Why water is the whole issue
In a stacked building, a supply line failure in your unit does not stay in your unit. Water goes down — into the units below, into common property, into elevator shafts and electrical rooms if it reaches them. A single failed hose can produce a claim involving a dozen units.
The financial exposure is the part owners routinely underestimate. Alberta condominium legislation and most bylaws permit a corporation to charge its insurance deductible to an owner where the loss originated in their unit. Those deductibles are frequently in the tens of thousands of dollars, and they can be charged to you regardless of fault.
This is why a vacant unit warrants monitoring even though it is smaller and simpler than a house.
The unit checklist
- Close supply valves to washing machine and dishwasher
- Check under every sink and around the water heater if in-suite
- Run every fixture to keep traps sealed
- Pour water into any floor drain
- Temperature set appropriately — corporations often specify a minimum
- Windows and balcony doors secured
- Balcony items secured against wind, which is significant at height
- Fridge and freezer dealt with for long absences
- All food removed
- Parcels and mail arrangements made
- In-suite mechanical checked if present
Access is the practical obstacle
Getting into a condo unit is more involved than getting into a house, and it needs arranging before the first visit rather than at the door. Fob access, elevator booking, visitor parking, concierge procedures, loading bay bookings and after-hours entry all vary by building.
Some corporations require notice for anyone attending a unit on an owner's behalf. Some require the owner to register the person. Check the bylaws and the building's procedures before making arrangements.
What is not yours
Common property — hallways, roofs, parkades, mechanical rooms, the building envelope, and usually windows and balconies in some form — is the corporation's responsibility and its management company's.
That is a genuine relief in terms of scope, and it also means the correct response to noticing something in common property is to report it to you so you can raise it with the corporation. A property-care service should not be dealing with the corporation on your behalf.