Maintenance and works
Condominium emergency: what to do and who to call
Burst pipe, stuck lift, power cut or gas leak in your building? See what to do first and how to prepare an emergency sheet for the building.
· 2 min read · Condgest
In a condominium emergency, you protect people first, then limit the damage, and only then sort out who pays. For that, the building needs an emergency sheet on display: who to call, where the main shut-offs are and who decides.
People first
If anyone is at risk, call 112 before anything else. Smoke, a smell of gas, injured people or someone with health problems stuck in a lift are 112 cases, not for the administrator.
Then tell the administration. The sooner it knows, the sooner a technician is on the way.
What to do in each situation
| Situation | First step |
|---|---|
| Burst pipe | Close the main water valve, and switch off the electricity if water reaches panels or sockets |
| Smell of gas | No switches or flames, open windows, leave the building and call 112 |
| Lift stopped with people inside | Use the cabin alarm button, do not force the doors, wait for the lift company |
| Power cut in common areas | Check the main panel, do not touch wiring, call an electrician |
| Water coming from a flat | Contact the owner straight away, and if there is no answer, the administration |
| Broken garage gate | Warn people inside and outside, and call the contracted technician |
Nobody should risk their safety to limit damage to property.
The building's emergency sheet
One page on display at the entrance and in the garage, and available in the owners' portal. Include:
- Phone numbers: 112, the administration, the lift company, an electrician, a plumber, the gate company.
- Location of the main shut-offs: water, gas, electricity, with a photo.
- Who holds keys to the plant room, the roof and the main panel.
- Policy number and the contact for the building's insurer.
- Meeting point outside the building.
Review the sheet once a year and whenever a supplier changes. An out-of-date list is worse than none.
After the scare: record everything
Once things are under control, what you record now decides what can be resolved later.
- Photos and video of the damage, before cleaning or repairing.
- Times, and who told whom.
- The technician's report, with the cause and what was done.
- Invoices for the urgent work.
- A claim to the insurer with this material. See how condominium insurance works.
If the source is a leak, finding where the water comes from stops it coming back.
Prevention costs less
Most emergencies give warning. Valves that are never closed, electrical panels that are never checked, old pipework and lifts without up-to-date maintenance are the usual causes. The annual building maintenance checklist and lift inspections catch much of this in time.
How CondGest helps
At CondGest, every request is logged with a reference number, an owner and a deadline, and the administration follows the maintenance, lift and gate contracts. We help prepare each building's emergency sheet and keep contacts and policies up to date. See our maintenance services and how we work.
Want an emergency sheet prepared for your building? Request a proposal.
This article is for information only and is no substitute for legal advice on a specific case. It is a translation of the Portuguese original; the law referred to is Portuguese law.