Stormy summer weather exposed the weakest points of apartment blocks: water leaked into flats through leaky roofs and uninsulated facades
2024.08.22
This summer, Lithuania has been blessed with heavy rain and high winds, and at the end of July, the storm of Cyclone Kristi, which travelled through the country, exposed residents to the weakest spots in old apartment blocks that they had ignored for years. According to Tadas Kuznecovas, head of Civinity Namai in Vilnius, a company that maintains and manages apartment blocks, the water that leaked into the flats through leaky roofs and uninsulated facades exposed the truth that simple repairs are not enough to prevent major damage.
The number of roof and façade accidents has risen sharply
Civinity Namai has seen an increase in the number of roof and façade accidents in apartment buildings this summer, with nearly 200 roof and over 100 facade emergency and emergency works carried out across Lithuania.
Compared to the number of repairs carried out on these apartment structures last summer, the number of roof repairs has doubled and the number of façade repairs has almost tripled.
Unfavourable weather conditions contributed to the higher number of accidents: heavy rain caused leaking roofs to let rainwater into the apartments on the upper floors, while gusty winds carried it into the apartments on all floors through the inter-block joints, also known as seams.
However, the stormy weather only showed that the roofs and seams of Soviet-built and unrenovated block flats are not airtight and that localised repairs are not enough to fix them.
Non-hermetic roofs and facades – a problem in Soviet-built blockhouses
Lithuania is one of the European countries with the highest number of people living in housing with leaking roofs or damp walls. According to Eurostat data for 2020, the number of people living in such conditions is 11%.
One of the reasons for this is that the block of flats, built in the Soviet era and not renovated, are 30 years old or older.
In such blocks of flats, weathering causes cracks in the bitumen roofing, leaks at the joints and rainwater leaks. Another problem in block houses is the inter-block joints, which become leaky over time, letting in not only wind but also moisture and, in strong winds, even rainwater.
Without the approval of the majority, they can only deal with accidents
In old Soviet-era block blocks of flats, accidents of all kinds are inevitable, and in rainy weather the number of roof and façade accidents increases, leading to leaks in flats and other areas of the block and damage to the property they contain.
The legislation obliges the housing manager to carry out emergency repairs immediately if such accidents are deemed to endanger the building, people or the environment. In such cases, the consent of the occupants is not required and the repair work is undertaken immediately.
Civinity Namai stresses that it is important to understand that in this case only the part of the roof or façade that is damaged will be repaired during the mandatory works:
“Mandatory works simply patch up critical areas of the roof or façade to prevent further water leakage. However, such works require the approval of the owners of the flats to be carried out in order to be carried out as a whole,” says Kuznecovas.
Responsibility for the technical condition rests with the owners of the apartments
Both the roof and the façade of a building are considered to be common amenities of a multi-apartment building, and it is therefore the responsibility of all owners of flats and other premises to keep them in good repair.
This means that all the occupants of an apartment building are responsible for the maintenance of the roof or facade of the apartment building, irrespective of which floor they live on and whether the joints between the blocks adjacent to the walls of their apartment are sealed or not.
The technical condition of the roof and façade, as well as of the other structures of the apartment building, shall be monitored and assessed by the apartment building’s technical supervisor. He/she shall carry out periodic inspections of these structures and make recommendations for their maintenance and management.
Disagree on the complete repair of roofs and facades
If the maintenance engineer notes wear and tear on the roof or facade of a block of flats, the only option left is to overhaul these structures. The administrator informs the residents of the need for such works and, on the basis of the recommendations of the technical inspector, draws up a plan and a preliminary estimate of the proposed works.
However, this is only a plan, the implementation of which is for the residents to decide. A majority of the owners of the flats and other premises are required to agree on works to the roof or facade of the building.
“Residents often disagree about renovation work on a leaking roof or façade because it leads to extra costs. Often, decisions are not taken because these problems are not the concern of all residents of the apartment building. For example, roof renovation is a concern for residents on the top floor, but almost never for those on the ground floor,” he says.
In such cases, the residents who want the work to be done become hostages to the situation, suffering from the damage caused by the flooding and continuing to pay for the emergency work.
Insurance may not reimburse those who refuse repairs
In addition to the additional recurring costs of emergency repairs, owners of flats and other premises in a block of flats whose flats are damaged by accidents also risk not being reimbursed by insurance.
In the event of an accident to the roof or façade structure, which damages the premises or the property therein, residents who have property insurance can claim compensation from the insurer.
However, T. Kuznecovas points out that if the residents of an apartment building refuse the renovation works proposed by the administrator, which have been put to a vote, the insurance company has the right to reduce the amount to be paid to the residents for compensation or not to pay it at all.
For those who want to renovate their roof or facade, there are several alternatives
If neighbours agree on the need to renovate the roof or façade of their apartment building, there are several alternatives.
One of the best alternatives is a whole-apartment renovation/modernisation programme, which increases the energy efficiency of the building and the value of the property.
For those who participate in the programme and carry out renovation works on the apartment building, not only the roof and façade of the building are repaired, but also other works are carried out on the apartment building to achieve at least class B energy efficiency requirements. The programme provides residents with state support and a 20-year loan, allowing them to pay for the work in monthly instalments.
Those who only want to work on the roof or the facade of the apartment building will have to decide how their contractors will be financed. In this case, residents can decide to increase the rate of accumulation and save for specific repairs or opt for financing from banks or other financial institutions. In such cases, there is no public support for the management works.