You are abroad. A neighbour or the syndic calls: there is water coming through the ceiling of the flat below yours.
Nobody is in your flat. You cannot go and look, and everything is written in French.
This is the situation I handle for owners who live abroad, and the first days matter.
What I see on the ground right now
This is, unfortunately, common. At the moment, I am handling four water damage files: two roof leaks, one leak from works in the flat above, and one drain stack problem that started this week.
These files take time: several expert visits, and back and forth between the insurer, the syndic and the contractors. Details are anonymised.
Why distance makes it harder
When you are on site, you see the damage, you stop the leak, and you take photos. From abroad, someone has to do all of this for you, quickly.
The delay for telling your insurer starts when you learn of the damage, not when you get back to Paris.
The deadline to remember
You must warn your insurer as soon as you know about the damage, and at the latest within the period set by your contract. That period is at least five working days (source: justice.fr).
Check your own contract: it is the document that decides.
The “dégât des eaux” report
A joint report, the constat amiable dégât des eaux, is not mandatory, but it speeds up the handling of the file. It sets out where and how the damage happened, its causes, the damage itself and the people involved. If your flat is in a co-ownership, it also goes to the syndic.
There is no official model: each insurer has its own form (same source).
Who looks for the leak
It depends on the situation and on an agreement between insurers. For a flat that is not occupied, it is in principle the owner’s insurer who organises the search for the leak (same source).
I will not go into every case here. They depend on your contract and your building, so ask your insurer before anything is decided.
What I do on the ground
When an owner calls me, I act as the person on site:
- I go to the flat, or I coordinate with the syndic and the neighbours.
- I document what I see, so the file is complete for the insurer.
- I organise a repair quote with a contractor I know, and I send it to the insurer.
- I keep you informed in English at each step, and I tell you what needs your decision.
A simple checklist
- Name someone who can go to the flat quickly.
- Photograph the damage and keep every message.
- Warn your insurer within the deadline in your contract (at least five working days).
- Fill in the joint report and send it to the syndic if the building is a co-ownership.
- Get a repair quote before any work starts, and ask the insurer before you accept it.
I am not an insurer or a lawyer, and contracts differ. For a dispute with an insurer, a specialist is the right person.
Rules summarised from a justice.fr page updated on 25 July 2025, consulted in October 2026. They can change; check your contract and the current text.
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