No hot water in a rental: the water heater call, start to finish
What to ask when a tenant reports no hot water, when a water heater call is a safety call, and the temperature setting the Department of Energy suggests.
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“No hot water” is one of the most common tenant calls, and most of them are routine: a tripped breaker, a pilot that went out, a heater at the end of its life. A few are not. The first job is to tell them apart in the first two minutes, then get the right person out in the right order.
The questions to ask first
- Is there any gas smell, or is a carbon monoxide alarm sounding?
- Is the heater leaking, or is water on the floor around it?
- Is it gas or electric, and is there any hot water at all?
- When did it start, and does anyone in the home need hot water for a medical reason?
The first question decides whether this is a safety call. A gas smell or a sounding carbon monoxide alarm means everyone is outside before anyone looks at the heater. The other three decide who goes out and how soon. Our post on smoke and CO alarms covers alarm placement and testing.
Leaking or just cold?
A heater that is leaking is a water problem as well as a hot water problem. Ask the tenant to shut off the cold water supply to the heater if they can do it safely, and treat any wet floor or drywall as a drying job too. Our post on mold after a leak covers the drying.
A heater that is simply cold, with no leak and no gas smell, is usually urgent rather than an emergency. Your own written list decides that, and your state may set how fast a loss of hot water has to be fixed after notice. Washington, for example, gives a landlord 24 hours after written notice to begin fixing a loss of hot or cold water. See repair timelines by state and the emergency definitions template.
Some cities set the temperature as well as the clock. New York City’s Department of Housing Preservation and Development requires hot water all year at a constant 120°F or more, so in New York City a heater that only reaches lukewarm still needs a visit.
After the repair: set the temperature
When a plumber replaces or services a heater, agree the thermostat setting. The U.S. Department of Energy says turning a water heater down from 140°F to 120°F can reduce the risk of scalding and slow buildup in pipes, and notes that people with a weakened immune system or chronic respiratory disease may prefer to keep it at 140°F. Write the setting on the work order, so the next vendor doesn’t guess.
What goes on the work order
| What to record | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| The answers to the safety questions, with the time | Shows the gas and leak questions came first, and when |
| Gas or electric, and the heater’s age from the label | Tells the vendor what to bring, and starts the repair-or-replace question |
| Photos of the label and any leak | Lets the vendor order the right part before the visit |
| What the vendor found and fixed | Lets you spot the same heater failing again |
| The temperature it was set to | Keeps the next vendor from guessing, and shows the setting you agreed |
| The tenant’s confirmation that hot water is back | Shows the repair worked, not only that a visit happened |
Where Now Ours fits
Ours answers tenants at any hour in your company’s name and asks the safety questions you set. A gas smell gets the 911 and gas utility instruction first, then your on-call person is called and texted. Everything else is offered to your technicians first, then your vendors, and the work order stays open until the tenant confirms the fix, or the vendor or technician marks it done with a photo or note.
Sources
- U.S. Department of Energy, Renters: water heater from 140°F to 120°F to reduce scalding risk, and the exception for people with weakened immune systems. Checked October 21, 2026.
- Revised Code of Washington 59.18.070: remedial action within 24 hours of written notice for no hot or cold water, heat or electricity. Checked October 21, 2026.
- NYC Housing Preservation and Development, Heat and hot water: hot water all year at a constant 120°F or more. Checked October 21, 2026.