How quickly do I have to act on an "emergency" plumbing issue?

Situation

It's Sunday at 10:00pm.  The tenant calls up with a plumbing leak in the kitchen.  Do I have to call a plumber and get it done right now?

Response

Why is it that these kind of calls always seem to come at the worst times?

The answer is "It depends".

It's important to contact the tenant for more information.  How much water is leaking?  Where is it coming from?  Is it the water feed line or is it the sink drain?  The more you know about the problem the better the decision you can make.

You want to protect your investment, maintain a good relationship with the tenant and protect the tenants belongings. 

You might be able to talk the tenant through the process of turning off the water under the sink.  You might be able to advise them to not use the sink for the evening.  Adjust to the situation and see if you can temporarily fix the situation for the night.

If you can, make sure you follow up with a permanent repair in the morning.