Repsol YPF

Sometimes the cause of the water damage in a building is the rain, in others, leaking pipes, guttering or simply a tap being left on. Building work is also often the cause of leaks, as are defects in washing machines and dishwashers.

Regardless, the important thing is to react in time to work out the cause and know who is responsible for paying for the repairs and compensating those affected by the damage. As such, at the first sign of a leak the cause must be found, in order to prevent the consequences from becoming any greater. It must be remembered that the origin of a leak that appears in one place may be several metres away.

Once the cause of the leak has been identified, where it comes from outside the building, the property owner can demand that the issue be fixed and the damage repaired as well as claiming compensation for the inconvenience suffered. Once the repairs have been carried out, the property should be the same as before the event. If this is not the case, the insurance company will have to reach a financial agreement with the property owner to compensate for the damage. There is a telephone number, provided by the Insurance and Pension Fund department of the Spanish Treasury, where consumers can clarify any doubts they may have about the correct procedure for insurance companies, which is 902197936.

Roofs and façades

Be it a flood or a small leak, the first thing to work out is where it is coming from. Then you will need to carry out a small inventory of what is affected. Without any doubt, if it affects the perimeter walls, the roof or leaks from one balcony to another due to wear and tear or the weather, the residents’ committee will be responsible.

Poor lining of a roof, attic, façade or any common building element, may cause significant material damage to a home, as well as a lot of issues in any neighbourhood when it comes to deciding who is responsible. 

Water inside

However, if the damp originates from inside the building, you just need to check the legislation: the water pipes are common elements until they enter the property. As such, any leak that occurs on private property must be covered by the insurance of each owner, unless it is a leak coming from the common drainpipes. The costs will also fall to the residents’ committee if it can be demonstrated that the damage has been caused by an increase in pressure in the pipes and the issue affects the entire central heating or hot water installation.

Nevertheless, although the majority of homes have multi-risk insurance against which the property owners can claim, whether they are the affected party or those responsible for the leak, it is best to take precautions. A basic measure is to turn off the stopcock when the house is going to be empty for a long period of time.

Where the insurance policy is concerned, it is advisable to take it out with a solvent company. In the event that a neighbour’s company is going to repair the damp, it is advisable not to start the work before following the steps stipulated by the law. The logical thing to do is to contact the insurance company that will send an expert to identify the cause and contact the neighbour’s company. In this case, it will be the building’s civil liability insurance that covers the costs; as well as repairing the damp, it must cover the damage caused to personal goods. However, the repairs will have to be approved by the residents’ committee.

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