OH NO –IT’S RAINING IN MY CONDO IN ARLINGTON VIRGINIA!

Arlington Virginia condos and water. No doubt you are wondering about this combination.

Yes, you should, because when living in a condominium unit, there is a greater likelihood that you will experience some form of water intrusion at some time (unless you are on the top floor) compared to life in a single family home.

Why is that?

Stop and think for a minute. A fairly large condo building could mean there are several other floors above you, each with pipes of one sort or another running every which way. It only takes one incident (due to carelessness -absentmindedly leaving a faucet on or just an accident – a broken pipe from normal wear and tear involving the escape of water going unnoticed or during your absence or in the middle of the night) for you to be impacted. Regardless of how and who might be at fault, water intrusion is a very scary, inconvenient, damaging and in many cases expensive incident to deal with.

How can this be minimized or avoided?

There are many preemptive steps that you as an Arlington VA condo owner can take to minimize or avoid water intrusion into your unit.

1. Be very systematic about maintenance of the appliances in your unit –refrigerators, washing machines, dishwashers, toilets, water heaters, faucets, heating and air conditioning systems, etc.
2. Make sure to periodically check for dampness around these areas.Do not forget the look above and see if there is any water mark on your ceiling.
3. Invest in water alarms and place these strategically under sinks and around toilets, refrigerators, heating and air conditioning etc. so that they will blast off and alert you the minute the first drop of water is detected. In your absence have an arrangement with your neighbor to notify management if they should pass by and hear the alarm.
4. Make sure that your Condo Association has a maintenance schedule in place to periodically have the pipes and equipment checked which could cause water intrusion into your unit in addition to a schedule for replacement of these items.

You have been impacted by water entering your unit. Now what?

Hopefully, you have the correct type of insurance in an adequate amount, to begin with. You see, even though water might have fallen on your head, it does not mean that you are in the clear. The question of liability when dealing with condos and water in Arlington VA can be quite tricky –a lot of it has to do with your Condo Association and its Governing Documents.

Please see post entitled Yes, You Need Insurance For Your Condo in Arlington Virginia.

In the meantime, if you are thinking about buying or selling a home in Arlington VA, please call or text Norma at 703-920-0003 or [email protected]. Search all Arlington VA Homes Here