When you close up your Athens apartment after a visit, there is often one last question at the door: “What should I switch off?”
Turning off the main electricity supply can disconnect alarm monitoring, cameras and Wi-Fi. It can also leave food spoiling in the fridge or freezer.
Leaving everything running is not the answer either. An electric water heater does not usually need to stay on throughout your absence, and a failed washing machine hose can release water for days before anyone notices.
For many empty apartments, the practical approach is to isolate the apartment’s water supply between visits, keep electricity available for essential equipment, and switch off unnecessary appliances individually.
The right arrangement depends on your installations, manufacturer instructions and insurance terms. This guide explains what to check before you leave and how regular visits help monitor the property.
Water: Isolate Your Apartment’s Supply Between Visits
A small plumbing failure can cause substantial damage when nobody is there to notice it.
A leaking washing machine hose, toilet cistern or connection under a sink may be spotted quickly in an occupied home. In an empty apartment, the first sign may be water staining the ceiling below.
Closing the apartment’s water supply can limit the amount of water available to escape from a failure in your own plumbing.
However, it does not remove water already stored in pipes or tanks, and it does not protect against every source of water damage.
Find the Correct Shut-Off Valve Before You Leave
Identify the valve that isolates your apartment, rather than a shared building supply.
It may be near your individual water meter in a common area, inside the apartment or at another accessible point. Do not assume every Greek building has the same arrangement.
Our guide explains where to find the water shut-off valve in a Greek apartment.
Before leaving:
- Confirm which valve serves your apartment.
- Check that it is accessible.
- Ask a plumber to inspect a stiff, damaged or leaking valve.
- Make sure the person visiting the property knows its location.
- Agree which supplies must remain available.
Some installations need a separate plan, including automatic irrigation, shared systems or equipment requiring a continuous water supply. Ask the relevant installer before isolating them.
Understand What Closing the Valve Cannot Prevent
Isolating your apartment’s supply will not stop water entering from:
- The apartment above.
- Shared building pipes.
- A leaking roof.
- Rain entering through balcony doors or defective waterproofing.
Our guide explains what to do if water leaks from the apartment above in Greece.
For weather-related risks, see our guide to storms, balcony drains and roof leaks in empty Greek homes.
Check Your Insurance Requirements
Read the conditions applying when the home is unoccupied.
Your policy may specify inspection intervals, water isolation or other precautions. Requirements vary, so a rule quoted from a UK policy should not be treated as a standard condition for Greek homes.
Ask your insurer to confirm anything unclear in writing. Our guide to Greek home insurance for overseas owners explains the points to review.
Electricity: Keep Essential Equipment Powered
Turning off the main electrical switch may disconnect equipment you want working while you are away.
Where the installation is safe and in good condition, keeping essential circuits powered can be more practical than switching off the whole apartment.
| Equipment | What to consider before leaving |
|---|---|
| Alarm, cameras and Wi-Fi router | Keep powered if you rely on monitoring or remote access |
| Leak detectors and smart sensors | Check their batteries, power supply and communication requirements |
| Fridge or freezer containing food | Keep powered and confirm it is operating correctly |
| Electric shutters and access equipment | Keep power available where needed for authorised visits |
| Electric water heater | Normally switch off between visits, unless the system requires a different arrangement |
| Portable heaters, chargers and unnecessary small appliances | Switch off and unplug where practical |
| Air conditioning and heating | Switch off normal operation unless an agreed property-care setting is needed |
Battery-powered equipment may continue working during a power cut, but its remote alerts can still depend on a powered router or hub.
Switch Off Unnecessary Appliances Individually
Turn off the cooker and oven, portable heaters and other equipment that does not need to operate.
Unplug unnecessary small appliances such as kettles, coffee machines, hairdryers and chargers.
The London Fire Brigade advises switching off and unplugging appliances unless they are designed to remain on, such as a fridge or freezer.
If the fridge or freezer will be left empty, follow the manufacturer’s instructions for switching it off, defrosting, cleaning and leaving it unused.
Do Not Guess at Unlabelled Breakers
An unlabelled breaker may supply more than you expect.
Have an electrician identify and label the circuits so that you can switch off unnecessary equipment without disconnecting the alarm or other essential systems.
If there is a known electrical fault, burning smell or repeated breaker tripping, have it investigated before leaving the property unattended.
Treat Water Heaters According to Their Instructions
An ordinary electric storage water heater can usually be switched off when it is not needed.
Before switching it back on, confirm that the water supply has been restored and the tank is filled as required by the manufacturer. Do not energise an empty water heater.
Solar water heaters and more complex heating systems may need different arrangements. Isolating the apartment’s mains water does not necessarily drain or shut down those systems.
See our guide to solar water heater maintenance and winter care in Greece.
Why the Plumbing Still Needs Attention While You Are Away
Closing the water valve limits the consequences of some leaks, but leaving the plumbing unused for months creates other issues.
Drain Traps Can Dry Out
Water held in sink, shower and floor-drain traps helps prevent sewer gases entering the apartment.
When an outlet is unused for a long period, that water can evaporate and allow unpleasant smells into the home.
Running the relevant outlets during visits can replenish the traps. Accessible floor drains may also need attention.
If the smell persists after the traps have been replenished, have a plumber investigate. A damaged trap, failed seal or building drainage problem will not necessarily be solved by running the taps.
