Responding to Plumbing Emergencies in Rental Property
A catastrophic flood is no doubt one of the worst plumbing emergencies that a landlord could be faced with. The most probable causes for a flood could be a defective water heater unit or a broken water supply line.
Because water is under pressure, even a small break in a water supply line could result in large volumes of water to enter a room or basement very quickly. To minimize the amount of flooding such an event might cause, it is necessary to take the following quick actions…
- For a water supply line break, one way to stop it is to close the main shutoff valve that is located at the water meter in the main water service line. This valve is normally located in the basement where the water meter is located near the foundation wall. Closing this valve will stop water flow in the entire house until the break is repaired.
However, if the leak can be isolated and stopped by closing a "branch" shutoff valve that is located between the main shutoff valve and the break, then the main valve can be left open while the isolation valve is shut and the break is repaired. This will allow tenants to at least use other plumbing fixtures that are fed from different branch supply lines.
- If the leak is located at a plumbing fixture, then the shut off valves that are located adjacent to the fixture (e.g., under a sink) can be closed to stop the water flow, hopefully before serious damage occurs. This is why all plumbing fixtures should have their own independent shutoff valves located at the fixtures.
Many people, including tenants, will not know what to do to stop a flood from occurring in their home. That is why it is absolutely necessary to instruct your tenants on the location of the main shutoff valve and to close it immediately if a pipe break or flood should occur. I've done that, and my quick acting tenant who was taught what to do prevented a serious flood from happening in his first floor apartment from a broken lavatory supply line.
So, hopefully such a calamity will never occur at your property. But if one does, having instructed your tenants on how stop a flood by closing the main shutoff valve could ultimately save the day and protect your property from catastrophe.
For more in-depth information on how to deal with plumbing emergencies and other serious rental property events, please visit
The Landlord's Library
book collection. It provides a wealth of practical information that can be used to improve your success as a residential landlord.
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