Does your ceiling leak? What to do when a neighbour’s property damage spreads to yours
Sometimes, the biggest property issue you can meet isn't inside the house. If y'all're unlucky, the next-door neighbour or the one directly upstairs tin be the source of space headaches, whether it'due south in the course of a leak or, knock on forest, a fire.
So what should you know when property damage from somewhere else reaches your doorstep or ceiling? Accept annotation of these things and adjust your game plan accordingly.
1. THIRD-Political party INSURANCE ISN'T MANDATORY FOR PRIVATE HOMES
Habitation content insurance sure has a lot of bizarre perks, like paying for groceries when your fridge goes downwards and whatnot. Merely the oft overlooked feature is third-party liability. This is for situations when your fire or leak causes amercement to your neighbour'due south unit instead.
Insurance with third-party liability may be mandatory for cars but apparently non for private housing (for HDB flats, information technology's mandatory under the Home Protection Scheme, though).
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This means that, if your neighbour's leak causes your fake ceiling to sag and look like the beginnings of Precious stone Changi Airport'due south indoor waterfall, they may non be able to pay you the Due south$10,000 or so needed to gear up it. Sure, yous could sue them – but that will probably just compound your costs with legal fees if they genuinely take no money for your repairs.
If it's a neighbor's fire, this means that you better have some kind of insurance if all your stuff burns to ashes. Because it's really possible that your neighbour has none.
What tin y'all exercise? Make sure you buy some kind of home content insurance. Your neighbour might be the blazon who lives pay cheque to pay check, with no savings or insurance.
2. YOUR NEIGHBOUR MIGHT LIE Fifty-fifty After THEY FIX THE Event
Say your contractor tells you the leak is coming from upstairs or next door. Yous accept a conversation with the neighbour, and they agree to stop using a tap or air-conditioner that's causing it.
Of course, past this point, you would have had some sort of water damage at your cease of the house. In that location's probably a crack you demand to patch, or waterlogged cabinets that you demand to replace. Usually, your neighbour's liable for that.
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But there's a take chances that they'll probably fix information technology on the sly – then that when the leaking stops, they might shrug, tell yous they don't know what they did but hey, everything's all okay now.
Information technology is, bluntly speaking, a way to avoid paying you lot for fixing your wall or ceiling.
What tin you do? The only fashion to get them to pay is to detect some sort of proof, preferably a report by a contractor. Yous'll desire to deed fast hither, while all evidence regarding the source of the leak can be establish.
3. IT'Southward ABSURDLY Hard TO COORDINATE CONTRACTOR VISITS
Information technology'south not a "simple upshot" of getting a contractor to expect at the impairment. Remember: A leak, crack, or electric issue from adjacent door ways the contractor may demand to see the neighbour'due south unit.
Yous might demand to convince your neighbor to let your contractor poke effectually. And if they're not inclined to practice agree – why would they if they could stop up paying for repairs? – they tin delay the visit for weeks. The process gets even more convoluted if tenants and landlords are involved.
For instance: At that place's a crack in your ceiling, and you suspect information technology has something to exercise with what's going on upstairs. Your contractor needs to accept a look. However, the people living up at that place are tenants. So now you demand to contact the landlord for permission.
Just the landlord tin can only let you and your contractor in later informing the tenants (who may non exist happy about total strangers snooping around). Those tenants might desire to be present while you're in the house. However, they may not be bachelor on the days when your contractor is. And on the day when the ii are available, the landlord from upstairs decides he wants to be present, merely he's working that day and… you go the idea.
What can y'all exercise? Yous merely have to put your pes down. That could mean threatening to take legal action if the stalling continues. If they don't answer, deport in listen that your inability to speak to them isn't a barrier to legal action.
4. IF You'RE LOOKING TO Authorities FOR Aid, Skillful LUCK
Simply put, it's a civil affair between you and your neighbour. Calling the police won't exist of much help, even if our Singaporean instincts regard this as a solution to 99 per cent of life'due south problems.
Y'all'll as well find there'south little that authorities, such equally your condo'south management committee, can do. HDB will make more of an effort, just fifty-fifty and then the issues will take fourth dimension to resolve.
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This is a scrap of a shocker to about dwelling owners; your first response will be to call up: There must be someone I can call. Just you'll presently find out there actually isn't – it's all downwardly to you lot and your willingness to have bad-mannered confrontations.
What can you exercise? Cease wasting time asking who to call. It'southward not your property agent (though they may be able to dispense a bit of communication), not your management commission, and not the Edifice and Structure Authority, et cetera. Rather than waste time casting effectually for help, focus on getting a contractor to confirm the source of the leak. Later that, seek legal assist if they're being uncooperative.
v. EVERYBODY FEELS It'S UNFAIR
These situations are never fair. It's quite possible for your neighbour's electrical fire to burn your whole living room, while all they suffer is a slightly singed rug. And if it'southward their leak flowing into your unit, well, they aren't the ones who need an umbrella to get to bed.
Merely the sense of unfairness works both ways: Your neighbour may non have done anything wrong, just all of a sudden notice themselves faced with a massive repair bill for your house. It'southward not every bit if they chose to bosom a pipage and brand a leak happen.
Since human beings are wired for fairness though, this tin prompt quite an overreaction if you don't keep it in check.
What can you do? Be polite, fifty-fifty if you need to threaten legal action. In that location'due south no way your dictionary of Hokkien vulgarities will help the situation. Remember that your neighbour is too processing the daze of the unexpected price.
Whenever you get an email or text message about the situation, give yourself most 10 minutes before you respond (if you're pissed). You don't need the added grief of a harassment charge.
This story first appeared in 99.co.
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