Stagnant Water Needs a Separate Management Plan
Water can remain in the pipework even when the apartment’s supply valve is closed.
EODY’s guidance on Legionella identifies water circulation, suitable temperatures and system maintenance as relevant controls. Exposure can occur through inhaling contaminated water droplets, including shower spray.
The UK Health and Safety Executive’s guidance for domestic rental properties recommends managing stagnation during vacancy and gives weekly outlet use as a general principle.
That guidance is useful background, but it is not a Greek legal requirement for every private holiday home.
A monthly property visit should not be treated as a complete Legionella prevention programme. Ask a competent plumber or water-hygiene specialist what flushing, maintenance or recommissioning arrangements suit your system and the length of your absence.
Leaks Are Easier to Spot During Supervised Checks
Some problems only become visible when the supply is restored and an outlet is used.
During a visit, someone can turn the water on, check accessible connections, run the taps and look for drips or unusual drainage.
The supply can then be isolated again before departure, where that is the agreed arrangement.
A fault may remain unnoticed while the water is off and leak when it is restored. That is why reopening the valve should be followed by checks.
“Owners often ask whether to leave the water on or turn it off. For many empty apartments, the practical answer is to turn it off between visits, restore it while someone is there to check the plumbing, and turn it off again before leaving. The important part is having someone check your home on a frequent basis.”
Yanis Zisis, Founder of Home Watch Athens
How Yanis Handles Water and Power During Visits
For Home Watch Athens members, the water and electricity arrangements are agreed according to the property’s equipment and the owner’s instructions.
Where the apartment’s water supply is isolated between visits, Yanis can:
- Check for visible signs of water damage before restoring the supply.
- Open the agreed apartment isolation valve.
- Run the taps and flush the toilets.
- Inspect accessible areas under sinks and around appliance connections for leaks.
- Check drainage and replenish accessible drain traps.
- Operate heating, air conditioning and hot-water equipment where appropriate.
- Return equipment to the agreed settings.
- Close the agreed water valve before leaving.
Hot-water equipment is only operated once the necessary water supply and operating conditions have been confirmed.
You receive a photo update through WhatsApp after the visit, including any concerns that need attention.
Our Home Watch visit checklist explains the wider checks carried out at the property.
These are practical property checks. Specialist plumbing repairs, electrical work and water-hygiene services are arranged separately where needed.
Preparing the Home Before Your Return
Before you arrive, it helps to check the property rather than simply switching everything back on at the door.
An agreed pre-arrival visit can include:
- Airing the apartment.
- Restoring the water supply and checking for leaks.
- Checking appliance operation.
- Preparing heating, cooling and hot water as appropriate.
- Identifying maintenance that needs attention.
- Coordinating cleaning where separately arranged.
Pre-arrival preparation, cleaning and additional attendance are agreed and charged separately from the monthly membership.
If the plumbing has been unused for months, arrange suitable recommissioning before normal use. Water looking clear or feeling fresh does not, by itself, establish that the system is safe.
A Simple Checklist Before You Leave
Before locking the door:
- Check your insurance conditions for an unoccupied home.
- Confirm the agreed water-isolation arrangement.
- Switch off the electric water heater where appropriate.
- Turn off the cooker, oven and portable heaters.
- Unplug unnecessary small appliances and chargers.
- Confirm that the alarm, cameras and Wi-Fi still work.
- Check that any fridge or freezer being left on is operating correctly.
- Tell your local keyholder which valves and switches they should use.
- Arrange property visits and any separate plumbing maintenance needed.
For the wider issues that develop during a long absence, read what happens when an Athens home is left empty for months.
Our property check and reporting service provides regular oversight while you are abroad.
This guidance is general and should be adapted to your property, manufacturer instructions and insurance terms. Ask a qualified electrician, plumber or water-hygiene specialist where necessary. Last updated: 5 October 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I Turn Off the Water When I Leave My Apartment in Greece?
For many empty apartments, isolating the apartment’s own supply is a sensible precaution against leaks from internal plumbing.
Check first whether any equipment needs a continuous supply, and follow your insurance conditions. Do not close a shared building valve.
Should I Turn Off the Electricity Too?
Not automatically.
Keeping essential equipment powered may allow your alarm, cameras, Wi-Fi and fridge or freezer to continue working. Switch off unnecessary equipment individually, provided the electrical installation is safe.
Why Does My Apartment Smell of Drains When I Return?
Water in unused drain traps may have evaporated, allowing sewer gases into the apartment.
Replenish the traps by using the relevant outlets. If the smell continues, ask a plumber to check for another cause.
Is It Safe to Use the Shower After Months Away?
Do not assume that briefly running the shower makes a long-unused system safe.
Arrange appropriate flushing and, where needed, recommissioning advice. Avoid breathing the initial shower spray while the system is being flushed, and seek specialist guidance if its condition or maintenance history is unclear.
Can a Monthly Visit Prevent Legionella?
A monthly visit is not a complete Legionella control programme.
The appropriate arrangements depend on the plumbing system, temperatures, use and length of vacancy. More frequent flushing or other measures may be needed following competent advice.
Who Can Turn the Water On and Off While I Am Away?
A trusted local person can follow an agreed plan if they know the correct valve and can check for leaks when restoring the supply.
For Home Watch Athens members, Yanis can manage the agreed water-isolation routine during property visits and report any visible problems.