As a unit owner, it can be confusing to determine what qualifies as maintenance and what qualifies as repairs in your unit, and who is responsible for each. Gabrielle explains.
Most unit owners in community associations are confused as to what the responsibility is within the unit. To make it even more confusing, an owner may be responsible for maintenance within the unit, but not for replacement if something is damaged due to a covered cause of loss. The bylaws typically have two areas that address this: one is ‘maintenance of’ and the second is ‘damage to or destruction of.’
Owners are typically responsible for the maintenance in the majority of their unit because they have sole access to it. So if a pipe under the sink bursts, the owner would be responsible for replacing it. In the event that a fire caused damage to that same pipe, the association would typically be responsible for replacing it. This can vary based on the wording in the bylaws, so it’s important to make sure you read and understand them.
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