Water is actively entering through the ceiling
Active dripping, bulging material, or water near electricity can become a collapse, shock, and property-damage hazard.
Why this result fits
- Water is dripping or flowing now.
- The ceiling may be bulging, cracking, soft, or sagging.
- A light, fan, detector, outlet, or appliance may be wet.
What to do now
Move away from the affected area
Keep people and pets out from beneath wet, sagging, or bulging material.
Avoid electricity
Do not touch wet fixtures, switches, outlets, or a breaker panel. Leave if electrical safety is uncertain.
Call emergency maintenance
Report active ceiling water, the room, whether it is spreading, and any electrical or structural warning.
Protect belongings only from safety
Move items from a dry edge without standing beneath the leak; do not puncture the ceiling.
Stop and escalate if
- The ceiling sags, cracks, sheds material, or bulges.
- Water reaches a light, fan, detector, outlet, appliance, or electrical panel.
- Water is spreading rapidly or entering multiple rooms.
What not to do
- Do not puncture, press, or cut the ceiling.
- Do not stand beneath the leak or place a ladder in the wet area.
- Do not touch wet electrical equipment or delay emergency maintenance.
Message you can send to maintenance
Urgent: water is actively [dripping/flowing] through the ceiling in [room/location]. The ceiling is [flat/bulging/sagging/cracking], and water is [near/not near] electrical fixtures. We cleared the area.
Help prevent a repeat
- Report plumbing and roof leaks immediately.
- Keep emergency maintenance contact information accessible.
If this does not match
Sources and review date
- A Brief Guide to Mold, Moisture and Your Home — U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Content last reviewed: under the Apartmentwise methodology.