Under the Strata Schemes Management Act 2015 (NSW), the owners corporation is generally responsible for plumbing that serves more than one lot or sits in common property, shared stacks, sewer and stormwater lines, pipes in boundary walls, and pipework beneath floors serving multiple units. A lot owner is generally responsible for plumbing within their unit that serves only them, such as internal taps, toilets and flexible hoses. The exact boundary depends on the registered strata plan and by-laws.

Fixing Strata Plumbing Issues

Licensed & Fully Insured

Trusted by Sydney strata managers and owners corporations

We get it. You’re letting a trade into other people’s homes and billing it to a committee. That only works if the plumber is accountable.

Ready Set Plumb has completed thousands of jobs over 15+ years and holds a 4.9-star rating from Google reviews. We’re a member of the Strata Community Association (NSW) and Master Plumbers NSW, we carry $20 million in public liability cover, and every job is done by our own in-house team, no subcontractors turning up to your building under our name.

And when the problem is the building’s pipework itself, not just a tap or a toilet, our specialist relining arm, Ready Set Reline, can rehabilitate aging sewer and stormwater lines from the inside, no digging up driveways, gardens or common property.

Responsibilities in Strata buildings

Common property or lot owner? We confirm who pays

The first question in any strata leak isn’t how do we fix it, it’s whose problem is it. Get that wrong and you delay the repair, annoy a resident, or bill the wrong party. Under the Strata Schemes Management Act 2015 (NSW), plumbing responsibility usually comes down to where the pipe sits and what it serves.

What the owners corporation usually covers

Pipes and drainage that serve more than one lot, or that sit in common areas, are generally common property and the owners corporation’s responsibility. That typically includes:

  • Burst or leaking pipes inside boundary or shared walls
  • Vertical stacks and risers serving multiple units
  • Shared sewer lines, stormwater and main drains
  • Pipework beneath floors that services more than one lot
  • The main water supply stopcock and shared hot water systems
  • Roof plumbing and gutters serving multiple units

What the lot owner usually covers

Plumbing that sits fully within one unit and serves only that unit is generally the lot owner’s responsibility, internal taps, toilets, sinks and showers, flexible hoses, dishwasher and washing-machine hoses, and under-sink traps.

A quick rule of thumb: if it’s inside your unit, serves only you, and you can see or control it, it’s usually yours. But it isn’t always that clean. A pipe that serves one unit but runs through a shared wall can still be common property, and the boundary ultimately depends on your registered strata plan and by-laws. This is general guidance, not legal advice and it’s exactly where a clear plumber’s report settles the argument.

Your written cause-of-leak report

On strata jobs we trace the source of the problem and give you a written cause-of-leak report, photos, the location of the fault, and a plain-English call on whether it’s common property or lot property. You can send it straight to the committee, the strata manager or the insurer to confirm who pays and lodge a claim without weeks of back-and-forth.

What We Fix

Strata plumbing services we provide

Everything a Sydney strata building needs from one team:

Blocked drains & shared sewer stacks

Shared stacks block from kitchen fat, wipes and tree roots. We clear blockages with drain cameras and jetting, then tell you whether it’s a shared-line (common property) or in-lot issue.

Burst & leaking pipes

Make-safe, source tracing and permanent repair for burst and leaking pipes in walls, risers and slabs.

Leak detection & cause-of-leak reports

Non-invasive leak detection for the leaks that show up two floors below where they started, with the written report that confirms responsibility.

Hot water systems

Repair and replacement of shared and individual hot water systems, including advice on whether replacement needs owners corporation approval.

Pipe relining for ageing common-property pipes

Older Sydney blocks are running on cast iron and earthenware that’s near the end of its life. Through our specialist sister brand Ready Set Reline, we reline failing common-property pipes from the inside, trenchless, no jackhammering through slabs or common walls, far less disruption to residents.

Preventative maintenance programs

Scheduled inspections of shared systems, stacks and roof plumbing to catch problems before they flood a unit and to give committees a maintenance record they can budget against.

Reviews

What our customers say about us across Sydney

4.9
from 326 Google reviews
Rating breakdown
5 316 4 7 3 0 2 0 1 3
Most mentioned in our reviews
Friendliness267
Punctuality258
Fair & honest pricing248
Quality of work237
Cleanliness232

I manage the plumbing works at my strata complex and the team always does a great job. They respond to emergencies, sort out regular maintenance, and keep our complex in top shape. They even fixed difficult burst pipes underground running beneath our buildings. They always turn up on time and do a good report at the end of every job.

