A pipe bursts in the hallway, the lift stops working, damp appears on a shared wall — and the immediate question is: whose problem is this and who pays? The answer depends on exactly where the fault is and what the building rules or the law say. This guide clarifies the boundaries of responsibility.
The Foundation: What Are Common Parts and What Are Private Parts of the Building
The Law on Housing and Building Maintenance (Serbia) clearly distinguishes:
- Private parts (private ownership) — the apartment and all installations within it from the connection point inward: internal electrical wiring, internal plumbing after the apartment's main valve, heating elements (radiators) and connection valves
- Common parts — hallways, stairwells, lift, roof, foundation, facade, vertical electrical, water, sewerage and gas installations running through the building, connection meters (water meters, electricity meters in the distribution panel)
Common parts are co-owned by all residents in proportion to their apartment's floor area. The costs of their maintenance are funded through monthly contributions to the building fund.
Who Is Responsible for What
- Electrical fault inside the apartment (from the connection point inward) → apartment owner
- Fault in the distribution panel in the hallway / vertical supply line → residents' association (building fund)
- Electricity meter or water meter → distributor (EPS, JKP Belgrade Waterworks…) — they own the meters
- Pipe inside the apartment (after the connection valve) → apartment owner
- Vertical pipe running through multiple apartments → residents' association
- Lift → residents' association; maintenance must be contracted with an authorised service provider and the relevant public utility
- Roof and facade → residents' association; for older buildings co-financing from municipal funds may be available
- Street drain in front of the building → utility company
Practical rule: If the installation or element is within your apartment's walls and does not pass through other apartments — it's your responsibility. If it passes through common areas or multiple apartments — it's the residents' association's responsibility.
What if the Residents' Association Does Not Respond?
If you report a fault on shared installations and the residents' association or building manager does not respond within a reasonable time:
- Contact the building manager in writing — by email or registered post, describing the fault and setting a deadline for intervention
- If the fault is urgent (water leaking, unsafe electricity), you can engage a tradesperson yourself and seek reimbursement from the residents' association — keep all invoices and photographs
- If the residents' association refuses liability, contact the municipal authority or the public utility responsible for the building (in Belgrade — Gradsko stambeno, for buildings under their management)
- The last resort is a civil court claim for reimbursement of costs
Special Case: Fault That Damages Your Apartment
If the fault originated in shared installations and caused damage in your apartment (e.g. a burst riser pipe flooded your parquet), you have the right to compensation from the residents' association as co-owners of the common parts. Photograph immediately, keep receipts for the repair and submit a written claim for compensation.
Warning: If you carried out work on shared installations yourself without a decision from the residents' association, you may be liable for resulting damage even if your intervention was not the direct cause of the fault. Always obtain formal approval from the residents' association before working on a shared system.
Emergency Faults — Who Do I Call Right Away?
- Gas: Srbijagas emergency line 197 or 011/2400-600 (Belgrade)
- Water: JKP Belgrade Waterworks — emergency line 011/3600-111
- Electricity (distribution, not apartment wiring): EPS distribution 11300
- Lift: contact the servicing company with which the residents' association has a contract (ask the building manager)
Is the fault inside your apartment and falls on you? On Brzix, quickly find a tradesperson — plumber, electrician or other specialist — for an emergency call-out.
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