Close the suite's own tenant shutoff valve, which the plumbing code calls for in many multi-tenant buildings with a common water supply. Check the building valve chart, close that valve only, and open a faucet in the suite to confirm. If the suite has no valve, isolate at a branch or fixture stops and plan a permanent one.
Is there supposed to be a shutoff for each tenant?
Often yes. The 2024 International Plumbing Code, as adopted in Phoenix, lists full-open valves in Section 606.1, including this one: "In multiple-tenant buildings three stories or less in height, where a common water supply piping system is installed to supply other than one- and two-family dwellings, a main shutoff valve shall be provided for each tenant." The same list calls for valves "On the building water service pipe from the public water supply near the curb," "On the water distribution supply pipe at the entrance into the structure," and "On the water supply pipe to every water heater."
Two limits matter. First, the tenant-valve rule is written for multiple-tenant buildings three stories or less in height with a common water supply system, so taller buildings and buildings with separate services follow other parts of the section. Second, the code in force depends on the city and on when the building was built. Phoenix's amendments to the 2024 plumbing code (Ordinance G-7397) do not change Section 606. Other cities adopt their own editions, so confirm with the local building department. An older suite may simply not have a valve the current code would require.
Section 606.3 adds that "Access shall be provided to all full-open valves and shutoff valves," and 606.4 says valves not next to the fixture they serve "shall be identified, indicating the fixture or appliance served." So the valve should be reachable and labeled.
How do you find and use the tenant valve?
- 1Ask the landlord or property manager for the valve chart. The right valve is the one that serves only your suite. Do not guess among unlabeled valves in a shared room, because one of them may serve a neighbor or a fire system.
- 2Look where tenant mains usually enter. The pipe typically comes into the suite from a corridor, a utility closet, a ceiling space, or the mechanical room behind it. The valve will be on the supply just before it enters the space or just inside the wall.
- 3Warn anyone affected. Tell the suite occupants that water is about to go out, and tell the manager. A suite with a hot water heater, ice machine, or dishwasher should shut those down first.
- 4Close the valve slowly and test. Open a faucet at the lowest fixture in the suite. If water keeps flowing after a minute or two, you closed the wrong valve or the valve is not holding.
- 5Tag it. Put a note on the valve that says the water is off and why, so no one reopens it by habit while someone is working downstream.
If the valve will not move, do not force it with a wrench or a cheater bar. A seized valve can break, and a broken valve means water without a way to stop it. Close the next valve upstream, which is the building's responsibility, and call a plumber.
What if the suite has no tenant shutoff?
You have a few options, in this order:
- Fixture stops. If the leak is at one fixture, the angle stop under it or behind it stops that fixture. Our page on how to shut off water to a fixture covers it.
- A branch or zone valve. Many buildings have valves on a branch that serves several suites or a floor. Closing one takes out more than you want, so that is a matter for the property manager and plumber, with notice to the neighbors.
- The riser or the building valve. The last resort is the building's valve, where the manager decides and notifies all tenants. See planning a commercial water shutoff.
Then fix the underlying gap. A suite that cannot be isolated is a suite where every repair and every leak affects the neighbors. Adding a tenant shutoff is a normal plumbing job, and the plumber will tell you whether it needs a permit in your city. Cities differ on what plumbing work needs a permit, and our page on commercial tenant improvement plumbing shows how that question plays out in a tenant improvement.
What about the meter and the street?
Leave those to the city. Phoenix says "Issues on the city's side (from the street to the water meter) are the responsibility of the City and issues after the water meter are the responsibility of the homeowner," using the city's residential wording for the customer. If the leak is between the street and the meter, call the water utility. If it is after the meter, your landlord's valves and your plumber are the path. See who can shut off water at the curb stop in Phoenix.
Who pays for the valve and who may operate it?
The lease usually answers it. A valve that serves only your suite may be the tenant's to maintain or the landlord's, depending on the repair and maintenance clauses. Our page on commercial plumbing repairs: tenant or landlord explains how the lease types split plumbing. Many leases also require tenants to tell the landlord before they close any valve, so read yours first.
HQ replaces failed shutoff valves and can add isolation valves where a suite has none, with an upfront price and a free estimate. We are licensed and insured and available 24/7 for emergencies. This page explains general guidance and does not replace your lease or local code.