Water leak emergency in Paris: who to call, what to do

Shut off the water first, then the electricity if water is near a socket. Then call the right person: a plumber if the leak comes from your flat, your upstairs neighbour if it comes from theirs, the building manager (syndic) if it comes from a shared pipe. Photograph everything before cleaning up, then notify your insurer.

Leak happening now in Paris or the inner suburbs? Call +33 1 89 70 15 36 (01 89 70 15 36 from a French phone), 7 days a week, 24 hours a day, or write to us from the contact page. For a leak you cannot stop, see our emergency plumbing service.

What to do in the first five minutes

Remember the order: shut off, make safe, protect, warn, document. It works for a leak under the sink as well as for a dripping ceiling.

1. Shut off the water

As long as water flows, things get worse. Close the shut-off valve nearest to the leak (under the basin, under the sink, behind the toilet). If you cannot find it or it is not enough, close the main shut-off valve for the flat (the robinet d'arrêt général). In a Paris apartment it is usually:

• under the kitchen sink or in the cupboard below;
• in the bathroom, near the water inlet or under the basin;
• in a utility cupboard near the front door;
• on the landing, in a service duct next to the flat's water sub-meter.

Turn it clockwise until it stops. If it has not been used for years it may be seized: do not force it until it breaks. A broken valve in the middle of a leak makes things worse.

If nothing stops the water, the riser valve or the building's main valve is usually in the cellar or a ground-floor service room. It cuts water to every flat it serves, so keep it for serious cases and tell the gardien (caretaker) or the syndic straight away.

2. Cut the electricity if water is near anything electrical

If water reaches a socket, a light fitting, the fuse box or a plugged-in appliance, switch off that circuit breaker, or the main breaker if in doubt. Do not touch an appliance standing in water. If water has run into the fuse box or a cable duct, leave the power off until a professional has checked it.

3. Protect and contain

• Put buckets, bowls and floor cloths under dripping points.
• Move or raise furniture, rugs, electronics and important papers.
• Lay towels along the bottom of the door so water does not reach the landing.
• Start with whatever is most fragile or most valuable.

4. Warn your neighbours

In a Paris building, water travels down through the floors quickly. Tell the neighbour below so they can protect their belongings, and tell the caretaker or the syndic if shared areas are affected. If the water comes from above, ring your upstairs neighbour's bell. If they are away, contact the syndic: in a serious emergency they can send a plumber and arrange for the flat to be opened.

5. Document, then call

Before mopping up, take photos and videos of the visible source, the affected areas and damaged items. Note the time and how you found the leak. You will need this for the insurance claim and the joint water damage report.

Who to call, depending on where the leak comes from

Where the leak starts determines who has to act and, later, who pays.

• Something in your flat (tap, flexible hose, toilet, water heater, private pipe): call first: A plumber; then tell: Your insurer, the neighbour below if affected, your landlord if you rent
• The flat above or next door: call first: That neighbour; then tell: The syndic if they cannot be reached, your insurer
• A riser pipe or shared pipe: call first: The syndic (or the caretaker); then tell: Your insurer; an emergency plumber if the syndic does not answer and water keeps coming
• The public network, before the meter (pavement, meter room): call first: Eau de Paris, the city water utility (or your town's water service); then tell: The syndic

Useful French terms: the syndic is the company or person that manages a co-owned building (copropriété); the parties communes are the shared parts of the building, such as riser pipes; a dégât des eaux is the insurance term for water damage.

For building situations, our guide to riser pipe leaks in a co-owned building explains the role of the syndic, neighbours and insurers. To find out whether a leak is before or after the meter, see leak before or after the water meter: who pays.

If you rent

You have the right, and the duty, to shut off the water in an emergency. Then tell your landlord or letting agency in writing (text or email) so there is a record. As a general rule, routine upkeep (washers, flexible hoses, toilet cistern mechanism) is the tenant's job, while repairs due to age or to pipes built into walls are the landlord's. In an emergency, get the leak stopped first: who pays is settled afterwards.

When is a leak a real emergency?

Call a plumber straight away if:

• water keeps flowing after you have closed the shut-off valve;
• water is spreading through several rooms or reaching the flat below;
• water is touching electrical installations;
• the leak comes from a water heater or a boiler;
• the leak comes from a riser or a shared pipe and the syndic cannot be reached;
• the neighbour below reports water coming through from your flat.

A normal appointment is fine if:

• the leak is small and contained, and the water is off;
• it is a dripping tap causing no immediate damage;
• neither the shared parts of the building nor the neighbours are affected.

Some signs point to a hidden leak rather than a visible emergency: a meter that turns while everything is off, the sound of running water behind a wall, a stain spreading on the ceiling, a sudden loss of pressure. Then the priority is to locate the leak. Our guide on invisible water leaks and detection without breaking walls explains how.

The most common leaks and what to do

• Under the sink or basin: worn washer, loose fitting, cracked hose or split trap. Close the valve under the sink. If the leak keeps coming back after repairs, read our article on the leak under the sink that keeps returning.
• Washing machine or dishwasher hose: close the appliance valve and unplug it.
• Toilet cistern running non-stop: close the toilet's shut-off valve; it is not a night-time emergency if nothing overflows.
• Water heater or its safety valve: close the cold water inlet to the heater and switch off its dedicated breaker.
• Pipe inside a wall, floor or ceiling: shut off the main valve and call a plumber equipped for non-destructive leak detection.

