What to Do Before Leaving Your Flat for a Long Trip (Delhi NCR)

1. Turn the water off at the main stop valve

This is the single highest-value thing on the list, and it takes a minute. A weeping joint or a failed tap washer is a nuisance while you are there and a disaster while you are not.

• Close the main inlet valve to the flat, then open a low tap to drain the pressure out of the pipes.
• Close the individual valves too — under each basin, behind each WC, and at the washing machine and geyser. If a valve will not turn, get it seen to before you leave rather than after; a seized valve is a small job now and a very expensive one later.
• Switch the geyser off at the MCB, not just at the switch.
• Empty and clean the washing machine drum and filter, and leave its door open so it dries rather than growing mould.

If you are on a tanker or borewell supply and the building fills tanks on a schedule, tell the society you will be away so nobody is puzzled by an untouched connection. Our water supply and tank tips cover what else is worth knowing about your supply.

2. Shut down the power you do not need — and leave the power you do

Delhi’s voltage fluctuates and its summers are brutal on anything left plugged in and idle. Unplugging is both a safety habit and an appliance-life one.

• Unplug at the socket, not just at the appliance. TV, microwave, water purifier, chargers, kitchen appliances, air purifier. Anything left connected is exposed to every surge while you are gone.
• Decide about the fridge honestly. If it will be empty for weeks, defrost it, clean it, switch it off and leave the door propped open so it does not turn into a sealed box of mould. If someone will be visiting or you are storing food, leave it running.
• Leave the inverter as its manual advises, and check the battery water level before you go if it is the type that needs it.
• Do not switch off circuits you will regret. If you have a security camera, a doorbell or a pump that needs power, know which MCB feeds it before you start switching things off.

Never open a distribution board or work on any circuit yourself — switching an MCB at the board is a normal user action, but anything beyond that is an electrician’s job.

3. Deal with damp and pests before they have a free month

A closed flat is warm, still and dark. That combination is exactly what mould and insects want, and a monsoon absence is the worst case of all.

• Take the bins out and empty the kitchen of anything that can spoil. Open grains, fruit, and half-used packets are what turns a quiet kitchen into an infested one. Seal what stays in airtight containers.
• Pour water down every floor drain and the sinks before you leave, and cover them. An empty trap dries out and lets drain smells and cockroaches straight up into the flat. A covered, wet trap is a closed door.
• Leave interior doors and wardrobes slightly open. Still air inside a closed wardrobe through a Delhi monsoon is how clothes and leather come back spotted.
• Fix any known damp before you go, not after. A patch that already stains in the rain will be worse after a month unattended. Our wall seepage guide explains why finding the source matters more than repainting.
• If you are leaving through the monsoon, clear the balcony and terrace drains first, and remove anything that collects standing water. Our monsoon checklist is the fuller version.

4. The last round before you lock up

Ten minutes at the door, and one arrangement made in advance.

• Close and latch every window and balcony door properly. Delhi dust and monsoon rain both find the one window left on the latch, and either can ruin a room.
• Draw curtains against summer sun, which fades furnishings and heats a closed flat considerably.
• Turn the gas off at the cylinder or the mains valve. Non-negotiable.
• Tell one trusted person and the society office that the flat will be empty and who to contact if something happens. Give a spare key to someone you actually trust rather than hiding one outside, and ask them to look in once. Do not announce an empty flat publicly or on social media.
• Leave your contact and a plumber’s and electrician’s number with that person. If a leak starts, the difference between a bad day and a ruined flat is how quickly someone can get water turned off and get help in.
• Plan the return. Run every tap for a minute when you come back, flush every WC to refill the traps, and air the flat before you settle in. If you were away over the monsoon or through smog season, a clean is usually the first thing you will want.

If the trip is a permanent move rather than a holiday, our moving house checklist is the list you actually need.