Water leak: what to do first, and who pays
Stop the water, protect the electrics, record everything, then work out who is responsible: you, your landlord, the condomínio, a neighbour or the insurer.
The first ten minutes
- Turn off the water at the stopcock (torneira de segurança), usually next to the water meter or where the pipe enters your home. If the leak is from one appliance, its own small valve may be enough.
- If water is near sockets, lights or appliances, switch off the electricity at the fuse box.
- Contain it: buckets, towels, move furniture and rugs.
- If water is coming through your ceiling, warn the neighbour above; if it is going down, warn the neighbour below.
- Take photos and a short video before you clean up. Your insurer will want them.
Find out where it comes from
With all taps closed and nothing running, look at the water meter. If the numbers still move, there is a leak after the meter, inside your installation.
Water from above usually means the flat above or a shared pipe; damp that appears after rain may be the roof or façade rather than plumbing. A plumber can trace a hidden leak with detection equipment, which is better than opening walls at random.
Who pays, in general terms
It depends on where the leak started and on the contracts involved. As a rough guide:
- Pipes inside your own home: the owner of the home pays for the repair. Damage caused by a sudden leak is usually covered by home insurance with water damage cover (danos por água).
- Shared pipes in a building (the risers, main drains and the supply to the building): the condomínio, through its administrator and its building insurance.
- A leak from a neighbour's home that damages yours: the neighbour, normally through their insurance. Insurers in Portugal use a friendly declaration for water damage (DADA) to settle these quickly.
- Pipes before the water meter, in the street: the water company.
- Renting: the landlord is generally responsible for repairs to the installation unless the contract says otherwise; the tenant pays for damage caused by misuse. Tell the landlord in writing straight away. If an urgent repair cannot wait and the landlord does not act, the tenant can usually have it done and claim the cost back, keeping the invoice.
Insurance: what to expect
Water damage cover typically pays for sudden, accidental damage, not for slow leaks, wear or poor maintenance. Some policies also pay towards finding the leak (pesquisa de avarias).
Report the claim as soon as you can, follow the insurer's instructions before starting repairs where possible, and keep every invoice and photo. An expert (perito) may visit to confirm the cause.
Your water bill after a leak
A hidden leak can push up your bill. Read the meter, keep the plumber's invoice describing the repair, and ask your water company whether it has a rule for bills after a repaired leak; some do. If you disagree with how a complaint is handled, the sector regulator is ERSAR.
Frequently asked questions
I am a tenant. Can I call a plumber myself?
For an emergency, stop the water and tell your landlord immediately. If the landlord cannot be reached or does not act and the repair is urgent, you can usually have it done and ask to be reimbursed. Keep the fatura and photos, and check your contract.
The stain on my ceiling comes from upstairs. What do I do?
Talk to the neighbour and ask them to contact their insurer. If you both have insurance, the DADA declaration speeds things up. If the cause is a shared pipe, contact the building administrator (administração do condomínio).