Published 12 November 2026
This is general information, not advice for your scheme
Every strata scheme is a little different. The starting point is the Strata Schemes Management Act 2015 (NSW) and your own strata plan, by-laws and any common property memorandum the scheme has adopted. What follows is a plain-English summary of how leaking showers are often treated in NSW, based on NSW Government guidance and widely used “who is responsible” material. It is not legal advice, and it is not a decision about your lot. If there is a dispute or a large insurance claim, get advice and speak to your managing agent.
The owners corporation maintains common property
Under section 106 of the Strata Schemes Management Act 2015, the owners corporation must repair and maintain common property. That duty is a serious one. In a typical block, common property includes the structure — slabs, common walls, the roof — and often the original waterproofing membranes in bathrooms, plus tiles that were part of the original common-property floor or wall.
That is why, in many schemes, a leak from an original shower membrane is treated as an owners corporation responsibility. NSW Government’s strata repairs guidance and the optional common property memorandum both point in this direction: original waterproofing is commonly a common-property issue, while the lot owner looks after fittings inside the lot.
“Commonly” is the important word. Some schemes were registered with different lot boundaries, some have exclusive-use by-laws, and some bathrooms have been renovated since the plan was registered. The only reliable way to know is to look at the plan and the by-laws, or to ask the managing agent to do so.
What a lot owner is often responsible for
Lot owners are generally responsible for things that sit in the lot’s airspace and for changes they (or a previous owner) have made. In a bathroom, that often includes the shower screen, taps, the plug and waste, and appliances. NSW Government’s public guidance lists plumbing fixtures such as showers among the items an owner usually looks after, and water damage that starts from inside the lot.
If a previous owner renovated the bathroom and replaced the waterproofing or tiles after the strata plan was registered, responsibility for that later work often sits with the lot owner, not the owners corporation. Again, the plan, the by-laws and any renovation approval will matter. Do not assume the committee will pay for a bathroom that was stripped and redone privately.
Silicone at the top of a bath, and grout that has simply worn with use, can also fall to the owner, unless the leak is tied back to a common-property defect. These lines are not always neat, which is why a clear diagnosis of where the water is coming from helps everyone.
What to do when the unit below is getting wet
If you are the owner or tenant of the shower that may be leaking, tell the strata managing agent and the committee in writing, with photos and dates. If you are the owner below, do the same, and keep a record of damage. The committee generally needs formal notice before it can approve work on common property.
In the meantime, reduce use of the shower if you can, and catch drips so the damage does not spread. Do not start a major renovation until the source is identified. A non-destructive inspection can show whether water is leaving through failed joints, through a membrane, or from a pipe — and those answers change who should be involved.
Our leak detection is designed for this situation. We use thermal imaging, a moisture check and a plumbing pressure test, without removing tiles. If the pressure test shows a pipe problem, we show you the result so a plumber can be brought in. If the joints have failed, we can usually reseal the shower on the same visit, at our fixed package price of $599 for a standard single shower or $799 for a double or walk-in.
How a same-day, non-destructive repair helps a strata job
Committees and agents often want two things: a clear report of the cause, and a repair that does not empty a unit for a week. That is the point of our strata and real estate work. Most repairs take 3–4 hours, the shower is usually back in use after 24 hours, and we do not strip tiles for a typical leaking shower.
We can work in occupied units across Wollongong and the rest of the Illawarra, at the same fixed price with no travel surcharge. If you need photos or a short written summary of what we found for the committee or an insurer, ask when you book and we will tell you what we can provide.
If you cannot agree
If the committee refuses to consider a common-property repair, or if two lots disagree about the cause, NSW has formal paths, including applications in the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal (NCAT) for strata disputes. That is a last step, not a first one, and you should get advice before you file. For most leaking showers, a prompt inspection, a clear explanation of the source, and a practical repair settle the matter without a hearing.
If you would like us to look at the shower first, call 0415 770 509. We will tell you what we can see, what the pressure test shows, and what a repair would involve, so you can take that back to the agent or the committee.
If you need a non-destructive diagnosis and repair for a unit in the Illawarra, call 0415 770 509. We work with lot owners, strata committees and agents, and we can document what we find.