Water shut off guide for tennants. Good or Bad idea?

Question

Hello everyone,

I own a 4-plex and have run it for 3 years now with success.  Recently I ran into an issue with a tenant.  She had a leak under her sink and was unaware how to shut the water off.  I was able to get to the property before any major damage had occurred, however I began thinking that this could have been much worse.

I am considering a solution in the form of a water shut-off guide.  This guide will only be a few pages with instructions and pictures on how to locate a shut off valve and use it to stop the flow of water to a leak.

Has anyone tried this in their rentals?  I am mostly concerned with the legality of having a tenant perform an action and possible getting hurt (or claiming to get hurt/burned).  On the flip side, I wouldn't want a catastrophic leak to get out of control and do thousands in damage before a plumber can reach the property.  I am including a clause that states "Your safety is our number 1 priority, if you are uncomfortable performing any of these actions skip straight to step 4 "Call us section".

Any thoughts?

Christopher

Matthew Paul · Answer

I write in BIG letters on the wall ..........MAIN WATER SHUT OFF  DO NOT BLOCK .

Steve Vaughan · Answer

I show them at the move-in walk through.  "When in doubt, shut it off. Here's how to do it. If toilet water is rising, shut that off and call me in the morning.  Stay calm.  We'll get it done."

Guess how many 3am toilet clogged calls I get?

Carolina E. · Answer

I show my tenants where the main water shut off is. I make sure it's accessible and that it moves with ease. I rather them shut off there because I have a fear of they try under the sink sometimes they are so corroded that they might break off. I usually change them when they are that bad so if there is no individual shut off to each unit then make sure the valve under sinks and such are all easy to turn.

Jim K. · Answer

It's a great idea. I'm always surprised how many people aren't aware there is even such a thing.

Joe Splitrock · Answer

@Christopher Price as part of my move-in process, I walk the tenant through the property and show them were water shut off valves are, furnace filter, fire extinguisher and try to detail any other basic maintenance. Leaks are only a problem when left un-repaired or severe. A water heater can flood your property. They need to know how to shut off water quickly. I tell tenants, failure to report a leak or shut off water that leads to more damage will be their financial responsibility.

Johann Jells · Answer

Funny, I was going to guess just as many as before.

Christopher Price · Answer

Thanks for the input everyone!  I have a much better perspective on how I am going to handle this.

Steve- I'm going to guess very few at 3am!

Bob B. · Answer

I replace all shut off valves when I purchase a property where there is any chance that they are not functional.   I think it would be a good idea to put let the tenants know where the main cut off valve is.

Johann Jells · Answer

It's not a bad idea. I am always shocked at how helpless some people are at anything mechanical. Someone was asking on a local board for someone to disconnect their gas stove! They're terrified.  If it were me I'd do a drawing with almost no words like an Ikea directions sheet, laminate it, and stick it inside the sink base doors. I'd also do what I do, and replace all the valves with 90 deg turn valves. Amazingly,  a lot of my units had no valves under the sink at all, you had to turn off a hard to find main behind the toilet that actually didn't seal shut all that well. I had to rebuild them with new washers and packing.

Water shut off guide for tennants. Good or Bad idea?

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