V.F. from Middlesex County, Massachusetts writes:
Dear Mister Condo,
We live in a 44-unit over 55 condominium. Units are double carriage house style. Who is responsible to clean the gutters?
Mister Condo replies:
V.F., I wish I could give you a definitive answer. Typically, gutters are considered common or limited common elements. As such, their ownership, maintenance, and replacement are the responsibility of the association. Of course, there are times when that isn’t the case and the individual unit owners are responsible or their care and maintenance. For instance, if the units were built without gutters and individual unit owners added the gutters over the years, they would most likely be owned and maintained by the unit owners. Even then, there are times when a unit owner can add a gutter but the gutter is treated as a common element after its initial installation. At the end of the day, you need to review your governance documents to see what it says about the gutters, their ownership, and the care and maintenance. In a traditional condominium arrangement, the association would own them and be responsible for their care and upkeep, including having them cleaned. All the best!