One of the most undesirable experiences for renter is the occurrences of water leaking in your rental home! But if you do discover a leak, there are measures that you may take to optimize the situation. For optimal contribution to the solution, here’s what you should do when there’s a leak in your rental home.
Turn off the water supply
If you see or hear water coming from somewhere it shouldn’t, it is imperative to disconnect it at its origin. If the leak comes from a faucet or appliance, you can shut off the water simply by turning the handle or powering it off.
If your leak is more serious than that, however, it is necessary to shut off the main water supply to the house. To do so, locate your water main shut-off valve. This may be in a basement, utility room, or outside the home. Next, grab a wrench and pliers to turn the valve until the water stops flowing.
Contain the leak and minimize water damage
Once you turn off the water, the subsequent task is to mop up any water leaking or building up on the floor, beneath cupboards, or in other areas. Use old towels and a mop to minimize the water’s spread and dry cabinets, table legs, and other wood.
If your carpet or rugs are soaked, use towels to soak up as much water as possible. Next, open the windows and activate numerous fans to dry the rug quickly. Prolonged exposure to a wet carpet can result in mold and permanently damage any furniture placed on top of it.
Notify your landlord or property manager
After you get the water flow under control, it’s recommended to promptly call your landlord. Your landlord needs to know what happened and what you’ve done to address the problem.
Water leaks are important to handle as soon as they happen, or serious damage can occur. If you let the problem sit too long, you could be liable for those damages. By calling your landlord, you can work together to arrange to have the leak repaired and get any other damage in the home addressed.
Simple checks and maintenance tasks to avoid leaks
The last step in dealing with a water leak in your rental home is to practice good prevention. Once you know what caused the leak, you must do your part to prevent a repeat of the same incident. Protect your drains and pipes from extreme temperatures, clogs, and other common mishaps if possible.
You can also do your best to stay on top of regular maintenance concerns and alert your landlord whenever you see signs of a developing problem. By fixing things before the pipes burst, you can do a lot to help prevent water leaks in your rental home.
Real Property Management Copper State can assist you in finding a new residence to rent in Fountain Hills or the surrounding area. Please browse our available rentals to learn more and arrange a viewing.
We are pledged to the letter and spirit of U.S. policy for the achievement of equal housing opportunity throughout the Nation. See Equal Housing Opportunity Statement for more information.