Craig Donnelly

Being a Property Manager, we manage a large folio of investment properties. When we engage Ready Set Plumb, not only do we receive competitive pricing, but rapid responses to all our jobs with high-quality finishes. I would always recommend them for all your plumbing needs, small or major.

Anthony Zaman

We called at night time due to a leaking tap. He fit us into the schedule and fixed it early the next morning. On top of that, he even fixed our long-term water hammer issue. Can’t thank him enough for the good work and fair price!

Carole Ashford

Great coordination with my tenants to fix bathroom issues at my apartment. Prompt and proactive service. Will definitely be using them again.

Alex Winslow

Ready Set Plumb have been fantastic! Found and fixed a burst pipe in the wall. They are our go-to plumbers for both Strata and individual owners in our block.

Felicity McEvilly

We run a portfolio of Managements and only keep reliable, honest, and responsive trades on our books that we can always count on. If communication and honest pricing are important, then look no further. We could not be any happier, 5 Stars!

Grant Percy

Fixing a Strata Plumbing issue

Our Minimum Standards

Plumbers who speak strata: reporting, billing and compliance

Most plumbers can fix a pipe. Fewer understand what a strata manager actually needs around the fix. With Ready Set Plumb you get:

  • Documentation built for committees and insurers — written reports, photos and clear cause findings
  • Billing to the right party — invoicing that reflects common-property vs lot responsibility, so you’re not unscrambling it later
  • One point of contact across your portfolio — the same team across every building you manage, who already knows the access quirks and shut-off locations
  • Insurance-ready evidence — the paper trail that supports a claim when common property fails

You spend less time coordinating trades and explaining yourself to owners, and more time managing the building.

Service Area

Suburbs we serve across Sydney

Based in Roseville and covering the entire Sydney metropolitan area including the North Shore, Northern Beaches, Eastern Suburbs, Inner West and Hills District.

Artarmon
Asquith
Cammeray
Castlecrag
Chatswood
Cremorne
Crows Nest
East Killara
Eastwood
Epping
Gordon
Greenwich
Hornsby
Hunters Hill
Killara
Kirribilli
Kurraba Point
Lane Cove
Lavender Bay
Lindfield
Longueville
Marsfield
Mosman
Mount Colah
Mount Kuring-gai
Naremburn
Neutral Bay
North Epping
Northbridge
North Sydney
Pennant Hills
Pymble
Roseville
South Turramurra
St Ives
St Leonards
Thornleigh
Turramurra
Wahroonga
Warrawee
Waverton
West Pymble
Willoughby
Wollstonecraft

Balgowlah
Beacon Hill
Belrose
Brookvale
Collaroy
Dee Why
Fairlight
Forestville
Frenchs Forest
Killarney Heights
Manly
Narrabeen
Newport
Queenscliff
Seaforth
Warriewood

Bellevue Hill
Bondi
Double Bay
Elizabeth Bay
Millers Point
Paddington
Randwick
Rose Bay

Annandale
Ashfield
Balmain
Dulwich Hill
Forest Lodge
Glebe
Leichhardt
Lewisham
Marrickville
Newtown
Rozelle
Stanmore
Strathfield

Baulkham Hills
Beecroft
Bella Vista
Carlingford
Castle Hill
Cheltenham
Cherrybrook
Dural
Stanhope Gardens
West Pennant Hills
Winston Hills

FAQ

Strata Plumbing Frequently asked questions

Straight answers to the things people ask us most when something’s gone wrong.

It depends where the pipe is. A pipe inside a shared wall or riser serving multiple units is usually common property, so the owners corporation pays for the repair. A pipe or fitting inside your unit that serves only you, like a flexi hose under the sink, is usually the lot owner’s. We trace the source and give you a written report so the right party pays.

Usually yes, where the cause is a common-property supply line affecting multiple units. If only one apartment has the problem, it’s more likely an internal fixture or in-lot pipe, which falls to the lot owner. We test and confirm which it is.

If the blockage is in a shared drain or sewer line serving multiple lots, it’s generally common property and the owners corporation’s responsibility. A blockage isolated to one unit’s internal pipes is usually the lot owner’s. Our drain camera shows exactly where the blockage sits.

Yes. On strata jobs we provide a written cause-of-leak report with photos and a clear finding on responsibility, built to hand straight to a committee, strata manager or insurer.