Fixing the escape of water crisis

The challenge is especially acute in leasehold blocks, where internal plumbing typically falls outside the freeholder’s or its managing agent’s remit. Yet it’s often these private pipework issues that cause repeated claims – prompting some buildings to take matters into their own hands.

A more proactive approach

Faced with worsening claims histories, many managing agents and freeholders are commissioning internal inspections across entire developments, flat by flat. While access and legal responsibility remain obstacles, the risk of inaction is increasingly hard to ignore.

Firms like BRM Solutions are leading this new wave of proactive risk management. Using cloud-based scheduling tools, automated resident communications and digital access protocols, inspections can be coordinated across hundreds or even thousands of units. Each resident receives an individual report, and managing agents get a block-wide overview of issues discovered.

Tools of the trade

The inspection process has evolved beyond clipboards and checklists. Moisture meters, borescopes and thermal imaging cameras are now commonly used to detect subtle signs of leaks – even those hidden beneath baths, inside ducting, or behind walls.

Thermography, in particular, has become a game-changer. By highlighting cold areas caused by moisture, it allows inspectors to detect hidden leaks early, often before visible damage occurs.

Some inspection firms, including BRM, are also using 3D scanning to create digital twins of individual flats. These records can be compared over time to track condition changes or spot recurring risk patterns. With AI now being trialled to analyse these scans, early intervention may soon be automated.

In blocks with historically poor plumbing – due to substandard installation or ageing materials – some managing agents are also exploring retrospectively installed IoT leak detection systems. These smart sensors can send alerts or even shut off the water automatically at the first sign of a leak. It’s digital plumbing insurance – intervention before escalation.

The value of data

The more buildings that undergo inspections, the richer the data pool becomes. By collecting anonymised data on plumbing types, occupancy patterns, maintenance history and fault trends, service providers are uncovering previously hidden risk factors.

For instance, early findings suggest that tenant-occupied flats have higher leak rates than owner-occupied ones. Likewise, unoccupied flats, left vacant for long periods, often develop issues that go undetected – which explains the increasing number of unoccupancy clauses in insurance policies. Over time, these insights could help reshape how EOW risk is underwritten and how buildings invest in mitigation.

Live monitoring is also on the rise. Humidity, temperature, flow rate and water usage can now be tracked in real time via IoT sensors, helping building managers identify issues before damage occurs.

Looking ahead

The EOW challenge in leasehold buildings is unlikely to disappear overnight. But with new technologies available to predict, detect and prevent leaks, the tide may be turning. What was once considered an unavoidable part of flat living is now a solvable problem – with the right tools, processes, and cooperation.

As insurance markets tighten on EOW and resident expectations rise, tech-enabled inspections and data-driven modelling are likely to become standard best practice – not just an emergency response when cover is lost.

Lindsey Joseph, co-founder, BRM Solutions