As a general rule the association owns what is inside the walls and shared between units, and you own everything from your side of the wall inward. Your declaration overrides that general rule, so read it before you agree to pay for anything.
The usual dividing line
In most Florida condominium documents the split runs roughly like this:
- Association: the common plumbing stacks, shared supply lines, the structure of the building, and the drain lines serving more than one unit.
- Owner: the fixtures, the branch lines from the wall to those fixtures, the shower pan and its waterproofing, the tile, the vanity, and the finishes.
So a stack failure inside a shared wall is usually theirs, and a failed shower pan in your unit is usually yours — including the damage it causes to the unit below.
Why "usually" is doing a lot of work
Your declaration of condominium is the governing document and it can and does allocate this differently. Some buildings define anything within the unit boundary as the owner's regardless of what it serves. Some handle water damage separately from the component that caused it, so the association repairs the drywall while you pay for the pipe. Read the actual declaration for your building. Do not rely on what a neighbour tells you, and do not rely on this page.
What to do in the first hour
- Stop the water — unit shutoff, or the building's if you must.
- Photograph everything before anyone touches it. This is the step people skip and regret.
- Notify the association in writing, even if you think it is your own problem. Late notice is used against owners routinely.
- Notify your insurer. Sudden and accidental discharge is usually covered; long-term seepage usually is not, which is the entire argument in most of these claims.
- Mitigate — get it dried out. Policies require it, and mould in a Florida condo turns a small claim into a large one within days.
The one that catches people
Damage flowing downward into the unit below is frequently the upstairs owner's responsibility even when the failed component was ordinary wear. That is what an HO-6 policy is for, and it is why carrying one matters even when the building has a master policy.
Before you renovate
Most associations require written approval for bathroom work, and many have rules about shutting off risers, working hours, and acoustic underlay on floors. Getting approval first is far easier than getting forgiveness after, and unpermitted bathroom work in a condo can be ordered undone.
Said once
I am not a lawyer and this is not legal advice. For an actual dispute with an association, or a denied claim, the person you want is a Florida community association attorney — not a contractor and not a website.