Strata plumbing for property managers, explained without the headache.

Strata plumbing for property managers in New South Wales comes down to one question that decides almost every repair: is the problem on common property, or inside a lot? The owners corporation looks after common property plumbing. The individual lot owner looks after the pipes and fixtures that serve only their apartment. Get the boundary right and the rest falls into place.

Here is the point most local plumbers miss. We work with strata managers, body corporates and building managers across Penrith, the Hawkesbury and the Lower Blue Mountains, and almost nobody writes for the people who actually coordinate this work. The advice out there speaks to the homeowner with a dripping tap, not the manager juggling by-laws, levies and a committee that wants a straight answer. That gap is why we put this guide together. We know strata work, we quote it up front, and we explain what we found so you can take it back to the owners with confidence.

This is general information, not legal advice. For a ruling on a specific dispute, check the current legislation or get formal advice. For the day-to-day calls, here is how it works.

Who is responsible for plumbing repairs in a strata property?

Responsibility splits along the lot boundary. The owners corporation maintains and repairs common property plumbing under section 106 of the Strata Schemes Management Act 2015 (NSW). The individual lot owner maintains the fixtures and pipes that sit inside their lot and serve only their apartment.

In plain terms:

• Owners corporation (strata): shared pipes, main stacks, sewer and stormwater lines, pipes in common walls and floors, and anything that services more than one lot.
• Lot owner: taps, mixers, toilet cisterns, the hot water unit if it sits inside the lot and serves only that lot, and the branch pipes that run to those fixtures.

The tricky part is that pipes often run through common walls and slabs before they reach a single apartment. A leak inside the wall cavity can be common property even when the tap it feeds belongs to one owner. When the boundary is unclear, the registered strata plan and the original hydraulic drawings settle it. A plumber who knows strata work can trace the line to confirm.

What plumbing issues are covered by strata in NSW?

Strata covers the plumbing that forms part of common property. That is the shared infrastructure the whole building relies on, not the fittings inside a private apartment.

Typically covered by the owners corporation:

• Main water supply pipes feeding the building
• Sewer and waste stacks that serve multiple lots
• Stormwater and roof drainage systems
• Pipes running through common walls, floors and ceilings
• Fire services plumbing and shared pumps
• Backflow prevention devices on the common water supply
• Common property hot water plant in buildings with a central system

Typically the lot owner’s responsibility:

• Internal taps, mixers and shower fittings
• Toilet cisterns and pans
• Individual hot water units serving a single lot, for example a Rinnai continuous flow unit or a Rheem storage tank mounted on that apartment’s balcony
• Branch pipework inside the apartment
• Blockages caused by what goes down that apartment’s own fixtures

By-laws can shift some of this. Some schemes register special by-laws that make owners responsible for items that would normally be common property, often after a renovation. Always read the scheme’s by-laws before you allocate a cost. They override the default position.

Is the owners corporation responsible for leaking pipes?

Usually yes, when the leaking pipe is common property. If a shared stack, a main supply line or a pipe inside a common wall or slab is leaking, the owners corporation is responsible for the repair under its section 106 maintenance duty.

It gets more interesting when a leak inside an apartment damages common property, or a leak from common property damages an apartment. The source of the leak decides who fixes the pipe. The resulting damage is a separate conversation about insurance and liability.

A quick worked example. Water is staining a ceiling on level two. If the source is a failed waste pipe in the slab between levels, that is common property and the owners corporation repairs it. If the source is a perished flexi hose under the kitchen sink in the apartment above, that is the upstairs owner’s fixture and their responsibility. We find the source first, document it with photos, and give you a written finding so the committee is not guessing. Accurate diagnosis is the difference between a clean repair and a drawn-out dispute.

Who pays for plumbing repairs in an apartment building?

Payment follows responsibility. The owners corporation pays for common property plumbing repairs, funded from the administrative or capital works fund. The individual owner pays for repairs to their own fixtures and lot pipework.

Here is the practical breakdown for a typical apartment building:

Repair	Who usually pays
Burst main stack in a common duct	Owners corporation
Blocked sewer line serving several lots	Owners corporation
Leaking flexi hose inside one apartment	Lot owner
Faulty mixer tap in a private bathroom	Lot owner
Stormwater pipe blockage under common grounds	Owners corporation
Individual hot water unit failure (single lot)	Lot owner
Central hot water plant repair	Owners corporation

Two things complicate the money side. First, by-laws can reassign cost, especially where an owner altered common property during a renovation and took on responsibility for it. Second, strata insurance may respond to damage caused by a sudden plumbing failure, which is separate from who pays to fix the pipe itself. When we quote strata work, we set out exactly what we are repairing and why it sits where it sits, so the invoice matches the responsibility. You can see how we approach commercial and strata plumbing and ask for a fixed price before anything starts.

What is considered common property plumbing in NSW?

Common property plumbing generally includes shared pipes and drainage infrastructure located within common property areas. The registered strata plan is the key document for identifying lot boundaries, while section 106 of the Strata Schemes Management Act 2015 (NSW) establishes the owners corporation’s duty to maintain and repair common property, subject to applicable legal exceptions. Plumbing responsibility should be assessed by checking the registered strata plan, the location of the pipework and any relevant by-laws.

