A brown ring has appeared on the ceiling, or a grey patch that feels cold and soft. A damp patch is your ceiling telling you water is getting in from above. The sooner you find out where from, the smaller the repair.
Work out what's above it
- A bathroom or en-suite: the most common cause. A failed shower tray seal, a leaking bath or basin waste, or a toilet that leaks when flushed.
- A kitchen or radiator: a leaking appliance hose, pipe joint or radiator valve.
- Pipes running across the ceiling: a leaking joint on a hot, cold or heating pipe.
- The roof or a gutter: if you're on the top floor and it gets worse after rain.
- Another flat: if you live below a neighbour, the water may be coming from their home.
When does it get worse?
- After someone showers or has a bath: usually the shower seal, the tray or the waste.
- After the toilet is flushed: the toilet seal or the soil pipe connection.
- All the time, even overnight: a supply or heating pipe that's under pressure. Try the meter test in our guide on how to find a water leak.
- Only after rain: roof, gutter or window. That's a job for a roofer or builder rather than a plumber, and we'll tell you so.
- Black spots in a bathroom, worse in winter: often condensation, not a leak. Better ventilation usually solves it.
What you can do now
- Stop using the bathroom above until the leak is found. Each shower makes the damage worse.
- Take photos of the patch and the room above. They help with insurance claims.
- In a flat, tell your neighbour and your managing agent straight away.
When to call a plumber
Call us if the patch is growing, wet to touch, near electrics, or comes back after drying. We'll find the source, fix it, and tell you when the ceiling is dry enough to repair. If water is already dripping through, see water leaking through the ceiling.
Common questions
What causes a damp patch on the ceiling?
Most often a leak from a bathroom above: a shower seal, bath waste or toilet. Pipes, the roof or condensation are the other usual causes.
Is a damp patch on the ceiling an emergency?
It is if it's growing fast, wet, sagging or near a light fitting. Switch off that circuit and call us. A small dry stain can wait a day.
Who pays if the leak is from the flat above?
Usually the owner of the flat where the leak starts, or their insurer. Take photos and tell your neighbour and managing agent straight away.