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
