Townhouse Roof Responsibility

I own a townhouse that shares a roof with two other units.

Townhouse roof responsibility. Hi i could use some guidance please. The roof is contiguous. However if you don t report the problem right away whether it s a leak or mold growth you. The shared spaces in townhouse communities are often much smaller compared to that of a condo.

You share ownership of many building features including the roof. For 4 or 5 years i ve been patching the leak in my unit and letting the other other owners know our 15 year old roof with an expired 15 year warranty will need to be replaced. The financial responsibility for a roof is not as straightforward for condo owners as it is for traditional detached home owners. They are merely built adjoining each other but each person owns their own unit.

If you get a contractor to replace that owner s portion of the roof the contractor won t provide a warranty because there s a seam between the two adjoining townhomes. This means the costs associated with the hoa are significantly lower than with a condominium. I own a townhouse and roofs are owners not hoa responsibility. I consider an original roof with a leak and only 2 years life left in it to be a bad roof.

Whether the roof is leaking a water line is busted or a window needs to be cleaned questions of who provides maintenance in a community governed by a homeowners association arise regularly. Occasionally a property owner is able to argue that a tenant caused the damage to the roof. For example perhaps the tenant stood on the roof to jump into the pool and damaged the shingles while he or she was up there. In a simple sense a community association is formed for the purpose of maintaining the common areas within the community while the owners are responsible for maintaining their own homes or units.

Unless you are getting an absolute steal on this property i would require the seller replace the roof. The problem is the owner s roof joins other roofs. Responsibilities when owning a townhouse when owning a townhouse the owner is responsible for the exterior of the home and the land around it. If you are simply the tenant a townhouse roof problem is an inconvenience but thankfully it s not going to drain your finances this is your landlord s problem.

Typically the governing docs provide that the owner is responsible for all the structural components including the roof.