Suncorp Insurance recently released data concerning burst flexi-hoses and the catastrophic damage they can cause (Courier Mail 16th May 2026). It was reported that, on average, burst flexi-hoses cost Queenslanders $30,000 per claim last year. Six percent of claims exceeded $100,000, and the worst cases caused up to $500,000 of damage.
Flexi-hoses may not be the most frequent cause of water damage – this honour rests with leaking roofs, windows and gutters. But they can be the most expensive, hence the close attention by our insurers to water damage claims.
Flexi-hoses are ubiquitous in our strata world, connecting mains-pressure water outlets to the taps for our sinks, vanities, wash basins and toilets. Some may be common property, but most are located in private lots, meaning the lot owner is responsible for their maintenance. Count them…you will be surprised how many there are in one lot.
The hoses themselves are not big shouty things demanding your attention; they are quiet and unassuming, often located out of sight and out of mind, difficult to access at the back of cupboards and vanity lots. Same same when they fail. Little fanfare and often undetected for some time.
When they do fail, they can pump out hundreds, if not thousands, of litres of water every hour. For example, in Soleil 501 Adelaide [2023] QBCCMCmr 29, the tenant was away for the Easter break when a flexi-hose burst in a lot. This resulted in some flooding to 8 other lots. The cost of the repairs was claimed on the body corporate insurance policy, but the lot owner was held responsible for the $5,500 excess.
The flow-on effect of failed flexi-hoses (if you will excuse the pun) can hit the body corporate hard, including the individual lot owners, eg voided insurance policies, mandated audits by insurers, increased premiums, escalating excess payments… and things can change very quickly. For example, in Soleil 501 Adelaide [2023] QBCCMCmr 28, in a concurrent adjudication in the same complex, a flexi-hose in another lot burst about 1 month later, also causing damage to other apartments and common property. Again, the lot owner was held responsible for the water damage excess, but this time, the excess had doubled to $11,000.
There are a number of issues with these flexi-hoses, including how they can be managed. Here are some suggestions:
- Check them regularly, eg every 6 to 12 months.
- Replace them regularly, eg every 5 to 10 years. Their cost is minimal, compared with the damage they can do. And remember, this is not a job for the local handyman. It should be done by a licenced plumber.
- Turn off the main isolator valve into your lot if it will be unoccupied for any extended period, eg the Easter break, holidays, weekender ‘lock-ups’.
- Talk to your body corporate committee about spreading the word within your community. Maintaining a lot’s flexi-hoses is normally the lot owner’s problem. A burst flexi-hose in a single lot can flood neighbouring lots and common property, doubling the insurance excess overnight. Now it is a whole building problem.
- Suggest the body corporate initiate a regular audit process of all flexi-hoses, in liaison with the insurer. The body corporate may consider picking up the cost of the audit, while requiring owners to pay for any repairs or replacements involving their own hoses.
This post appears in Strata News #794.
Ross Anderson
Active QLD Lot Owner
E: patross.anderson@bigpond.com
P: 04 0764 8308
Worth mentioning is all flexihoses should be replaced with burst proof hoses.
Doug …many thanks for this.
Non-lawyers, non-plumbers like me tend to use the term “flexi-hoses” generically.
Your suggestion adds a welcome level of expertise and experience to the discussion. Thanks again.
From some quick research compliments of Dr Google, seems that burst proof hoses are the next generation of “flexi-hoses’, a step up from the traditional flexi-hoses. They feature new technology and, while not perfect, apparently provide a measurable increase in longevity and reliability.
Q1: Can mug amateurs like me tell the difference in grade just by looking at them, or is this one for the experts.
Q2: Is the cost difference significant?
Something to include in the discussions with the insurers, reputable trade suppliers, and professional installers aka plumbers.
if a body cormporate did want a regular audit done, cen this be decided at committee level or must it be voted on at an agm
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Sheila…thanks for your Q.
I’m not a lawyer (strata or otherwise), but whenever there is a proposal to spend body corporate funds, there are two threshold Qs I always go to:
1/ Is it under or over your scheme’s Committee Spending Limit (CSL)? If over, then normally it is NOT within the Cmttee’s authority to approve;
and
2/ Is it under or over the Major Spending Limit (MSL), ie the 2-Quote Rule? The MSL applies to both the Cmttee and the BC.
Would welcome any comment on this approach…
This is most timely and highlights that particularly when people buy new apartments/homes the merit of the developer providing a detailed maintenance schedule. You start discovering these “hidden” issues once your lot passes the 10 year mark! It’s a real challenge to get the word out, and then to have to then re-educate new buyers as they arrive. In times like these its sometimes hard the generate any action from owners; but what I do know the minute there are water related insurance claims, there is almost immediate premium and excess increases. Anecdotal evidence suggests insurers are increasing looking to “poor maintenance” as a get out of jail card. You have been warned!
Gary… many thanks for your comment.
Talking about it being “sometimes hard to generate any action from owners”, it is reported in the 2nd Soleil Adjudication that the body corporate (bc) sent an e-mail about flexi-hoses to all owners in August 2018, and the adjudicated hose bursts in two different lots occurred 3 years later in 2021. It is commendable that the bc took the initiative when they did, but maybe the risk from flexi-hoses warrants an ongoing program of communication…just to make sure the message is received, understood, and implemented? Especially targetting the new owners you refer to?
Many thanks for the comment Lez. Much appreciated.
There are many associated issues re these hoses, and strata insurance, eg I wonder how many owners/occupants know where their isolator tap is, and whether it is easily accessible?
Have heard lots of horror stories from owners, including:
1/ It had been walled in by a previous owner doing renovations. The current owner knew it was there, somewhere, but not too sure exactly where he should start cutting through the wall.
2/ It was out in the lobby, safe and secure in a locked cabinet, but only the caretaker had the key. What do you do if the caretaker lives off-site;
3/ It was down in the owner’s lock-up carpark, but the owner had to move his kayaks to get to it.
A very good article by Mr Anderson. Manufacturers provide a warning on the hose that they should be replaced every 5 – 10 years. I have read elsewhere hoses can come with a warranty but it only covers the hose, not damage it may cause. Also, if the burst hose shows it is well past the 10 year mark or has old signs of deterioration, it may void insurance.