What to Do If Neighbors Flooded (or You Did)

Floods can happen in many ways: burst hot or cold water pipes, sewer blockage, pipe leak in the riser, or a forgotten tap. But all of them can lead to serious consequences. Let's find out together with an expert what to do if the worst has already happened.

Yuri Kryukov, Expert. Lawyer, runs his blog on Instagram @vkursedela about the rights of co-owners and apartment owners

If neighbors flooded you. I was flooded. What should I do?

Call the 24/7 dispatch service: a duty plumber will come to your place and either fix the leak or call a repair team.

Where to find the dispatch service phone number?

Search for the abbreviation ODS (unified dispatch services) and your address on Google. Or call the property management company.

Even better, look it up now and save the number so it's always at hand: ODS not only handles your building but also the area around it.

Can I fix the leak myself?

Yes, if it happened in your apartment. If they're flooding you, contact the neighbors and make a joint decision.

Important: If a hot water pipe bursts, don't approach closely — it could be dangerous.

Now you'll have to do repairs. How to get compensation?

Contact the property management company: the sooner, the better. Based on your application, a commission will draw up an act stating the cause of flooding and describe the damaged property.

Try to negotiate with neighbors. If they agree to compensate for the damage, ask for a receipt with payment terms.

How to assess the damage from flooding?

Many commercial organizations conduct such assessments. The average cost in Moscow is 8,000 to 25,000 rubles.

Important: Before conducting an expert assessment, invite the person responsible for the flooding to be present during the inspection. An expert opinion can be used as evidence in court.

Does insurance help in such cases?

Yes! This is the ideal way to cover damage. When signing, carefully read the policy and ensure all necessary insurance cases with compensation for damage are described.

Pay attention to whether compensation is also paid to others who suffered if flooding occurred due to your fault.

A neighbor refuses to admit fault. Can I sue them?

Of course. To file a lawsuit, you'll need:

• a written claim;
• an act of flooding: it should be requested from the property management company right after the incident;
• an expert assessment of damage cost;
• documents on expenses: for the expert assessment, legal help, and other receipts;
• a written notice about calling the responsible party for the expert report;
• evidence of payment of state fee (if you're filing a lawsuit against an individual).

Important: If you file a lawsuit against the property management company or housing cooperative for an amount up to 1 million rubles, you don't need to pay the state fee.

I won the case, but the neighbor still refuses to pay compensation. What should I do?

Based on the court ruling, get an enforcement order and hand it over to the bailiffs: they will find a legal way to collect money from the debtor.

If the property management company is at fault. Several apartments were flooded. How to get compensation?

If the fault of the property management company is proven and documented, you need to assess the damage. With an expert report, you must submit a written complaint.

If the response to the complaint and proposed solutions do not satisfy you, feel free to file a lawsuit.

If our building is managed by a housing cooperative instead of a property management company?

Both the property management company and the housing cooperative bear equal responsibility for the common property of the building.

If you flooded neighbors. Neighbors demand a huge sum for repairs: what to do?

Try to be present when the act of damaged property is drawn up. If you disagree with the amount, insist on an independent expert assessment and resolve the issue through court.