24/7 and sends a crew with a fast response anywhere in Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach.

South Florida has one of the largest concentrations of condo buildings in the country, from Brickell and Sunny Isles towers to 55-plus communities in Broward and Palm Beach. Water in a stacked building does not stay put. It follows slabs, plumbing chases and ceiling cavities, and the unit that sees the damage is often several floors below the source. That makes condo leaks a team problem: owners, neighbors, building management and often several insurance policies.

What to Do When Water Comes From Another Unit

1. Stay safe. Turn off power to wet areas if you can do it from a dry spot, and stay out from under sagging ceilings.
2. Tell building management right away. They can access the source unit and shut off water if the owner is away.
3. Take photos and video of the water, the damage and anything you can see of the source.
4. Call 786-919-0159 so drying starts in your unit immediately.
5. Notify your insurer and get the other owner’s contact and insurance information through management.

Who Is Responsible for Condo Water Damage?

Your condo documents decide the details, but responsibility is usually split like this:

• Your unit’s interior (flooring, cabinets, fixtures, interior finishes and your belongings) is usually your responsibility and covered by your HO-6 policy.
• The building structure and common elements are usually the association’s responsibility under its master policy.
• Damage caused by another unit may involve that owner’s insurance, especially if the leak came from their appliance or fixture.

The one thing that should never wait is drying. Every day spent sorting out responsibility before drying starts adds damage and raises the chance of mold, which makes everyone’s claim bigger.

How Condo Water Damage Is Handled

The crew coordinates with building management on access, service elevators, parking and work hours. Every affected unit is checked, including those above and below the source, because water often travels further than the visible damage. Moisture mapping, extraction and drying follow the same process as any home, with careful documentation so each owner and the association can see exactly what was wet and how it was dried. Repairs may need association approval; see water damage repair.

Townhomes, Villas and HOA Communities

In townhomes and villas, shared walls let water travel into the neighbor’s unit, and upstairs air handlers and laundry rooms leak into the ceiling below. HOA communities usually split responsibility the same way condos do. Notify your HOA or property manager, check with your neighbor and start drying right away.

Florida Condo Inspections and Water Intrusion

Under Florida law, condo and cooperative buildings three stories and taller need milestone structural inspections at 30 years of age, or 25 years if within three miles of the coastline, and every 10 years after. Water intrusion is one of the things those inspections look for, which is one more reason associations and owners benefit from dealing with leaks quickly and keeping records.

Questions to Ask Your Association

• Which parts of my unit are covered by the master policy?
• Does the association require specific contractors or certificates of insurance?
• What are the rules on work hours, elevator use and debris removal?
• Who is the contact for emergencies when management is closed?
• Is there a water shutoff for my unit or stack, and who can operate it?

Knowing these answers before an emergency makes the first hours far smoother.

Preventing Condo Leaks

• Replace washer hoses with steel-braided lines and check them yearly.
• Keep AC condensate lines flushed and make sure a float switch is installed.
• Replace water heaters before they fail; many associations set a replacement schedule.
• Shut off water to your unit before leaving for an extended trip, if your building allows it.
• Install leak sensors under sinks, behind toilets and in AC and laundry closets.

Most unit-to-unit leaks start with an appliance, supply line or AC unit inside a unit, so owners can prevent many of them.

Seasonal Owners

Many South Florida condo owners spend part of the year elsewhere. A leak in an empty unit can run for days before a neighbor below notices a stain. If you are away and get a call from building management, call 786-919-0159 and say who can provide access. Ask staff to shut off water to the unit if it is still running. Before leaving, shut off your water if allowed, set the AC to control humidity and leave a key with management.

Documentation Every Owner Should Keep

• Photos and video of the damage in your unit, before cleanup
• The date and time you discovered the water and notified management
• Names and contact information for building management and the other owner
• Copies of moisture readings and drying records for your unit
• Receipts for emergency expenses, such as a hotel

Good records make it easier to sort out responsibility between policies and help each claim move faster.

Common Sources of Condo Leaks

The most common sources are inside units: washing machine hoses, dishwasher and ice maker lines, toilet supply lines, water heaters and AC condensate overflows. Building plumbing risers, roof leaks and balcony door seals cause the rest. Knowing the source matters for insurance, but it should not slow down drying.

When Your Leak Damages the Unit Below

If water from your unit reached your neighbor, shut off the source, tell building management and your neighbor right away and call your insurer. Your HO-6 policy may include liability coverage for damage your unit caused. Starting drying in both units at once limits the total damage and keeps the claim smaller for everyone, including you.

High-Rise Logistics

In towers, crews coordinate service elevator reservations, loading dock access, parking and certificates of insurance with building management. Equipment is brought in on carts to protect common areas. Work hours follow building rules. Telling the person who answers your building name and unit number helps the crew arrive with what management will require.

Balcony Doors and Window Leaks

In high-rise condos, wind-driven rain can force water through sliding balcony doors, window frames and exterior wall joints during storms. Water often shows up at the base of the door, along baseboards or inside walls next to the glass. Responsibility for windows and doors varies by building, so check your condo documents, and dry the interior right away either way.

Related Services

• Ceiling and Wall Water Damage: leaks coming through from above
• AC and Appliance Leaks: common sources in condo units
• Water Mitigation and Drying: drying every affected unit
• Commercial Water Damage: for associations and property managers

Where We Provide Condo Water Damage Help

Condo water damage help is available 24/7 across all three South Florida counties, in every city, town and neighborhood:

• Miami-Dade County: Miami, Hialeah, Miami Beach, Coral Gables, Doral, Kendall, Homestead and more
• Broward County: Fort Lauderdale, Hollywood, Pembroke Pines, Coral Springs, Pompano Beach and more
• Palm Beach County: West Palm Beach, Boca Raton, Delray Beach, Jupiter, Wellington and more

See every community on our South Florida service areas page.

Condo Water Damage Questions