My neighbour has a leak through his ceiling?

Question

He says it must be from my flat but i've checked everywhere and nothing. I have called a plumber and have turned off and drained all my pipes. My neighbour says it is still leaking through his kitchen ceiling. Why would this be? Is it really to do with me? I'm very confused as i have no water around up here at all! Can anyone help?

The plumber said he would be here in a few hours we haven't got floor boards it's solid floor. It's dripping through his ceiling into his kitchen over my kitchen. It's where my washing machine is. Thing is i've had it all out checked it all and nothing is wet up here at all.

Answer 1

If he has a leak tell him to get a plumber. What makes him so clever to blame you!?

Answer 2

You need to assess a few things here. whats above his kitchen? is it your kitchen? does it only leak through his ceiling at certain times? could you have a leak on your washing machine, kicthen sink, if the bathroom is above the kitchen then is the water coming from your bath waste or sink waste. The fact that your flat is above his indicates that the leak is in your property. Can you ask the neighbour to contact you when the leak next occurs and maybe you can go into his kitchen and check for yourself. The only other thing I can think of is heating pipes under your floorboards , have you had a carpet put down recently, could the pipes have been punctured. Be aware that if the leak is from your property and his property becomes damaged he can claim from you.

Answer 3

he should have called a plumber then given you the bill if it's your leak causing damage, if it isn't you I hope he pays up for the time and money you will have wasted. You have done all you can to minimise the leak if it is you. If it's still leaking then it could be a pipe between you and him that is leaking, if you have shut off your water supply and it's still dripping then how can it be you?
Tell him to turn off his water supply and if it stops you know it's something to do with his property not yours.

Answer 4

Leaks can start anywhere. It could be the gutters need to be cleaned out. Water travels in the path of least resistance. You can have a leak in the kitchen & see it in the bedroom on the same level. It could be from your tub 25 feet away from his ceiling.

Answer 5

It is probably the water tank above your ceiling which is overflowing and the overflow pipe is situated so that the water runs down and is by passing your flat.

Assuming it is not from rain fall. Put a blue edible die in the tank and if his ceiling turns blue you cannot be blamed.

Answer 6

The best thing to do is to make visual confirmation of the water source. If his leak is coming through a light fixture, he may be able to remove the fixture and spy through the hole, but odds are he will need to remove some sheetrock. It's in his flat, let him find the leak source; You can then hire repair to the plumbing if he demonstrates it's your leak.

Answer 7

Have you or he central heating, it may be HIS central heating pipes. it may be also from waste pipes, OR WORSE water gaining access from outside as snow melts. The snow could have been trapped on a ledge and as it melts is finding a crack into the flat.
If it is YOU will have a plumbers call out to pay for.

Answer 8

Let him call a plumber.
After it is corrected, before finishing the interior damage repair, have him contact a Public Adjuster to determine whether this is covered by his insurance policy, (it probably is) and they will negotiate a decent settlement for him.

Answer 9

Did your plumber look under your floorboards for leaking pipes ??????

Answer 10

It may be structural - coming through the walls of the building or from a drain outside.

Its mainly your neighbours problem, advise him to get a someone to look into it.