The handover guide · England and Wales

How to show tenants where the stop tap is

Most tenants look for the stop tap for the first time when water is already coming through the ceiling. A photo, a clear location note and a quick walkthrough at handover mean they know where it is before they need it.

By stoptap · Published 2 October 2026 · For letting agents and landlords

1. Find the right stop tap

   In most homes the inside stop tap is under the kitchen sink, but it can also be in a kitchen cupboard, a downstairs toilet or bathroom, a utility room or garage, a cellar, or under the stairs. Flats sometimes have an extra or shared valve. If you're not sure which valve controls this home, ask a plumber before you write instructions.

2. Photograph it where it is

   Take one clear photo that shows the stop tap and enough of its surroundings to recognise the spot — the open cupboard, the pipes around it. A close-up of a valve on its own can't show a tenant which cupboard to open. Keep personal belongings out of the shot.

3. Write an exact location note

   Name the room, the cupboard or wall, and the position.

   Kitchen. Open the cupboard under the sink. The stop tap is at the back on the left.

   Add one line on how to use it: 'Turn it clockwise until it stops.'

4. Put a sticker where people look first

   A sticker on the stop tap itself can't help someone who can't find it. Put a stoptap sticker where people look first — inside the kitchen cupboard door or by the front door — so scanning it shows the photo and the note. Don't cover warning labels or access panels.

5. Walk through it at handover

   Ask the tenant to find the stop tap using the photo and note, and check it turns. If it's stiff or doesn't stop the water, get a plumber to look at it rather than forcing it.

6. Keep it up to date

   If the stop tap is moved or the kitchen is refitted, replace the photo and the note.