01What you share with your neighbors
In an apartment building, water comes up through risers and waste goes down through stacks. Apartments stacked above each other usually share the same lines, so a kitchen clog or a riser leak can affect several floors. Buildings over about six stories usually use a house pump and roof tank, or booster pumps, to reach upper floors.
- Cold water
- Hot water
- Drain / waste / sewer
- Vent
- 1City water enters at street pressure. In NYC that is typically enough to reach about six stories
- 2House pump lifts water from the basement
- 3Up-feed line to the roof tank
- 4Roof tank stores water; gravity creates the pressure below
- 5Down-feed riser: one shutoff often serves a whole vertical line of apartments
- 6In some buildings, lower floors are fed directly from street pressure (dashed)
- 7Drain stack: shared by every apartment stacked above
- 8Vent through the roof
02Who fixes what
| Part of the plumbing | Rental apartment | Co-op | Condo |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fixtures inside the unit (faucet, toilet, sink) | Landlord | Usually the shareholder | Usually the unit owner |
| Branch pipes inside the unit's walls | Landlord | Depends on the proprietary lease | Depends on the declaration |
| Risers and stacks | Landlord | Usually the corporation | Usually the association (common element) |
| Damage to the unit below | Landlord / insurance | Lease terms + insurance | Declaration + insurance |
03Common apartment plumbing problems
- Water through the ceiling from the unit above or a riser. What to do
- Kitchen sink backing up when neighbors run water: a clogged kitchen stack. Drain cleaning
- Low pressure on upper floors. Low water pressure
- Hot water swings or outages from central systems or old shower valves. Hot water problems
- Building-wide shutoffs when valves don't isolate one line. Building plumbing
04Know your shutoffs
Most fixtures have their own small valve: under the sink, behind the toilet, sometimes behind an access panel for the shower. In many buildings there's no apartment-wide shutoff you can reach; the super controls the risers. Find your fixture valves now, before you need them.
05Renovating a co-op or condo bathroom or kitchen
- Read the alteration agreement or house rules first: boards often require plans, insurance certificates and approved hours.
- Expect the building to require a NYC Licensed Master Plumber and DOB filings for anything beyond replacing fixtures.
- Ask whether riser valves serving your line work, so shutoffs only affect your line.
- Plan access panels for valves and cleanouts.
06Frequently asked questions
My landlord won't fix a leak. What can I do?
Put the request in writing to the landlord or managing agent, keep photos, and contact 311 if repairs aren't made.
Can I hire my own plumber in a rental?
Usually the landlord arranges repairs. Hiring your own may not be allowed and may not be reimbursed; check your lease and ask first.
Who pays if my washing machine floods the apartment below?
Typically the owner or tenant responsible for the appliance, through their insurance. Lease and condo or co-op rules decide.
07Related
Sources & review
Last reviewed . General information, not legal or engineering advice. Rules change and individual buildings differ.