Hot Water Heater Leakage?

If it is leaking at one of the connections - cold water inlet, hot water outlet, pressure relief valve - these are easy to fix and will be low cost for your landlord. If the drain valve now won't turn completely off, there could be so much sediment in the tank that it got into the valve when you opened it and it no longer will close. Both of these problems need to be repaired by your landlord or the water heater replaced. I don't believe anything you put near the water heater has caused this problem.