Avoid tape and quick-fix sealants on a leak under pressure: they do not hold and only delay the real repair.

What the plumber does on an emergency call

An emergency leak call usually goes like this:

1. Make safe: shut off the affected circuit and check the leak has stopped.
2. Diagnose: find the exact source (appliance, fitting, private or shared pipe).
3. Temporary repair if a part has to be ordered, so the rest of the flat has water again.
4. Permanent repair with a leak-tightness test.
5. Turn the water back on and check the system.
6. Intervention report or certificate stating where the leak came from, for your insurer, the syndic and the joint report.

The plumber stops the leak and establishes where it came from. The plumber does not decide who is liable: the insurers, and where relevant the syndic, allocate responsibility based on those findings. If the leak is hidden, the call becomes a leak search: see our leak detection and repair service.

Night and weekend prices

A professional must tell you the cost before starting work, even in an emergency. Ask for the call-out charge and the first hour before you confirm, and be wary of prices announced only once the plumber is at your door, a common problem in Paris at night. For our prices, see our rates.

After the leak: insurance, joint report, drying out

Filing the claim

Report the water damage to your home insurer within the deadline in your policy, at least 5 working days (Article L113-2 of the French Insurance Code): check it the next morning. Report it even if you think a neighbour or the building is to blame. Gather:

• the photos and videos taken at the time;
• the plumber's invoice and report or certificate;
• receipts for damaged items if you have them;
• the joint water damage report if another flat is involved;
• written records of your exchanges with the neighbour, the syndic and the landlord.

The joint water damage report (constat amiable dégât des eaux)

When more than one flat is affected, fill in a constat amiable de dégât des eaux with the other party (your neighbour, plus the syndic if a shared part of the building is involved). Your insurer can provide the form. Like a car accident report, it records the source, the circumstances and the damage. Stick to the facts, attach your photos and send a copy to the syndic.

Dry out before repairing

Once the water has stopped, moisture stays in walls, floors and partitions. Ventilate well, use a dehumidifier if needed and let everything dry thoroughly, which can take days or weeks. Do not repaint or cover a damp surface: you would trap the moisture and encourage mould.

To understand what insurance covers when the leak has to be found, see leak detection and insurance in Paris.

Mistakes to avoid

• Trying to fix a major leak without shutting off the water first.
• Touching a wet socket or electrical appliance.
• Cleaning up and throwing things away before taking photos.
• Waiting before warning the neighbour below.
• Accepting a night call-out without a price.
• Repainting before everything is dry.

Preventing the next leak

• Find your main shut-off valve today and turn it once to make sure it is not seized.
• Check the flexible hoses and washers under sinks and behind the toilet once a year.
• Do not ignore a dripping tap or a running cistern.
• Turn the water off before a long absence: see shutting off the water before winter holidays.
• Have your installation checked before winter with our pre-winter plumbing checklist.
• A connected leak detector placed near the water heater or washing machine can alert you in time.

Frequently asked questions

Who do I call for a water leak at night or at the weekend in Paris?

If the leak comes from your flat and shutting off the water is not enough, call an emergency plumber. Réseau Tubulure answers 7 days a week, 24 hours a day, on +33 1 89 70 15 36, in Paris and the inner suburbs. If the leak comes from a shared part of the building, also tell the syndic, even outside office hours.

Water is coming from my upstairs neighbour and they are away. What do I do?

Cut the power on your side if water is near anything electrical, protect your belongings and photograph the damage. Contact the syndic or the caretaker: the riser valve can be closed and, in a serious emergency, the syndic can arrange for the flat to be opened. Then report the claim to your insurer.

Who pays for water damage between neighbours?

The principle is that the source of the leak determines liability: your own installation, a neighbour's, or the shared parts of the building. In practice, the insurers settle it between themselves using the claims, the joint report and the plumber's report.

Should I wait for the plumber before cleaning up?

No. Take photos and videos first, then mop up and protect your belongings. Do not take apart the source of the leak, though: leave the diagnosis to the professional, whose report is used to establish the cause.

Can a plumber start an emergency job without giving a price?

No. The professional must tell you the cost before starting. At Réseau Tubulure, the price is given over the phone before we travel.

If the plumber or the insurer uses a term you do not know, our plumber glossary explains common plumbing vocabulary.

Leak in a rented flat: who pays for the repair and the damage?

Two questions are involved. Who pays for the repair depends on the cause: routine upkeep (washers, flexible hoses, toilet cistern mechanism, taps) is usually the tenant's, while wear due to age, a faulty installation or a pipe built into a wall is the landlord's, and a shared riser is the building's (the copropriété). Damage caused by the water, in your flat or a neighbour's, is declared to your home insurer (assurance habitation), which then settles cover with the other insurers involved. Tell your landlord in writing and keep the plumber's report: it states where the leak came from, which settles most disagreements.

Leak in progress? Call us

Réseau Tubulure works across Paris and the inner suburbs (92, 93, 94), 7 days a week, 24 hours a day, to stop the leak, find its source and give you an intervention report for your insurer and your syndic. Many of our plumbers speak English.

• Phone: +33 1 89 70 15 36
• Form: contact us
• WhatsApp: from the button on the site

See our emergency plumbing service.