I have a burst rising main in the empty flat below me, the owners have not been there the whole time I have lived here and the neighbours have not seen them for at least 5 years. So I have no way of contacting them and no water to my flat.Does anyone know how to resolve this problem and if I incur cost how would I recover them.Off to Asda to us the toilet now 😯
cheers in advance.

how bad is it? I’m think that Police/Fire Brigade could be the answer if it’s doing some damage

its only running in the flat below its not damaging my property short term

Is there an external stop cock in the stair?

Is there an external stop cock in the stair?

Are you allowed to say that these days on here 🙂

Try reporting your lack of supply to your water company, see if they can help.

no water to my flat.

try the water company, don’t tell them about the flat below, just that you have no water.

Hopefully whoever turns up will spend some time helping otherwise it’s the management company who need to turn them off.

You might be able to find the stoptap that controls the flat is there a “meter room” for the flats? Look where your stoptap is and see if you can find theirs

You’d better hope the burst is before the meter if there is one!

This happened to myself.
Flat next door ,ground level, had burst pipe.Flat was being renovated and I didn`t have any contact with owner.
I phoned cops to tell them that I was going to break in to turn it off and although I wasn`t getting their approval I was nether getting disapproval so I broke in and turned it off as the damage to my property would have been disasterous.

Call the water company, or failing that try local council environmental health team/officer/department perhaps?

Ring the fire brigade and they will turn up, and ring the police for you to execute a forced entry, the fire brigade have to ask except in a life risk problem.

Also it may well short out your electric.

Hope youre not on a meter. 🙂

only the police can make a law full entry, call them not 999 though as you will not make friends with them that way

Unfortunately the water company are unlikely to help, as it’s your pipe not theirs. Is the building managed? I had this happen in my flat a few years ago, and while I was able to stop the water running in my own flat my downstairs neighbour was not there at the time and the building management contacted her and arranged a forced entry with her permission.

I had the reverse of this at Uni.

Was away for the easter weekend, and the washing machine in my rented flat started leaking into the flat below. 1st I knew as the first one back in the city from holiday was, the barred gate (it was hackney) hacked open, and ’emergency glazing’ (wood and corrugated steel) in the bottom panel of the front door and a police notice/emergency glazing invoice, stuck to the mirror just inside the door.

Speak to the police to gain access.

feels all macho, had to get the police down, they told me we wont stop you breaking in but you will be liable for any damage so using my honed joiner skills got the door open and fixed the leak job done.
*Flexes joiner muscle*

only the police can make a law full entry

Fire service can as well, but probably won’t for a burst pipe tho. we may attend but would only shut off at main stop cock and advise that you call a plumber.

By the way, it could be causing structural damage to the property. Try your local police station to ask what your options are. NOT 999!!