How to instruct a leak detection specialist for a managing agent dispute

Full transcript

George and Dave in conversation. Every word of the episode, exactly as recorded.

George

Welcome to the ADI Leak Detection podcast. I'm here with Dave from ADI Leak Detection, the UK's leading leak detection specialists, who's here to answer your questions and provide expert leak detection advice. Today's question comes up a lot in leasehold properties: how do you actually instruct a leak detection specialist when you're acting on behalf of a managing agent in a water damage dispute? Dave, let's start with the basics.

Dave

Right, so the first thing to nail down is who's actually commissioning the survey. In a dispute situation, that matters a lot, because it affects who receives the report and who's responsible for providing access.

George

So if I'm a managing agent and I want ADI to come and find a leak that's causing damage between two flats, what does that instruction actually look like?

Dave

You'd contact ADI Leak Detection directly and confirm in writing that you're instructing the survey on behalf of the freeholder or the management company. That written instruction establishes the chain of authority. ADI's engineers then know who the client is, who they report to, and whose signature the access needs to come through.

George

What about the leaseholders themselves? If the water's coming from the flat above, does the person upstairs have to agree to let the engineer in?

Dave

Yes, and that's where a lot of disputes get complicated. ADI's engineers can't force entry, so the managing agent needs to have already notified the occupier of the flat above and secured their agreement to allow access before the survey date. If that's not sorted in advance, the engineer may arrive and simply not be able to complete the work.

George

That seems like a really common stumbling block. What happens if the upstairs flat refuses?

Dave

The survey can still go ahead in the affected property. Acoustic listening equipment detects the sound of escaping water through ceilings and walls, and thermal imaging traces temperature differences caused by moisture, so ADI's engineers can gather meaningful evidence even with restricted access. It won't always pinpoint the exact source with the same precision, but it can indicate where the water's travelling from and rule out sources within the lower flat itself.

George

That's useful to know. So the report still has value in a dispute even if you can only get into one of the properties.

Dave

Exactly. ADI Leak Detection produces a written report after every survey, and that report records the methods used, the findings, and the limitations caused by any access restrictions. In a dispute, that limitation is itself a documented fact, which is relevant if the matter escalates to a tribunal or insurers get involved.

George

Let's talk about the practicalities on the day. What does the managing agent need to have ready before ADI's engineer arrives?

Dave

A few things. Keys or key fob access to the building and the relevant flats, confirmed by whoever holds them. Contact details for a point of contact on site, because sometimes the managing agent isn't there in person. And ideally, a clear description of where the damage is showing, so the engineer doesn't spend time establishing what's already known.

George

What if the leak is under a solid floor or behind a tiled wall? Can ADI still find it non-invasively?

Dave

Tracer gas testing is the method ADI's engineers use in those situations. Tracer gas is introduced into the pipe, and the gas finds its way out through the breach and up through the floor or substrate, where a detector picks it up at the surface. It locates leaks beneath solid floors without lifting any tiles. That's important in a dispute because it means the survey finding and the remedial work stay clearly separated.

George

So the survey doesn't cause any additional damage, which keeps the liability picture cleaner.

Dave

That's the point. Non-invasive detection means whatever damage exists when the engineer arrives is what's recorded, not something created during the survey. The managing agent gets a clear baseline.

George

Dave, that's been genuinely useful. So to pull it together: confirm the instruction in writing, sort access before the engineer attends, brief the engineer on what's already known, and understand that a restricted-access survey still produces a usable report.

Dave

That's it. Get the authority and the access logistics right before the day, and the technical side of things is straightforward. ADI Leak Detection handles water leak disputes regularly, so the engineers know what detail the report needs to contain to be useful.

George

Thanks, Dave. If you're a managing agent, a leaseholder or a representative dealing with a water damage dispute and you need a leak traced properly, ADI Leak Detection is one of the most trusted names in residential water leak detection in the UK. We'll be back with another question soon.

How this episode was made. This episode was produced using AI-generated voices and script, based on real leak detection questions and the working knowledge of ADI Leak Detection engineers.