Who can shut off a condo building's main water?

Work down this list, and do the first two at the same time if you can.

1. 1Call your association's emergency line or management company. Look for the after-hours number in your community documents, resident portal or mailroom. Tell them there is an active leak from the unit above, that water is entering your unit, and give your unit number.
2. 2Try to reach the neighbor, by phone, text or a knock on the door. They may be away, or may not know. Often a quick fix is a stuck fill valve or a supply line they can close themselves.
3. 3If the water is coming from a fixture or line on your side, such as your own toilet, sink or water heater, close that fixture's shut-off. Our guide to shutting off water to a fixture shows how, and how to test your main shut-off valve covers the valve for your own unit, if it has one.
4. 4Keep clear of any water near outlets, light fixtures with water in them, or your electrical panel. If you see sparks, smell burning, or someone is in danger, call 911. The Flood Control District of Maricopa County's recovery guidance says: "DO NOT attempt to turn off electricity while standing in water. Get professional help!"
5. 5Move what you can out of the way, set out containers, and start taking photos. More on that below.

Usually the association, and in practice its manager or maintenance contractor. Under A.R.S. 33-1247, "the association is responsible for maintenance, repair and replacement of the common elements," except to the extent the declaration, subsection C of that section or section 33-1253, subsection B provides otherwise. A building main that feeds several units is usually part of the common elements, which puts it on the association's side. Your declaration is the final word on that, because it can draw lines differently.

The city or water provider sits one step further out. In Phoenix, the city's code says "The Department has exclusive control and authority over all shut-off valves of the City public water system." The city's own plumbing tips add: "The water meter is what separates city and private property in determining who is responsible for leak repairs." Other cities and water companies have their own rules. For the city side, see can I shut off water at the curb stop in Phoenix.

Don't, unless the association has told you to and given you access. There are two reasons.

First, a building main usually serves every unit. Closing it cuts water to every neighbor, including people who are home, and you may not know who is on a medical device, running a business or away for weeks. Second, the valve may be locked in a utility room, a garage or a closet that you have no right to enter. For a city valve, Phoenix is blunt: "No unauthorized person may molest, disturb, or manipulate any shut-off valve on the City public water system." The same section says "No person may knowingly own, possess or maintain control of a curb stop key, valve key or hydrant wrench for the City public water system without written permission from the Director."

This page does not cover fire protection systems or building life-safety equipment. If a valve is labeled for either, leave it alone and tell management. For the unit-by-unit valve question, see does an apartment need a shut-off valve for each unit.

Generally, yes, for repairs. A.R.S. 33-1247(A) says: "On reasonable notice, each unit owner shall afford to the association and the other unit owners, and to their agents or employees, access through the unit reasonably necessary for those purposes." "Those purposes" are maintenance, repair and replacement. The statute also says that "If damage is inflicted on the common elements or any unit through which access is taken, the unit owner responsible for the damage, or the association if it is responsible, is liable for the prompt repair of the damage."

Two limits are worth knowing. The statute attaches "reasonable notice" and "reasonably necessary" to that access, and it doesn't define either one for an emergency. So while management works on getting in, call and text the owner or occupant, which also leaves a record that notice went out. Also, this is the condo statute. A townhome or planned community follows its own recorded declaration, so read yours. This is general information, not legal advice. For who pays once the water is stopped, see HOA or owner: who fixes a leaking pipe in a condo.

Start before you clean up. The Flood Control District's guidance for people whose homes have been damaged by water says to "Notify your insurer as soon as possible" and to "Fully document the damage before any repairs are made." That list is written for flood recovery, but the habit applies to a leak from the unit above you too.

• Take wide and close photos and video of each wet surface, the source if you can see it, and anything damaged.
• Write down the date, the time you noticed it, and who you called and when, including the association's emergency line.
• Keep damaged items until the adjuster has seen them, if it is practical.
• Send the association a written report of the leak, so there is a record.
• Tell your own insurer right away. If the water came from a neighbor's unit, the association's or the neighbor's coverage may be in play, but the paperwork starts with your claim.

Our guides to filing a water damage insurance claim and what to do first after a flood or major leak go through the rest, and water coming through the ceiling covers the wet drywall.

If management is slow, or the source is a shared line that no one has found, a licensed plumber can trace it and close the right valve with the association's say-so. HQ offers 24/7 emergency service, is licensed and insured, and gives upfront pricing and free estimates on repairs that are yours to make. See our home plumbing services.