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

[Christopher Price]

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

[Mike McCarthy]

I probably wouldn't bother with shutouts for the sinks/showers, etc. Is there a main water shutoff for the unit? In the case of a bad leak, that's what I would want them to use. Easier to find and use.