The setup
- House
- Older two-story house near the park with a separately rented basement suite
- Suite
- Bedroom, bath and a small kitchenette added in a past remodel
- Source
- A braided supply hose to the kitchenette faucet, many years old
- Owners
- Traveling, reachable by phone
- Tenant
- Home in the evening, has renters insurance
What happened
Illustrative example. Not a real job or customer.
The tenant returns from work and finds water spraying from under the kitchenette sink and spreading across the vinyl floor into the carpeted bedroom. Their laptop bag and a pile of clothes on the bedroom floor are wet. The owners are out of state for the week.
- The tenant closes the angle stop under the sink, which stops the spray. Earlier, the owners had shown them where it was during the move-in walk-through.
- They call the owners, who ask them to stay out of the wet bedroom until the circuit for the floor outlets is switched off at the panel in the shared laundry area.
- The tenant photographs the hose, the floor, the carpet and their damaged belongings, and sends the photos to the owners.
- The owners call a restorer, who arrives that evening, extracts water, lifts the carpet and pad, and finds water wicking into the bottom of the drywall on two walls.
- The owners report the building damage to their insurer. The tenant reports the clothing and electronics to their renters insurer.
- Because drying equipment will run for several days in the bedroom, the owners and tenant agree on a temporary arrangement for the tenant to sleep elsewhere, and they put the agreement in writing.
The source was stopped within minutes because the tenant knew where the valve was. Water reached the bedroom but not the bathroom. The carpet pad was replaced, a strip of drywall was cut and rebuilt, and the owners replaced every supply hose in the suite and upstairs after the job.
What the owners changed afterward
Replaced all aging supply hoses
Every faucet, toilet and appliance hose in both units was replaced at once rather than waiting for the next failure.
Added water alarms
Small alarms went under the kitchenette sink, behind the toilet and near the water heater, with a tone loud enough to hear upstairs.
Labeled the shutoffs and panel
Each valve and the suite circuits got clear labels, and the tenant received a one-page sheet showing their locations.
Updated the lease addendum
The owners added a short section on reporting leaks and on access for repairs, after checking current Colorado and Denver rental rules.
Questions owners of basement rentals can ask themselves
- Does the tenant know where the shutoffs and breaker panel are, and can they get to them?
- How old are the supply hoses in the suite?
- Does the lease require the tenant to carry renters insurance, or at least encourage it?
- If the suite became unlivable for a few days, what would the plan be?
- Who can the tenant reach if the owners are away?
General information for Washington Park, not a quote or professional advice. In an emergency, call 911.