Halo Learn

    Building-wide vs unit-by-unit leak detection: what condo boards should know

    How owner-by-owner protection compares to a coordinated, building-wide standard — and where each approach tends to succeed or fail.

    Published · By Daniel Dietzen

    Daniel Dietzen

    Daniel Dietzen

    Sales Lead, Halo Protection Systems

    Daniel Dietzen has over 10 years of experience in water leak detection and building protection systems, beginning with hands-on installation and customer service work in 2015. At Halo Protection Systems, he has worked closely with engineers, property managers, owners, and installation teams to help design, deploy, and improve whole-building leak detection systems for condominium and multi-family properties.

    Unit-by-unit detection relies on each owner buying and maintaining their own device. Building-wide detection installs one coordinated system across every residence and common area, with shared staff visibility, consistent alerting, central event records, and automatic shut-off at each unit. In multi-residence buildings, the building-wide approach better matches how water actually moves: between units, not within them.

    How do the two approaches compare?

    DimensionUnit-by-unit (owner-bought)Building-wide (association-managed)
    Coverage consistencyUneven; depends on each ownerUniform across residences and common areas
    AlertsUsually only the ownerOwner, staff, and 24/7 response center
    NetworkResident Wi-Fi or cellularDedicated building-managed wireless
    Automatic shut-offRare; usually manualStandard at each residence's water entry
    Event recordLives on the owner's phoneTime-stamped audit log, exportable for insurance
    Device-health visibilityNone at the building levelOnline/offline, low battery, signal — all units
    When a unit changes handsNew owner may remove or ignore devicesSystem persists; coverage continues

    Key statistics

    1.2M

    Gallons/year wasted by a single hidden defect detected at One Water Place

    Hundreds

    Of leaks detected at Southwinds I, II & III since 2015

    3–6

    Shut-off valves required per residence in some buildings (e.g., The Grand)

    10+ yrs

    Halo has been deployed in condominium buildings

    Where does owner-by-owner protection actually fail?

    The failure mode is rarely "the device didn't work." It is usually one of the following:

    • Owner installed a device years ago, replaced their router, never reconnected it.
    • Owner is traveling; the alert went to a phone that wasn't checked until morning.
    • The unit changed hands and the new owner doesn't know a device exists.
    • A renovation moved the appliance and the sensor is now in the wrong place.
    • Battery died; the only person who would know is the owner.
    • Water poured down from the unit upstairs, which had no device at all.

    When does building-wide make the most sense?

    Building-wide leak detection tends to be the right answer for high-rise condominiums, buildings with many seasonal or absentee owners, properties with a history of water claims, and any association whose insurance carrier is signaling that water-loss risk needs to be addressed. It is also a fit for buildings with shared mechanical systems (cooling-tower water loops, central laundry, common-area kitchens) that no individual owner is responsible for.

    What about a hybrid approach?

    A hybrid is common in practice: the association installs building-wide coverage in common areas, mechanical rooms, and units that opt in first, then expands to the rest of the building over time. Halo, for example, supports phased rollouts on a single shared platform, so coverage that starts on floors 8–10 can later extend to the entire stack without ripping anything out.

    Frequently asked questions

    What is unit-by-unit leak detection?

    Unit-by-unit leak detection is when individual owners independently buy and install consumer leak detectors in their own residences. There is no shared standard, no shared visibility, and no central record of who has coverage or whether it is currently working.

    What is building-wide leak detection?

    Building-wide leak detection is one coordinated system installed across every residence and common area, typically managed by the association or property manager, with shared visibility, shared alerting, central documentation, and (often) automatic shut-off valves at each residence's water entry.

    Why does building-wide protection matter in a high-rise?

    Water travels between units. A leak that starts on floor 10 can damage floors 9, 8, and 7 within hours. Even a fully protected owner can be flooded by a neighboring unit that has no detection, or by a neighbor whose Wi-Fi-based device went offline three months ago and nobody noticed.

    Can a board mandate leak detection in private units?

    Whether an HOA can require devices in private units depends on the governing documents and local law. Many associations adopt building-wide systems voluntarily as a building amenity, or include them as part of a broader water-loss prevention initiative supported by the insurance carrier.

    Is it better to start small and expand later?

    Yes. Building-wide protection works best when every unit is covered, but a board can begin with high-risk areas — top-floor units, common areas, mechanical rooms, units with traveling owners — and expand coverage over time on the same shared platform.

    What's the biggest weakness of owner-by-owner protection?

    Inconsistency. Some owners have devices, some do not. Some alerts go only to one person who may be asleep or traveling. There is no shared record of events, no shared dashboard for staff, and no way to know which units are actually protected on any given day.

    Sources & references