No hot water in an apartment: your system or the building's
Work out whether the fault is yours or the building's before you call anyone. It changes who fixes it and who pays.
Before you do anything else, find out whether your hot water comes from a system that belongs to your apartment or from one the whole building shares. That one fact decides what you can check, who you ring and who pays. It is the step most people skip.
Hot water in an apartment comes from one of two arrangements. Either a unit sits in your own lot (a cupboard, laundry, balcony or ceiling space), or a central plant serves several apartments through shared pipework. The checks differ, so settle this first.
| What you notice | Most likely arrangement | First move |
|---|---|---|
| Neighbours also have no hot water | Shared or central system | Tell your strata manager or building manager today |
| Only your apartment, and you can see a tank or unit in your lot | Individual system | Work through the checks below, then call a licensed plumber |
| Hot at the kitchen, nothing in the bathroom | A single outlet | See no hot water in the shower only |
| Warm but never hot | Thermostat or valve | See hot water not hot enough |
Is it your system or the whole building?
Ask a neighbour, or check the building's notice board and group chat. If several apartments lost hot water at the same moment, the fault is almost certainly in the shared plant. And nothing you do inside your lot will fix it.
That is also the quick answer to who is responsible. Equipment that serves the whole building is normally the owners corporation's job, usually through the strata manager. Equipment that serves only your lot can be yours. The line is set by your state's strata law and your building's by-laws, so ask the strata manager instead of assuming.
Checks you can make in your own apartment
These need no tools. They narrow the fault down before anyone is called out:
- Test more than one outlet. Run the hot tap alone at the kitchen, the bathroom and the laundry. Nothing anywhere points at the system. Nothing at one outlet points at that tap or mixer.
- Check the power. If your unit is electric, look at the switchboard for a tripped safety switch or a circuit that has been turned off. Switch back on only what is clearly labelled. Do not open any cover.
- Look for a controller or display. Some units show an error code or warning light. Write it down or photograph it.
- Check for water on the floor. A wet cupboard or ceiling stain under the unit is a leak. Turn off the water at the isolation tap if you can find it, and ring a plumber.
- Ask about recent works. Building maintenance often shuts off the water or power to a riser. A notice you missed can explain the whole problem.
Why apartments lose hot water more often than houses
Short answer: more things sit between the heater and your tap, and you control few of them. A shared system can be shut down for servicing. A power outage on one floor can switch off a unit. Long pipe runs mean the hot water takes longer to arrive, and that delay is easy to mistake for a fault.
Give it a proper wait before deciding there is a fault. In a large building the hot water can take a minute or more to reach a distant tap. If it never warms up after a few minutes, the problem is real.
When a rental is involved
If you rent, a hot water failure is a repair you report to your landlord or agent in writing, straight away. Hot water is generally treated as an essential service, and the rules on how fast it must be fixed differ by state and territory. Keep a copy of your message and the date you sent it. Do not arrange and pay for a repair yourself before you have checked your state's rules.
What to tell the strata manager or plumber
Four facts speed everything up:
- When it stopped, and whether it followed a power cut, works or a storm.
- Whether neighbours are affected.
- Which outlets have no hot water.
- Any error code, noise or wet patch near the unit.
If you are in a block with shared hot water, report it to the strata manager and let them dispatch the plumber. A second plumber called by an individual owner can end up as a duplicate callout.
How far can you take this yourself?
The comparisons and the power check are yours. Everything past them is not. Repairs to a hot water unit, its valves and its gas or electrical connections are licensed work in every Australian state and territory. And the plumbing regulator for your state or territory licenses and inspects it. Where that line falls is set out on the licensed work pillar. For the general run of checks, no hot water: what to check, in order covers a house or an apartment.
Frequently asked questions
Who fixes no hot water in an apartment?
It depends on what the hot water system serves. A shared system for the whole building is normally the owners corporation's responsibility, handled through the strata manager. A unit that serves only your lot can be the lot owner's. Your state's strata law and your building's by-laws set the line, so ask the strata manager. If you rent, report it to your landlord or agent in writing.
How do I know if the hot water is shared in my building?
Ask your neighbours and look for a tank or unit inside your own lot. If several apartments lost hot water at the same time, or you cannot find any heater in your apartment, the supply is probably central. Your strata manager or building manager can confirm it.
Can I reset my apartment hot water system myself?
You can check that the power is on at the switchboard and read any error code on a display. You should not open covers or adjust anything inside the unit, and you should never touch the gas side of a gas unit. That is licensed work in every state and territory.
My landlord says the hot water is not urgent. Is that right?
Hot water is generally treated as an essential service for a rental home, and the timeframes for repair differ by state and territory. Report the fault in writing, keep a copy, and check the rules from your state's tenancy or fair trading authority before arranging a repair yourself.
Sources
What this page explains is based on these official sources. If you check one and it does not match what you read here, send it to us and the article gets corrected.
- Australian Government, energy.gov.au. Hot water systems — types, installation and energy performance
- NSW Fair Trading. Plumbers, drainers and gasfitters — licensing