La Gare, London Reduces Water Leak Insurance Claims

When the La Gare Board of Directors faced escalating insurance premiums due to water leak claims at their apartment block in London, UK they turned to sfty by Resideo’s smart water leak detection system for a solution. Installing sfty’s connected water leak devices in both apartments and common areas has enabled early detection, significantly reduced response times and minimizing potential damage.

Key benefits of installing sfty by Resideo at La Gare include early leak detection and timely notifications, which can reduce potential water damage and repair costs. Leak location data can eliminate weeks of disruptive investigations with maintenance teams. Comprehensive monitoring of both apartments and communal areas provides complete building coverage. Added visibility for landlords through remote monitoring of tenanted properties reduces disruption and financial risk for residents, who are liable for insurance excess payments if leaks originate within their property. Proactive water leak detection can help reduce escape of water insurance claims and their associated costs.

David Whittle, Senior Property Manager at Rendall & Rittner, explains, “Water leaks often happen without warning, and we can’t see them until they surface somewhere in the building. The beauty of sfty by Resideo is it’s an early warning system. It allows us to see the invisible.”

La Gare is a small block of premium apartments in Southwark, Central London. The building’s unique layout presented property management challenges, especially in finding the source of water leaks. Before installing sfty, La Gare experienced several significant leaks each year, leading to lengthy investigations and large insurance claims.

Jacqui Green, Property Manager for the La Gare site for Rendall & Rittner, explains, “We had a number of leaks that proved very difficult to detect. It was a process of elimination that took weeks. Our insurance premium went up exponentially because of the severity of the leaks we’d been experiencing.”

AXA Insurance, La Gare’s insurer at the time, proposed installing sfty’s water leak detectors as a proactive solution to help mitigate frequent escape of water insurance claims. Installation of the sfty system was completed in just 1.5 days, with sensors placed throughout private apartments and communal areas, including service cupboards and other shared spaces. This comprehensive coverage ensures that even previously hard-to-monitor areas are now under constant surveillance.

Water leak detection is managed through a user-friendly app, which sends property managers instant alerts to their phone and via a weekly report shared by email. Residents and landlords can also download the app to monitor their own properties, providing an additional layer of protection and engagement with the system.

David Whittle notes, “We’ve gone from a painful water leak detection process to having an app that immediately tells us if there’s a problem. It takes away the guesswork.”

For La Gare’s residents, connected sfty water leak detectors help provide physical and financial protection against damage from water leaks. Under their lease terms, residents are responsible for water pipes that exclusively serve their apartments, meaning if a significant leak originates within their property boundary, they could be liable for a large insurance excess payment. By detecting leaks early, sfty can prevent minor issues from escalating into major incidents. For landlords with tenanted properties, the system offers additional peace of mind. Rather than relying solely on tenants to spot and report issues, landlords can monitor their properties remotely through the sfty app, taking appropriate action if a leak is detected.

David Whittle explains, “sfty helps protect residents and the building from the impact of water leaks. By identifying issues early and enabling quick fixes, we can minimize or even prevent damage.”

The water leak detection system has already proven its value by detecting a slow leak from an apartment boiler one Saturday morning. The property manager received a notification via the sfty app and contacted the resident immediately.

David shares, “It was the start of what could have been quite a large and devastating leak had it not been identified and stopped. We got it sorted before the end of the weekend, which was unheard of before we had sfty. The property owner was pleased, as we prevented a potential claim and damage to his property.”

While sfty requires a small annual monitoring fee, residents recognize the benefits of having connected water leak detectors in place. Even property owners at La Gare who were initially sceptical about the technology have become advocates after seeing how it protects them from potentially invisible issues, damage escalation, or repairs and disruption. The water leak detectors have alerted to three leaks within the first six months of installation.

Paul Murrain, Board Member and Resident at La Gare, shares his experience: “Thanks for phoning me a short time ago. It was extremely gratifying to know that our managing agent was informed of the leak, as well as the very loud alarm that sounded here in the house. I would not have seen the leak had the alarm not sounded and though it seems modest at the moment it could have gone on for days getting increasingly worse without me knowing. I’m impressed.”

The investment in sfty by Resideo at La Gare shows how smart, connected water leak technology can help solve long-standing property management challenges while delivering clear financial benefits.

Get in touch to explore how sfty can transform water leak detection at your property.