Property owners who move into condos often want minimal maintenance obligations. They may be happy to rely on the condo association for lawn care and the maintenance of shared amenities, such as the workout area or a community pool.
In some cases, people living in condominiums may have unrealistic expectations regarding repairs and maintenance. They may insist that the condo association is responsible for the cost of repairing or maintaining their individual units. They may then try to take legal action if the condo association refuses to provide those services or reimburse them for expenses.
Is a condo association responsible for in-unit repair and maintenance expenses?
An association maintains buildings and shared spaces
As a general rule, condo owners are responsible for everything from the walls in, while the condo association typically handles maintenance of the structure and its major systems. The exact division of responsibilities depends on what infrastructure individual units share and what is separate. In some cases, certain types of damages within a unit could potentially be the responsibility of the condominium association or an adjacent unit owner.
If someone left their sink running while on vacation, leading to a flood and water damage in a downstairs unit, the property owner who caused the water damage might be liable. In cases where improper facility maintenance led to water damage, such as pipes that leak due to age, then the condo association might ultimately be liable.
When individual unit owners insist that their condo association should absorb repair and maintenance expenses, an investigation into the underlying cause of those issues might be necessary. Working with an attorney to evaluate liability can help condominium associations validate when owner claims are reasonable and when unit owners are personally responsible for absorbing repair expenses.