What to do if your apartment is flooded?

This can happen to anyone: you come home from work, and water is pouring from the ceiling, destroying your fresh renovation. Or the neighbors are knocking on the door: "It's pouring even in the entrance! Maybe you didn't close the tap?"

Onliner.by studied utility instructions and compiled a detailed guide on what to do if an apartment is flooded — from the first steps to receiving compensation.

Where to turn if your apartment is flooded

Apartment flooding is a common problem. There can be many reasons.

For example, neighbors in a multi-story building might let you down: simply forgetting to close the water tap. Various unforeseen situations happen: washing machines break, hoses burst, a tap might suddenly break off. Sometimes the cause of the flood is a worn-out water pipe or a leaking roof.

Sometimes the situation can be resolved simply by contacting the neighbors who are flooding you. But often, everything is much more complicated.

To get help and officially record the fact of flooding, you need to call the dispatch service at 115 (or leave a request on the "My Republic" portal — 115.bel).

Another option is to contact the organization that services your building directly, i.e., the Housing and Utilities Services (ZhES) or the homeowners' association. The necessary specialists will be informed about the problem, and the consequences of the flooding will be eliminated.

Sometimes the situation requires immediate intervention: water is pouring heavily, and the apartment from which the flooding is occurring is locked or cannot be identified at all. In such cases, the emergency service urgently shuts off the water in the entire riser to stop the "flood" first.

How to record flood damage and get compensation

Stretch ceilings, household appliances, and kitchen furniture can suffer from a large amount of water. To claim compensation, it is necessary to record the damage (and not only that).

The procedure is outlined in paragraph 14 of the Rules for the Use of Residential Premises.

On the very day of the flooding, specialists from the ZhES or the homeowners' association must come and draw up an inspection act. The act specifies which apartment was flooded and from which apartment the water came. It notes which items are damaged, and whether the apartment's finish was affected. It also indicates who, in the opinion of the commission, should compensate for the damage.

Depending on the cause of the flooding, this could be the owner of the "culprit" apartment (if it was a so-called domestic flood), the organization servicing the building (for example, if internal building communications broke down), or a contractor (for example, if the building is undergoing major repairs).

Павялічыць

If the emergency occurred on a non-working day, the fact of flooding will be confirmed by a certificate from the city emergency service. Based on this, the ZhES will draw up the necessary document on a working day.

In addition, specialists advise documenting damages with photos and videos, just in case.

When the flooded surfaces are completely dry (but no later than 20 days), the commission will visit again. This time, a defect act will be drawn up. It will detail the types and volumes of repair and construction work, and the quality and types of finishing materials for repairing the damaged premises.

It is worth informing the utility services about the type of wallpaper you had (possibly imported), and other important details that will help in calculating the cost. Defect acts are issued to both the liable party and the affected party.

After this, the organization servicing the building will draw up an estimate for the repair and construction work. It will specify the current prices.

If the ZhES is responsible for the flooding, the utility services must carry out repairs no later than one month "from the date of filing the corresponding claim or within terms agreed with the resident," according to the Telegram channel "Housing and Utilities Minsk Official."

Disagree with the flood damage assessment: how to order an expert examination

It happens that the owner of an apartment affected by flooding is not satisfied with the damage assessment. For example, they believe that not all works were accounted for or the amount was calculated incorrectly. In such a case, an expert examination can be ordered from the State Committee of Forensic Examinations.

A representative of the State Committee once explained during a live call which specific aspects utility workers might overlook. Sometimes, even a small leak can require complete re-wallpapering. The cost of wall priming, plastering, and other details important for quality re-wallpapering might not be taken into account.

It also happens that damaged laminate was laid in such a way that it will have to be replaced throughout the entire apartment, not just in one room.

To confirm the cost of materials, apartment owners will need receipts, price lists for materials used during the renovation. If these are not preserved, the expert will determine the cost based on the "republican normative base of current resource prices" or the average market value in stores.

Such an expert examination is not a cheap pleasure, but, on the other hand, it is a strong argument in court if the case goes to trial.

What to do if the ZhES does not eliminate the consequences of flooding

Suppose the consequences of the "flood" were supposed to be eliminated by representatives of the ZhES. What to do if this did not happen?

First, you should try to resolve the issue out of court. To do this, you must officially notify the ZhES that you will eliminate the consequences at your own expense, either independently or by engaging a contractor. After this, demand reimbursement of expenses, attaching checks, receipts, acts of performed work, and other documents confirming the costs.

If even this doesn't help, you should go to court.

Павялічыць

Flood insurance: how it works and what it covers

Today, there are many companies that offer to insure not only an apartment and its property, but also your liability to neighbors. Three years ago, we did a large review on this topic. Obviously, insurance prices have changed since then, but the general approach has most likely remained the same.

Insurance cases usually include situations such as: flooding due to accidents in water supply, heating, or sewage systems, leaking roofs, flooding from neighbors, or as a result of natural disasters.

However, if water entered the dwelling through an open window or balcony, compensation is usually not paid for this.

Damage assessment schemes vary among different insurance companies. Some send their own expert to the site in case of flooding, while others rely on ready-made estimates from the organization servicing the building.

Павялічыць

Different insurance companies approach payout procedures differently. A common scheme is as follows: the company transfers money for repairs, and then itself files a subrogation claim against the party responsible for the emergency (neighbors or the organization servicing the building).

The higher the amount you insured for, the greater the damage the contract can cover. However, contentious situations also arise when the offered compensation does not satisfy the insured person at all.

If you are the one responsible for the flooding, your liability insurance will most likely save a lot of nerves. Sometimes, it's enough to simply provide your neighbors with your insurance policy number — and they will be able to contact the insurance company directly to receive compensation.

How not to flood your neighbors: simple preventive measures

Finally, a few simple tips on how not to cause a flood.

Monitor the condition of your apartment's plumbing, taps, and anything else that could cause flooding to neighbors. Turn off the water when leaving for long periods.

You can also install a smart water leak sensor at home. Such devices usually react to the appearance of water on the floor and can report it with sound, light (depending on the model), or send a notification to your smartphone. This will allow you to react quickly to the problem.

Some, especially smart sensors, can automatically shut off the water supply.

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