Water Damage Emergency Plan for Property Managers in Ontario (Free Checklist)

Most of the cost of a water loss in a multi-unit or commercial building is decided in the first hour. A superintendent who knows where the riser valve is, has the restoration company's number in their phone and starts taking photos right away can turn a five-unit loss into a one-unit loss. This water damage emergency plan for property managers in Ontario is the one we recommend every building has on file before the next burst pipe.

Part 1: building information to collect now

Put this on one page per building, printed in the superintendent's office and saved where every on-call staff member can open it on their phone:

• Main water shut-off location, with a photo, and the tool needed to turn it
• Riser and zone valves by floor, labelled on a floor plan
• Fire sprinkler room location and your sprinkler contractor's 24/7 number
• Electrical room location and which panels feed which floors
• Sump pits, backwater valves and floor drains in parking and mechanical areas
• Access: master keys, fobs, alarm codes and who holds them after hours
• Year built and whether a designated substance survey exists, and where it is kept

Part 2: the call list

Agree on the order before anything happens:

1. On-call superintendent or maintenance lead
2. Restoration and mitigation company (24/7 line)
3. Plumber, and sprinkler contractor if a fire line is involved
4. Property manager and, for condos, the board contact
5. Insurance broker or claims line
6. Electrician if water has reached panels or fixtures

Part 3: the first hour, step by step

1. Stop the water. Close the nearest valve that stops the flow without shutting off more of the building than necessary.
2. Make it safe. Cut power to wet areas from a dry location. Keep tenants away from ceilings that are sagging or dripping near light fixtures.
3. Find where it went. Check the units directly below and beside the source, then the floor below that. Water follows pipes and slabs further than you expect.
4. Document everything. Dated photos and video of the source, every affected suite and the water level, before anything is moved.
5. Call mitigation. Extraction and drying should start the same day. After 24 to 48 hours, wet materials can start to grow mold.
6. Protect contents. Lift furniture off wet carpet, move electronics and files, and put foil or blocks under furniture legs.
7. Notify tenants in writing. Which units are affected, what will happen next and who to contact.

Part 4: decisions to make in advance

• A pre-approved spending limit for emergency mitigation, so work can start at 2 am without waiting for a signature. Many managers set this as a dollar figure per incident.
• Who can authorise work above that limit, and how to reach them after hours.
• Condo responsibility: under the Condominium Act, 1998, the declaration and by-laws set out the corporation's and owners' repair and insurance responsibilities, and the standard unit definition determines what the corporation's policy covers. Know which applies before the call comes in, so mitigation is not delayed by a dispute about who pays.
• Direction to pay: whether you are comfortable signing a direction so the insurer pays the restoration company directly.

Part 5: documentation for the claim

Ask your restoration company for a moisture map on the first visit, daily drying logs, dated photos by unit and an equipment log, delivered as one closeout package. Keep a copy in the building file. When the same riser fails again, that history matters to your insurer and your board.

Part 6: prevention that pays for itself

• Leak sensors with automatic shut-off valves in mechanical rooms and under water heaters
• Yearly inspection of sump pumps, backwater valves and floor drains before spring thaw
• Replacing braided supply lines and washing machine hoses at unit turnover
• Heat tracing or insulation on pipes in unheated areas before winter
• A yearly moisture walk-through of roofs, mechanical rooms and units with a history of leaks

Let us hold the plan for you

Our Priority Response Program is free for property managers and condo boards in London and Middlesex County. We keep each building's shut-offs, access and after-hours contacts on file, set a pre-approved spending limit with you, and give registered buildings priority dispatch. Registered buildings also get a yearly moisture walk-through with a written report. Register your buildings here.

Common questions