Water leak at home: what to do first

Most water damage starts small. What you do in the first few minutes decides whether it's a wet towel or a ruined ceiling below you.

Do this first

Stop the water. Close the shutoff valve under the sink, behind the toilet or behind the washer. If you can't find it or the leak keeps going, close the main shutoff if you can reach it.
Stay away from power. If water reaches outlets, cords or appliances, don't touch them, and don't step into standing water to reach a switch or the breaker panel.
Call maintenance. Use your landlord's after hours number for a leak that can't wait.
Then clean up. Towels and a bucket come after the water is off, not before.

If a toilet starts to overflow

Close the valve on the wall behind the toilet by turning the round handle clockwise. Or take the lid off the tank and lift the float. Then clear the clog with a plunger, or call maintenance.

When it's a 911 call

If you see smoke or fire, or water is near electrical equipment and someone could get hurt, get out and call 911. A leak on its own is a call to maintenance.

Small habits that prevent big leaks

Run the dishwasher and the washer while you're home. If one leaks while you're out, nobody is there to stop it.
Flush only waste and toilet paper. Keep a trash can in the bathroom for everything else.
If you see water under the fridge, around the water heater or in a drain pan, tell maintenance right away.

Common questions

Should I turn off the water or call maintenance first?

Turn off the water first if you can do it safely. Every minute it runs, more water reaches the floor, the walls and the unit below. Then call maintenance.

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Sources

How to Shut Off Your Water, Lakeway Municipal Utility District, Texas (public water utility)
The homeowner's severe cold weather survival guide, Insurance Information Institute (Triple-I)
How to Prevent Interior Water Damage from Plumbing and Appliances, Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety (IBHS)
How to catch a running toilet, Portland Water Bureau, City of Portland, Oregon
Survival After the Storm: Stay Alive, Avoid These Deadly Hazards (PDF), U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Neighborhood Safety Network
What to Do to Protect Yourself From Electrical Hazards, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

Updated October 1, 2026. General safety information. It doesn't replace your building's safety systems, local codes or your lease. In an emergency, call 911.