As a working rule, common property plumbing includes:

• Pipes located in common walls, floors and ceilings
• Shared supply, waste, sewer and stormwater lines
• Any pipe that services two or more lots
• Plumbing in common areas such as foyers, car parks, gardens and shared laundries
• Shared pumps, tanks and backflow devices on the common supply

And it generally excludes:

• Pipes wholly inside one lot that serve only that lot
• Fixtures and fittings within an apartment

In NSW strata schemes, lot boundaries are determined by the registered strata plan. Depending on the plan, boundaries may be defined by reference to walls, floors and ceilings. Strata managers should review the registered plan and applicable by-laws before determining whether plumbing forms part of common property or an individual lot. The registered strata plan should always be checked to confirm the boundaries of an individual lot. Plumbing located within common property boundary walls, floors or ceilings will often be the owners corporation’s responsibility, even when it serves only one apartment. However, responsibility depends on the registered strata plan, the pipe’s location and any applicable by-laws. According to the NSW Government’s Strata repairs and maintenance guidance, lot owners are generally responsible for plumbing in internal walls and fixtures, while the owners corporation is generally responsible for plumbing in common property boundary walls and under floors. The registered strata plan and applicable by-laws should be checked to confirm responsibility in individual cases. When responsibility is unclear, check the strata plan and by-laws before authorising repairs. If your scheme has an older or unusual plan, the drawings are worth confirming before you authorise work. We are happy to trace the line on site.

Are blocked drains the responsibility of strata or the owner?

It depends on which drain, and what caused the blockage. If the blocked drain is a shared sewer or stormwater line serving multiple lots, it is common property and the owners corporation is responsible. If the blockage is in a branch drain serving only one apartment, and it was caused by what that household put down the drain, it usually falls to the lot owner.

A few practical signs that point to a common property blockage:

• More than one apartment is affected at the same time
• Waste is backing up at a shared ground-floor gully or in the car park
• The blockage sits in the main line downstream of several lots

Signs it is likely the owner’s drain:

• Only one apartment’s fixtures are slow or backing up
• The blockage is in the branch line between that apartment and the main stack
• The cause is clearly from that unit, for example wipes or fat

Tree roots, collapsed pipes and general build-up in shared lines are classic owners corporation jobs. We use drain cameras to find the exact location and cause, which matters because the footage tells you whether the blockage is on the common line or the lot’s branch. That takes the argument out of it. See how we handle blocked drains for strata and commercial sites. You get the footage and the finding in writing.

Who is responsible for water leaks between apartments?

Responsibility for a leak between apartments depends on the source, not the damage. Trace the leak to the pipe or fixture that failed, and whoever owns that pipe owns the repair. Common property pipe, owners corporation. Lot fixture or lot pipe, the owner of that lot.

These inter-apartment leaks cause the most friction, because the water shows up in a different unit from the one where the problem started. A bathroom leaking into the apartment below is a common example. The repair responsibility turns on whether the failure is in the waterproofing membrane, the slab pipework, or the owner’s own fitting. Waterproofing membranes sit outside our trade. What we can do is confirm whether the water is coming from a plumbing fitting or a pipe, which is often the first thing the committee needs to know.

For the resulting damage, strata insurance frequently comes into play, and the claim runs in parallel with the repair. Our job is to pin down the source quickly and document it, so the managing agent, the owners and the insurer are all working from the same facts. Guesswork here costs money and goodwill.

The maintenance worth putting on a schedule:

1. Annual backflow prevention testing. Strata managers should identify any backflow prevention devices connected to the building’s water supply and confirm the applicable inspection, testing and maintenance requirements with the relevant water authority. Keep records of completed testing and servicing as part of the building’s maintenance documentation.
2. TMV servicing. Thermostatic mixing valves in common facilities need regular servicing to keep delivering water at a safe temperature.
3. Drain and stormwater maintenance. Periodic camera inspection and clearing of shared sewer and stormwater lines catches root intrusion and build-up before a backup.
4. Hot water plant checks. For buildings with central hot water, scheduled servicing extends plant life and flags the pressure limiting valve and the relief valve before they fail.
5. Pump inspections. Stormwater and sewer pumps need regular checks. Note that pumps are serviced off-site when a rebuild is needed.
6. A documented asset register. Knowing where the stacks, isolation valves and devices sit saves hours when something fails at 2am.

A good maintenance plan also gives the committee a predictable spend and a paper trail, which matters when owners ask where the levies go. We can put a maintenance schedule together for your scheme and quote it line by line.

Key takeaways for strata managers and body corporates

• The lot boundary decides responsibility. Common property plumbing is the owners corporation’s; fixtures and lot pipes are the owner’s.
• Section 106 of the Strata Schemes Management Act 2015 (NSW) sets the owners corporation’s maintenance duty for common property.
• By-laws can reassign responsibility, so always read the scheme’s by-laws before allocating a cost.
• For leaks and blockages, the source decides who pays, not where the damage shows up. Accurate diagnosis settles most disputes.
• Scheduled maintenance, including appropriate inspection and testing of backflow prevention devices, helps protect the building’s plumbing systems and support compliance with applicable requirements.

Work with a strata plumber who quotes up front

PVS Plumbing is a Penrith-based plumbing team serving Western Sydney, the Hawkesbury and the Lower Blue Mountains. We provide fixed-price quotes before work starts, a 12-month workmanship guarantee on our installations, and clear written findings for strata managers and committees. We give strata managers and body corporates fixed-price quotes before work starts, a 12-month workmanship guarantee on our installs, and a clear written finding you can take straight to the committee. We work Monday to Saturday, with after-hours work available at an uplifted rate.

If you manage a strata scheme and want a plumber who explains what they found and stands behind the work, get in touch with PVS Plumbing for a quote or a maintenance schedule. Penrith plumbing, done your way.

Frequently asked questions