Where the apartment's part ends and common property begins
The Law on Residential Properties counts as part of the apartment the utility lines up to the common property risers, as well as the kitchen, ventilation, toilet, shower and bathroom equipment. Common property is the building's engineering systems, load-bearing walls, walls between apartments and floor slabs.
| Element | Who owns it |
|---|---|
| Riser (water, sewer) | Common property |
| Pipes from the riser to the sink, bath, toilet | Part of the apartment |
| Sanitaryware: bath, shower, toilet, sink | Part of the apartment |
| Radiator, if its operation depends on the building's heating | Common property |
| Water supply inlet valve at the apartment entrance | In 2023 the Senate held it to be part of the building's system |
In the Senate judgment in case SKC-535/2023, the decisive points were the location and whether the element is functionally inseparable from the building's system. Each case is judged on its own facts, so if in doubt, ask the building manager how the boundary is set in your building.
Sources: the Law on Residential Properties (Dzīvokļa īpašuma likums), Section 3(2) and Section 4(1) point 1; Senate judgment of 21.09.2023 in case SKC-535/2023. Checked 11.11.2026.
How the costs of riser replacement are divided
Each owner covers the building's management costs according to their share of the common property, on the basis of an association decision. The share is the ratio of the apartment's area to the total area of all the apartments. Riser replacement is usually paid for this way, because it is maintenance of common property.
An association decision is adopted if owners representing more than half of the apartment properties in the building vote “for”, unless the law requires more. The share does not change if the apartment's area changes within its boundaries, including through reconstruction.
Mandatory management activities include inspection of the building, its equipment and services, technical maintenance and routine repair. If a riser is worn out, the first place to turn is the building manager.
Sources: the Law on Residential Properties, Section 5, Section 13(1), Section 16(3); the Law on Management of Residential Buildings (Dzīvojamo māju pārvaldīšanas likums), Section 6(2). Checked 11.11.2026.
Replacing risers in an apartment building: what to do
- Find out the situation Ask the building manager whether riser replacement is planned in the building and whether there is an association decision on it.
- If replacement is planned Coordinate the timing of your renovation so that the new pipes in the apartment are connected to the new riser.
- If you want to replace a section yourself If the work affects common property, you need the consent of the apartment owners' association. Agree in writing with the building manager who pays for the section in your apartment and who shuts off the water.
- Before tiling Leave access to the riser, for example with a hatch. The owner must allow specialists authorised by the association or the building manager to carry out work to maintain the building's services.
In apartment buildings, services that do not relate to the apartment on a given floor need closed shafts or ducts in the enclosing structures (LBN 200-21, paragraph 138). That is why a riser is usually boxed in, but not closed off for good.
Sources: the Law on Residential Properties, Section 10(1) point 7 and Section 11(3); Cabinet Regulation No. 693, LBN 200-21, paragraph 138. Checked 11.11.2026.
Who is responsible if a riser leaks
A riser is common property, and the building manager entrusted with its maintenance is civilly liable for improper performance of the work assigned to it. If a riser floods an apartment, what to do is described on the page neighbours flooded the apartment: what to do.
The building manager visually inspects the building's engineering systems and records what is found in the inspection log. If you see rust, damp or drips by the riser, report it in writing so that the report has a date.
Sources: LV portāls, e-consultation of 09.01.2025 on a riser failure; LV portāls, e-consultation of 01.04.2025 on a flood report. Checked 11.11.2026.
How much replacing a riser section costs
Replacing a riser section in an apartment: from €100 per riser. If the bathroom has two risers (water and sewer), it is from €200. Prices are for labour. Materials are calculated separately in the estimate.
It is convenient to replace a riser together with a bathroom renovation (the whole job from €3,000), because then the walls and floor are already open. The price is affected by how much finish around the riser has to be removed and whether the pipes to the sanitaryware are also replaced. An exact estimate can be made after seeing the apartment.
What can go wrong
- The riser is tiled in with no hatch, and later the finish has to be demolished to reach it.
- A section is replaced without agreement with the building manager, and afterwards it is unclear who is responsible for the connection to the old riser.
- The bathroom renovation is finished shortly before the building replaces all the risers.
Sources
- Apartment part: services up to the common property risers; common property: the building's engineering systems; radiators checked 11 November 2026
- The inlet valve is part of the building's system checked 11 November 2026
- Mandatory management activities checked 11 November 2026
- Closed shafts or ducts for services (paragraph 138) checked 11 November 2026
- A riser is common property; the building manager's civil liability checked 11 November 2026
- The building manager inspects the engineering systems and writes in the log checked 11 November 2026