If you own a condo or townhouse in a BC strata, plumbing responsibility is one of the most misunderstood — and most argued about — topics you'll encounter. A pipe leaks in your unit. Water is coming through the ceiling of the neighbour below you. And the question comes fast: who pays for this?
The answer depends on where the pipe is, what it serves, and what your strata bylaws say. In this guide we'll break down the general rules under BC's Strata Property Act, explain the grey areas that cause the most disputes, and give you practical steps for sorting things out with your strata corporation.
If you're dealing with a plumbing issue in a strata right now and need a licensed plumber to assess the situation, our team at The Smell Good Plumbers handles strata plumbing across Greater Victoria. Call us at (778) 265-6446.
The General Rule — Common Property vs Strata Lot
The BC Strata Property Act draws a fundamental line between common property and strata lots (your individual unit). In broad terms:
- Pipes that serve only your unit — generally your responsibility as the owner
- Pipes that serve multiple units or run through common areas — generally the strata corporation's responsibility
This sounds straightforward, but plumbing systems don't always follow clean lines. A drain pipe that starts under your kitchen sink may travel through a common wall before joining the building's main stack. A water supply line may branch off a common riser inside a shared wall cavity. Figuring out where "your" plumbing ends and "the building's" plumbing begins is where most of the confusion lives.
The strata plan filed with the Land Title Office defines the boundaries of your strata lot. Everything outside those boundaries is common property. But the strata plan was drawn by a surveyor, not a plumber — and the plumbing doesn't always stop neatly at the boundary line.
What the Strata Is Typically Responsible For
The strata corporation is responsible for repairing and maintaining common property. In plumbing terms, that usually includes:
- Main drain stacks — the large vertical pipes that carry waste from multiple units down to the building sewer
- Common water supply risers — the main supply lines that run vertically through the building before branching off to individual units
- Building envelope drainage — perimeter drains, parkade drainage, and any plumbing that protects the building structure
- Shared mechanical rooms — boilers, hot water systems, and recirculation pumps that serve the building
- Common area fixtures — lobby washrooms, amenity room plumbing, irrigation systems
The strata funds these repairs through the operating budget or contingency reserve fund. Large-scale projects — like replacing the building's main drain stacks or a building-wide Poly B replacement — are often funded by a special levy.
What the Unit Owner Is Typically Responsible For
As an individual owner, you're generally responsible for the plumbing that exists within and exclusively serves your strata lot:
- Supply lines inside your unit — the pipes running from the branch point to your taps, toilets, and appliances
- Your fixtures — faucets, toilets, shower valves, dishwasher connections, washing machine hoses
- Drain lines from your fixtures to the common drain — the horizontal pipes that carry waste from your sinks, tubs, and toilets to the main stack
- Your hot water tank — if your unit has its own (rather than a building-wide system)
If your kitchen faucet is dripping, that's yours. If your toilet supply line springs a leak, that's yours. If the drain under your bathroom sink backs up because of a clog between your fixture and the main stack — in most cases, that's yours too.
The Grey Areas
The disputes happen in the spaces between. Here are the situations that cause the most confusion:
Pipes inside walls between units
A pipe that runs inside a shared wall may technically cross the strata lot boundary. Is it serving your unit exclusively, or does it serve the building? A licensed plumber can help identify where the pipe runs and what it connects to, but the legal question of responsibility often comes down to your strata's specific bylaws and the strata plan.
A leak in your unit damages your neighbour
If a supply line inside your unit fails and water damages the unit below, the repair of your pipe is likely your responsibility. But the damage to the other unit introduces the strata's insurance, your unit owner's insurance, and potentially the strata's deductible. Under recent BC changes, the strata can charge the insurance deductible back to the unit where the damage originated.
The main stack backs up into your unit
If the building's main drain stack is blocked and sewage backs up into your ground-floor unit, the strata is generally responsible for the blockage since it's a common property pipe. However, documenting the cause of the backup quickly is essential — the strata may dispute responsibility if the source isn't clear.
How to Find Out What Your Strata Says
The default rules under the Strata Property Act give you a starting point, but most strata corporations adopt bylaws that modify or clarify those defaults. Here's where to look:
- Your strata bylaws — these may specifically define what counts as "owner maintenance" versus "strata maintenance" for plumbing. Some bylaws explicitly state that all pipes inside the walls of a strata lot are the owner's responsibility, even if they serve common property. Others take the opposite approach.
- The strata plan — filed at the Land Title Office, this defines the legal boundaries of your unit. It tells you where your strata lot ends and common property begins.
- The depreciation report — this document, prepared by an engineering firm, inventories the building's common components and their expected remaining life. It will often list the building's plumbing systems and planned replacement timelines.
If you can't find a clear answer in these documents, ask your strata manager directly — and get the response in writing. When a plumbing issue turns into a dispute, having a paper trail matters.
Tips for Working with Your Strata on Plumbing Repairs
We work with strata councils, property managers, and individual unit owners across Greater Victoria. Here's what we've seen work best when a plumbing issue needs to be resolved:
- Report the issue in writing immediately — email your strata manager or council with a description, photos, and the date you noticed the problem
- Get a professional assessment — a licensed plumber's written report identifying the location and cause of the issue carries weight with strata councils and the CRT
- Don't wait for approval if it's an emergency — a burst pipe or active leak that is causing damage needs to be shut off or repaired immediately; you can sort out responsibility afterward
- Keep all invoices and correspondence — if the strata should have paid for a repair and didn't, you may be able to recover the cost through the Civil Resolution Tribunal
- Propose a building-wide solution — if the issue is systemic (such as aging Poly B or corroded copper throughout the building), a coordinated building-wide replacement is more efficient and less disruptive than unit-by-unit repairs
Need a plumber who understands strata work? Our team at The Smell Good Plumbers works with strata buildings regularly and can provide the documentation your council needs to make informed decisions.
"We got called to a strata building in Esquimalt where a unit owner had a slow leak behind the washing machine. By the time they noticed it, water had been seeping through the floor for weeks — the unit below had water stains on the ceiling, and a third unit at the end of the hallway had moisture creeping along the baseboard from a shared wall cavity.
Three units affected, one failing pipe. The strata council, the property manager, and all three owners were pointing in different directions. We came in, traced the pipe, identified exactly where the failure was and what it connected to, and wrote it up so everyone had the same information. Once it was clear what was a common property pipe and what was inside the unit boundary, the council and the owner were able to sort out responsibility without a tribunal claim.
That's what a good plumber does in a strata — not just fix the pipe, but give everyone the clarity they need to move forward."
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