A faucet drip wastes thousands of gallons a year (the EPA says one drip per second = 3,000+ gallons annually). Most fixes are quick — but they're parts replacements, which is landlord-side work in a rental. Your job is to spot where the leak is coming from and tell us, so we send the right tech with the right part the first time.
Estimated time to work through: ~5 minutes
Don't try to shut off the angle-stop valve under the sink yourself.
If the angle-stop valve is corroded or stuck (common in Florida from humidity), forcing it can snap the valve off and flood the kitchen or bathroom in minutes. If the leak is bad enough that you think you need to shut off water immediately, shut off the main water supply to the home instead, and submit an emergency maintenance request.
Under-sink water damage spreads silently.
If you see water in the cabinet under the sink — even a small amount — towel it up, place a bowl or pan under the leak, and submit a maintenance request the same day. Cabinet bottoms, subfloor, and drywall absorb water silently until they're rotted through.
Faucets leak in one of four places. Knowing which one tells us what part needs replacing, which means we can come prepared on the first visit instead of making two trips.
Internal seals — cartridge, washer, or valve seat. Most common.
Spout O-rings — the seals where the spout meets the body. Visible only when the faucet is running.
Supply-line connections, P-trap, or sprayer hose. Visible only by looking inside the cabinet.
Clogged aerator. This is the only one that's a tenant DIY fix.
Wipe the faucet body, the base of the spout, the handle, and the area under the sink with a paper towel. You need a dry baseline.
Turn the faucet on full hot and full cold for 30 seconds. Watch for the first sign of new water — where does it appear first?
Now watch for drips with the handles fully off. A drip from the spout when it's supposed to be off is a different problem than a leak that only happens when the faucet is on.
Photo the visible leak. Submit a maintenance request that says exactly which of the four locations you observed water at (spout drip / base leak / under-sink leak / sputtering flow). The clearer your description, the faster we resolve it.
Worn cartridge (single-handle faucets) or worn washer (older two-handle faucets). Parts replacement; submit a request. The drip will get worse over time — don't ignore it; the EPA estimates one drip per second wastes 3,000+ gallons per year.
Worn spout O-rings. Parts replacement; submit a request. While waiting, you can place a small towel around the base to absorb. Don't tighten anything yourself — overtightening cracks the faucet.
Could be a supply-line nut (top of the angle-stop valve), the angle-stop valve itself, the P-trap slip nut, or the sprayer hose connection. Place a bowl or pan under the active drip immediately. Towel up standing water. Submit a request the same day — cabinet damage accumulates silently. Do not try to tighten the angle stop yourself.
This one IS a tenant DIY. The aerator (the small screen at the very end of the spout) is clogged with mineral buildup from Florida hard water. Steps:
Flow should return to normal. If not, submit a request.
Submit a request when any of these apply:
Florida-specific: hard water + coastal humidity
Florida's hard water and humidity are rough on faucets. Mineral scale clogs aerators and roughens cartridge seals; coastal salt air corrodes brass and chrome from the outside in. Expect aerator cleanings every 6 months in hard-water areas and faucet repairs more often than national averages on coastal properties. Both are on our radar — report the symptoms and we'll handle them.
Wipe faucets dry after use to slow mineral spotting and reduce moisture corrosion.
Clean the aerator twice a year (more often if you're on well water). 30-minute vinegar soak.
Don't crank handles against the off-stop. Stops wearing the cartridge.
Report drips immediately. Small drips become cartridge-and-cabinet repairs surprisingly fast.
Look under the sink monthly. A 30-second flashlight check finds slow leaks before they damage the cabinet.
Submit a request through the tenant portal and we'll dispatch a vetted plumber with the right cartridge, O-rings, or supply line for your faucet.
If a leak is flooding the home and you can't safely shut off the main, call 9-1-1 first. Then contact Sea Dog once everyone is safe.
Browse all troubleshooting guides
Self-help guides for tenants, by Sea Dog.
Sea Dog's guides are grounded in authoritative trade sources. For faucet troubleshooting we draw on Moen, Delta, Kohler, the EPA's WaterSense program, and This Old House.
This guide is educational and does not modify your lease. It is not professional plumbing advice. If a step does not resolve your issue, or if you have any safety concern, stop and submit a maintenance request through the tenant portal or contact Sea Dog at the tenant maintenance line. In any conflict between this guide and your signed lease or applicable Florida law (Florida Statutes Chapter 83), your lease and Florida law control.