Landlord's Plumbing Checklist Between Tenants

The weeks between tenants are the cheapest time to fix plumbing. The unit is empty, the water can be shut off without anyone complaining, and every leak you find now is one you will not be called about at night. Skipped, the same problems come back as emergency calls, damaged ceilings in the unit below and arguments about whose fault it was. This is the checklist we would use ourselves, room by room.

Before you start

Walk the unit with the water on and take a quick look at the water meter. Make sure no one is using water in the building, note the reading, wait a few minutes and look again. If the dial moves, there is a leak somewhere that you have not found yet. Then turn the unit off at its shutoff and start the checklist.

You will need a flashlight, a bucket, a pair of gloves, a phone for photographs and some paper towels. A moisture meter is useful if you have one. A plumber brings a camera and pressure gauges for the cases where the problem is not visible.

Kitchen

• Under the sink. Look at the supply lines, the shutoff valves, the trap and the disposal. Dry the area, run the water for a minute, then touch every joint. A damp joint is a leak. A swollen or stained cabinet base means it has been leaking for a while.
• Faucet. Check for drips, a loose base, a weak spray or a wobbling handle.
• Shutoff valves. Turn each one off and on. A valve that will not turn, weeps at the stem, or is crusty with mineral is a future leak.
• Disposal. Run it. Listen for grinding noises, check for leaks at the base and the dishwasher connection.
• Dishwasher. Run a cycle if possible and watch for water around the door and underneath. Check that the drain hose has a high loop or an air gap.
• Drain. Fill the sink and release it. It should drain fast without gurgling. Slow drainage means the line is partly blocked.

Bathrooms

• Toilets. Flush each one several times. It should flush completely, refill quietly and stop. Rock it gently. A toilet that moves has a failed seal or flange and is leaking into the floor. See our guide on why a toilet rocks.
• Supply lines and shutoffs. Same as the kitchen. Old chrome rigid lines and crusted valves are worth replacing between tenants, which costs little with the unit empty.
• Sinks and faucets. Look for drips, slow drains and a loose faucet base.
• Tub and shower. Run the shower for a few minutes. Check the valve for drips when it is off, the diverter, the showerhead and the drain speed. Look at the caulk and grout. A failing seal at the tub lets water into the wall.
• Ceilings and walls below. In a multi-story building, look at the ceiling beneath each bathroom for stains.
• Exhaust fan. It is not plumbing, but moisture damage starts in a bathroom that does not vent.

Laundry

• Washer box and valves. Check for drips at the hot and cold valves, and for a drain box that is clean and not leaking.
• Hoses. Rubber washer hoses age and burst. Braided stainless hoses are an inexpensive upgrade.
• Drain pan and floor. Look at the floor around the washer and under it for stains and soft spots.
• Gas dryer connection, if there is one. See the gas section below.

Water heater

The water heater is the most expensive item in the unit and the most likely cause of a big claim. Check:

• Age. The date is on the label. A heater near the end of its life is a candidate for planned replacement between tenants, not for failing in the middle of a lease.
• Drain pan and drain line, if it sits in an attic, a closet or above living space. No pan above living space is a finding on any inspection.
• Relief valve and discharge pipe. The pipe should be present, run downward and end in a safe, visible place. A missing or capped pipe is a safety item.
• Corrosion at the connections or the base of the tank, and rust-colored stains on the floor.
• Venting and, for gas units, the flame, the connector and the shutoff.
• Noise. Rumbling or popping means scale. See our signs of hard water guide.

For repair or replacement options, see our water heater experts page.

Gas

If the unit has a gas range, dryer, water heater or fireplace:

• Check that each appliance has a shutoff valve within reach.
• Look at the flexible connectors. Replace any that are old, kinked, corroded or from an appliance that has been moved.
• If anything smells of gas, leave, and call 911 or the gas utility from outside. See our article on what to do if you smell gas.

Gas work belongs to a licensed plumber. See our gas appliance hookup page.

Outside and the building

• Outdoor taps. Open them, check for drips at the handle, and look for cracks in the pipe behind the wall. A freeze may have split one that you cannot see until it is on.
• Main shutoff. Make sure it works, and that tenants and staff know where it is.
• Backflow assembly and irrigation, if there are any. Backflow assemblies need testing on a schedule, and a certified tester to do it. See our backflow testing page.
• Cleanout access. Find it. If the line backs up, the plumber needs it. See our guide to finding your sewer cleanout.
• Exterior grading and downspouts, which are not plumbing but cause wet foundations and soggy drain lines.

When to bring in a plumber

• A drain that clogs again within weeks of being cleared. A camera inspection shows whether it is a clog or the pipe. See what a sewer camera inspection shows.
• Any stain or soft spot you cannot explain.
• A water meter that moves when everything is off.
• An old water heater, old supply pipe or a gas connection that you are unsure of.
• Anything you do not want to be responsible for if it fails during the next lease.

Keep a record

For each unit, keep:

• Dated photographs of every fixture and every finding
• The date and reading of the water meter test
• The plumber's work order and invoice for every repair
• The age and model of the water heater
• Notes on which units have recurring problems

The next time there is a deposit dispute or an insurance question, the record answers it.

Royal Flush Affordable Plumbing

Licensed Houston plumbers since 2007. Residential, commercial and industrial plumbing. Upfront pricing, no hidden charges.