Water damage in a strata: who repairs it and who pays
Water is the most common and most expensive strata insurance claim. When it comes through your ceiling, three separate questions get tangled together: who fixes it, whose insurance pays, and who is left with the deductible.
Last reviewed November 10, 2026, against the current Strata Property Act, Strata Property Regulation and Standard Bylaws on BC Laws.
The short answer
In a BC strata, who repairs depends on what was damaged: the strata repairs common property, and each owner repairs their strata lot, subject to the bylaws. The strata's insurance covers common property, the building and original fixtures, even inside units. The deductible is a common expense, but the strata may recover it from an owner who is responsible for the loss (Strata Property Act, section 158). Your own insurance covers contents, improvements, living costs and a deductible charge.
First hour: stop the water
- Shut off the source if you can: the fixture valve, or the unit's main shut-off.
- Call the strata manager or council's emergency number. They may need to shut off a riser.
- Tell neighbours below.
- Take photos and video of the source and the damage.
- Call your own insurer the same day.
- Do not wait to mitigate. Everyone has a duty to limit damage.
Under Standard Bylaw 7, a person authorized by the strata may enter a strata lot without notice in an emergency to ensure safety or prevent significant loss or damage.
Three separate questions
| Question | Answered by |
|---|---|
| Who must repair? | The strata plan and the bylaws |
| Whose insurance responds? | The Act (sections 149 and 161) and the policies |
| Who bears the deductible and uninsured costs? | Section 158, the bylaws, and who is responsible |
Keep them separate and most arguments become clearer.
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Who must repair
- The strata repairs common property and whatever the bylaws assign to it. Under the Standard Bylaws that includes the structure and exterior of buildings, and pipes and services that are common property.
- The owner repairs their strata lot, except what the strata must repair (Standard Bylaw 2).
The duty to repair does not depend on fault. If a common property pipe bursts through no one's fault and damages your hardwood floor, the strata repairs the pipe and the common property, and your unit's repair is yours or your insurer's, unless the strata's policy covers the damaged items. See what is common property.
What the strata's insurance covers
The strata must insure, for full replacement value and against major perils including water escape:
- common property and common assets,
- buildings shown on the strata plan, and
- fixtures built or installed on a strata lot by the owner developer as part of the original construction (section 149).
"Fixtures" means items attached to a building, including floor and wall coverings and electrical and plumbing fixtures, but not appliances and similar items that can be removed without damage (Regulation 9.1). So the strata's policy typically responds to original-grade flooring, cabinets, drywall and plumbing fixtures inside a unit, above the deductible. It does not cover an owner's upgrades, contents or living expenses. Owners and tenants are named insureds on the strata's policy (section 155).
Losses under the deductible
Water deductibles are often tens of thousands of dollars, and can be far more. If the repair costs less than the deductible, the strata's insurance pays nothing. Each party then pays for what it must repair: the strata for common property, owners for their strata lots. An owner whose unit was damaged by a leak from another unit, with no strata insurance payout, looks to their own insurer, who may pursue the neighbour if the neighbour was negligent.
The deductible
The deductible on a strata claim is a common expense (section 158(1)), paid without needing owner approval, from the reserve fund or by special levy if necessary (section 158(3)). But the strata may sue an owner to recover the deductible if the owner is responsible for the loss or damage (section 158(2)). "Responsible" has been interpreted as less than negligence: a loss that originates in an owner's lot from something the owner controls, such as a failed washing machine hose or toilet supply line, can make that owner responsible without carelessness. Many stratas also have a bylaw on this, and its wording matters. See insurance deductibles.
Worked examples
| What happened | Repair | Deductible |
|---|---|---|
| Common property riser fails in a wall | Strata repairs pipe and common property. Strata policy covers original fixtures in units above the deductible | Shared by all owners |
| Owner's dishwasher hose fails, damage exceeds deductible | Strata policy pays above deductible | Strata may charge the owner, whose own policy may pay it |
| Owner's toilet overflows, damage below the deductible | Each party repairs its own property | No claim. Neighbours look to their own insurers |
| Roof leak | Strata repairs roof | Shared |
| Tenant leaves a tap running | As for an owner | Owner may be responsible, and may claim from the tenant |
Your own insurance
A condominium owner's policy typically covers contents, improvements and betterments, additional living expenses, personal liability, and an amount toward a strata deductible assessment. Check that the deductible assessment limit is at least as large as the strata's highest deductible, including water and earthquake. See owner insurance.
Prevention
- Replace rubber supply hoses with braided ones, and replace them on a schedule.
- Know where your shut-offs are, and turn water off when away for long periods.
- Replace hot water tanks before they fail. Many stratas set a maximum age by bylaw.
- Consider leak detectors.
- Stratas: maintain common piping, act on the depreciation report, and tell owners the current deductibles each year, as section 154 requires for material changes.
Questions councils and owners ask
Who pays for water damage in a strata?
It depends on what was damaged and why. The strata repairs common property, owners repair their lots, the strata's insurance covers original fixtures above the deductible, and the deductible may be charged to an owner responsible for the loss.
Is my neighbour responsible for a leak from their unit?
For your own uninsured losses, generally only if they were negligent. The strata's right to recover its deductible from them has a lower threshold.
Does the strata's insurance cover my hardwood floors?
Only original fixtures installed by the developer. Upgrades are for the owner's policy.
Can the strata enter my unit to stop a leak?
Yes, in an emergency, without notice, under the Standard Bylaws.
What if the damage is less than the strata's deductible?
No strata insurance is paid, and each party repairs what it is responsible for.
After a water loss, every decision should be minuted
Emergency spending, the claim, any chargeback. StrataMinutes prepares the record council will need later.
Free for 30 days, then $29 a month. Cancel anytime.
For a 30-lot strata, that is under $1 a lot each month. Have the strata pay: free council approval kit.
This page is general information for BC strata corporations, not legal advice. Your strata's own filed bylaws may differ from the Standard Bylaws. See the current text of the Strata Property Act and the Strata Property Regulation on BC Laws.
Related guides
Insurance Deductibles
Owner Insurance
Strata Chargebacks
Emergency Repairs
Common Property
Strata Insurance