Plumbing Tips for Renters: What You Should Know!

Whether it is your first rental home or not, you may not realize there are certain things to be aware of regarding the plumbing in your rental home. There are a few plumbing tips for renters that everyone should know. These can help make sure the plumbing in your home stays safe and you can get as much of your deposit back as possible. 

Plumbing Tips for Renters: Knowing Your Rights

The first plumbing tip for renters is to know your rights. Your landlord is required to make sure all units are liveable. They have to keep the plumbing safe, make sure there is cold and hot water as well, and make sure the structure is safe. These are just some of the many things they need to do. However, laws vary wildly from state to state and even city to city. It is important to look into the renter laws for your specific area.  

Plumbing Tips for Renters: Inspect Your Plumbing When You Move In

This plumbing tip for renters can save you when you move out: inspect all your plumbing fixtures. If you see something that doesn’t look right or is broken and has caused a leak, let your landlord know when you move in. This way, you aren’t blamed for the water stains at the bottom of the sink cabinet when you move out. 

Check all sinks to make sure nothing is leaking at the faucet or in your cabinet. It is also important to check your stop valves. These are located at every toilet and faucet. Make sure they fully close and reopen. You likely won’t have to use them, but if your toilet overflows or your sink faucet breaks you will need them to turn off the water. 

We suggest that you check the temperature of your water heater. 120 degrees Fahrenheit is the standard, safe temperature it should be at. However, if you don’t have access to it, you can ask your landlord to look into it for you. Don’t worry if you do not have access to your unit’s water heater. A lot of landlords will lock it in a closet to prevent someone from turning the temperature up too high and causing burns. 

Plumbing Tips for Renters: Ask Questions

You must read your lease fully. Your lease may give you specific instructions regarding your plumbing. Most of the time it says not to pour drain cleaners down the drain and what to keep out of your garbage disposal. These are good things to note and make sure that you follow these instructions. If you are noticing drain backups or even slow draining, your apartment maintenance team should be able to handle that for you. 

If you have more questions about the plumbing in your apartment or what to do when something happens it is better to ask now. Some questions you might want to ask are:

• Is there hard water in the apartment?
• When something goes wrong, who covers that?
• Do the pipes freeze in the winter? How do they suggest you combat that?

Plumbing Tips for Renters: Find your Stop Valve and Learn How to Use a Plunger

The two most important plumbing tips for renters to learn while renting are turning off water using a stop valve and plunging a toilet. Stop valves are as easy as turning a knob. In your move-in inspection, you should note where every single one is. You don’t want to waste time in an emergency figuring out where and what your stop valve is. 

Your toilet is bound to get clogged. The first line of defense in a clogged toilet is plunging it. Everyone should have a plunger in the bathroom, one with a flange is preferred. Most of the time a plunger will clear the clog. If it’s not, or still struggling after, we suggest calling your maintenance man. 

Plumbing Tips for Renters: Prevent Clogging

Preventing clogs in your drains is our next plumbing tip for renters. We highly recommend putting drain screens over every drain in your home. This will catch hair, food, or other debris that may eventually clog your drain. Your maintenance team should be able to handle this, but if it is a hassle to get a hold of them or you want to avoid calling them we suggest you do this. 

Plumbing Tips for Renters: Maintain Your Dishwasher and Washing Machine 

This plumbing tip for renters may also get you more money back from your deposit. It is important to regularly clean and inspect your appliances. The main plumbing appliances in your apartment are your washing machine and your dishwasher. Both need regular cleaning to help prevent any build-up. There are plenty of products on the market that make it an easy task to keep up with. 

Plumbing Tips for Renters: Prevent Freezing Pipes

For our last plumbing tip for renters, let’s talk about ways you can prevent freezing pipes. For homeowners or landlords, we highly recommend wrapping your pipes – especially the ones on exterior walls. While it may seem like an unnecessary or expensive fix, it will be much cheaper than the water damage you incur from not doing that.

In the wintertime, there are a few things that a renter can do. The first is keeping your heat on, this will help keep your pipes warm and prevent any freezing. The next is to open any sink cabinet doors. This allows the warm air from your heater to keep those pipes even warmer. Lastly, we suggest keeping a slow drip in every faucet. The hot and cold water lines should both be turned on. When water is moving, it is less likely to freeze. 

Final Thoughts

You might not think about your plumbing much when you are a renter. Your maintenance team can fix any issues that may arise, right? However, with a few extra maintenance things on your to-do list, you can give them some relief and maybe even get more money back on your deposit upon moving out. 

Call 1-Tom-Plumber

Don’t hesitate to contact us here or call us at 1-Tom-Plumber (1-866-758-6237) if you need help with any plumbing, drain cleaning, water damage, or excavation services. 1-Tom-Plumber’s certified team of plumbers and drain technicians respond immediately to any emergency plumbing, drain cleaning, or water damage problem. We also handle the excavation of underground water lines and sewer main lines. Our immediate-response team is available every day and night of the year, even on holidays.