Small Plumbing Fixes in a Concord Condo: Who Fixes What, and Why the Shutoff Is Different From a House

Published October 2026 — Rhodex

A leaking faucet, toilet or supply line inside your Concord condo is usually yours to maintain, but a shared riser or stack isn't. Check your declaration, know where your suite shutoff is, and tell the property manager before you start.

Plumbing in a Concord condo looks like plumbing in a house until something goes wrong. A dripping supply line under the bathroom vanity is a ten-minute fix on a detached home, where you walk to the basement and close the main. In a condo, the answers to three questions change what you can do: whose pipe is it, where is the shutoff, and who has to be told?

Whose pipe is it? Start with the declaration

Ontario's Condominium Act, 1998 sets the default in section 90: the corporation maintains the common elements and each owner maintains the owner's unit, including repair after normal wear and tear. Section 91 lets a condo's declaration change that split, so the document you were given at closing, not a general rule, has the final word.

In practice, a faucet, a toilet's fill valve, a shutoff under a sink, or a supply line that serves only your suite is typically your maintenance. A vertical stack or riser that serves several units is typically part of the common elements. Where the line runs through your wall but feeds your neighbours too, read the declaration's unit description before assuming either way.

Repair after damage is a different rule

Normal wear is one thing; a burst line that floods the suite is another. Section 89 says the corporation repairs units and common elements after damage, but not improvements an owner made to the unit. What counts as an improvement is measured against the "standard unit" for your class of unit, described in a corporation by-law or in the declaration's schedule. Upgrades beyond that standard may count as improvements you repair and insure yourself. Ask the property manager for the standard unit schedule, and check your own condo owner's insurance.

The deductible that lands on the owner

The corporation's insurance has a deductible. Under section 105, if you, your tenant, or someone living in your unit with your permission or knowledge causes the damage through an act or omission, the lesser of the repair cost and the policy's deductible is added to the common expenses for your unit. A corporation can also pass a by-law widening those circumstances. Your own owner's insurance can respond to that charge, which the Act treats as an insurable interest.

This is the main reason to fix a slow drip early and to hire someone who will do the job properly: a repair that fails and floods the unit below can cost you the deductible on top of the repair.

The shutoff is not the one in your basement

A house has one main. A condo usually has layers: a valve for the building, valves on risers, and, in many suites, a valve where the line enters your unit, often behind an access panel or in a utility closet. Fixture shutoffs under sinks and behind toilets are yours. The building and riser valves are common elements, and shutting them off affects other households, so that call goes through the property manager or superintendent. Find your suite valve before you need it, and test that it fully closes.

Notice, access and who may do the work

Many corporations expect notice before a contractor works in a suite, and some require proof of insurance or limit working hours. Check the rules. The Act also runs the other way: with reasonable notice, the corporation or a person it authorizes may enter your unit at a reasonable time to carry out its duties, so a stack repair may mean opening your wall, with the corporation arranging it.

Plumbing is a compulsory trade in Ontario (306A). For anything beyond a washer, aerator or a like-for-like fixture swap, use a certified plumber and check them on the Skilled Trades Ontario Public Register. Whether a given job needs a City of Vaughan permit depends on what is changing, so ask Vaughan's Building Standards department before you move or alter piping.

Quick answers

Who pays to fix a leaking pipe in my Ontario condo?

It depends on which pipe it is. Under the Condominium Act, you maintain your unit and the corporation maintains the common elements, but your declaration can shift that, so read it first.

Can I shut off the water to just my condo unit?

Often yes, if your suite has its own shutoff valve, but the location varies by building. Valves serving several units sit in the common elements, so ask your property manager before touching them.

Can the condo corporation enter my unit to fix a pipe?

Yes, with reasonable notice, at any reasonable time. The Condominium Act lets the corporation or a person it authorizes enter a unit to carry out its duties.

What is the condo insurance deductible I might owe after a leak?

If you, your tenant or a resident you allowed causes damage to your unit, you can be charged the lesser of the repair cost and the corporation's deductible. That charge is added to your common expenses.

Do I need a licensed plumber for a small repair in a condo?

For anything beyond swapping a washer or aerator, yes, use a plumber certified in the compulsory 306A trade, and check them on the Skilled Trades Ontario Public Register. Many buildings also require proof of insurance before contractors work. If you want a fixed price from a vetted craftsman, start a request here.

Before you call anyone

Locate your suite valve, take a photo of the leak, and read the declaration's repair clauses. Then call the property manager first if there is any chance the pipe is shared: that one call settles who repairs it, who pays, and who must be notified.

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