Property Management

Drips from Above: What to Do When Your Ceiling Starts Leaking

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Living in a block of flats means your ceiling is your neighbour’s floor. When water starts seeping through plasterboard or dripping onto your flooring, acting fast can save thousands in repairs. Understanding where these leaks originate and who is legally responsible makes resolving the issue far easier.

The Usual Suspects: Where Flat Leaks Come From

Most leaks between flats don’t stem from major structural failures; they are usually caused by everyday domestic fixtures in the flat directly above. The most common culprits include:

  • Gaps in shower or bath grouting and silicone seals: water escapes through tiny cracks in tiling or worn sealant every time the shower is used.

  • Loose shower or bath waste connections: hidden drainage pipes beneath the tub or tray can loosen over time.

  • Leaking toilet cisterns: slow internal overflows or cracked cistern seals that trickle onto the bathroom floor.

  • Loose dishwasher and washing machine connections: high-pressure feed pipes or drain hoses that vibrate loose during cycles.

  • Loose underfloor heating connections: manifolds or pipe joints beneath floorboards that develop micro-leaks.

Because these issues occur inside a flat, they fall under private (demised) property responsibilities rather than building-wide maintenance.

Private vs. Communal: Understanding Who Handles What

Before calling for repairs, it is essential to understand how boundaries work under your lease and property management agreement with Gena Property Management Ltd.

Communal Boundaries (Gena’s Role)

Gena is appointed to manage the freeholder’s and resident management company’s obligations strictly for shared, communal elements. This includes:

  • The main building structure, roof and gutters.

  • Shared drainage systems and vertical communal “stack” pipes.

For leaks originating from these shared structural elements, Gena coordinates the emergency response, contacts insurers and manages the claim.

Private Boundaries (The Leaseholder’s Role)

Under your lease, all internal fixtures and pipework within a flat belong to that leaseholder. This includes:

  • Internal plumbing, bath seals, grouting and cisterns.

  • Domestic appliances, washing machines and underfloor heating loops.

Unit-to-unit leaks originating from these private elements are strictly private matters, to be resolved directly between neighbours or their letting agents. Gena does not manage private internal maintenance or intervene in neighbour disputes.

Step-by-Step: What to Do Immediately

When you notice water coming through your ceiling, take these actions right away.

1. Make Direct Contact

Go straight upstairs and knock on your neighbour’s door to let them know. They may be completely unaware that an appliance or shower is leaking. If no one answers, leave a note with your contact details under the door. If water is leaking into common hallways or stairwells, contact Gena immediately on 020 7183 8183.

2. Take Emergency Mitigation Steps

Insurers require you to take immediate action to limit property damage:

  • Place buckets or basins under active drips.

  • Move furniture, electronics and valuables out of the area.

  • Open windows to ventilate the space and begin drying out the room.

  • A note on electrics: while ceiling drips rarely cause serious electrical issues, it is good practice to move items away from light fixtures in the immediate splash zone until things dry out.

3. Report the Incident via the Gena Go App

Log the leak on the Gena Go app as soon as possible. Detailed evidence gathered in the first few hours is essential for any subsequent insurance claims. Your report must include high-resolution, dated photos showing:

  • The source of the damage, where safely accessible.

  • The full extent of damage to ceilings, walls, floors and fixtures.

  • The sequence of events — for example, active water flow.

4. Connect and Resolve

Once the incident is logged on Gena Go, Gena can share the contact details of the owner of the flat above so you can liaise directly on repairs.

Important: to facilitate this, all flat owners must be registered on the GDPR-compliant Gena Go app, available on the Apple App Store and Google Play. Registration grants consent for contact details to be shared with neighbours in an emergency leak scenario. Without registration, Gena cannot share neighbour details, delaying resolution.

Resolving Private Leaks

Once a leak is confirmed as originating from a private fixture — loose underfloor heating fittings, a loose waste pipe or bad grouting — you and your neighbour will coordinate the repair directly. The upstairs resident should appoint their own plumber to fix the root cause, and you can coordinate claims for redecoration through personal contents or building policies as applicable.

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