What Evidence Should You Keep for Housing Repairs?
What evidence should you keep when reporting housing repairs? Learn how photos, repair references, messages, appointments and a simple repair timeline can create a clear record of what has happened in your home.
When you report a repair in your rented home, keeping a clear record can make it much easier to understand what happened, when you reported it and how the problem changed over time.
You do not need to create an enormous file for every small repair. The aim is simply to keep useful, accurate information that shows the history of the problem.
This guide explains what evidence can be helpful, how to organise it and what to record if a repair remains unresolved or keeps coming back.
This guide focuses on rented homes in England and provides general information rather than legal advice. What is relevant in an individual complaint or legal matter will depend on the circumstances.
Why should you keep evidence of housing repairs?
A repair can involve much more than the day it is finally fixed.
There may be an initial report, photographs, telephone calls, inspections, contractor appointments, temporary repairs and follow-up work. If the problem lasts for weeks or months, remembering every detail can become difficult.
Keeping a repair record helps create a clearer picture of:
- What the original problem was
- When you first reported it
- What condition the home was in
- How the landlord responded
- What inspections or repairs took place
- Whether the condition improved or became worse
- Whether the same problem returned
Good records can also help a landlord understand the history of an issue and can be useful if you later need to make a complaint or seek independent advice.
1. Keep the date you first reported the repair
Record when you first told your landlord about the problem and how you contacted them.
That might have been through an online repair portal, telephone call, email, text message, housing officer, app or another reporting system.
If you have not reported the issue yet, start with our guide on how to report a repair to your landlord.
Reporting promptly matters because landlords generally need to know that a problem exists before they can respond to it, although there can be circumstances where a landlord already has notice of an issue.
2. Save your repair reference number
If your landlord gives you a repair or job reference, keep it somewhere you can easily find it.
A reference number can help connect later calls, appointments and contractor visits to the original report.
If a second repair is raised for the same problem, keep both references rather than replacing the old one. Multiple references can form part of the history of a recurring issue.
3. Take clear photographs
Photographs are one of the simplest ways to record the visible condition of your home.
Try to take images that show both the problem itself and enough of the surrounding area to make its location clear.
Depending on the issue, useful photographs might show:
- Damp or mould and the area around it
- Water staining or an active leak
- Cracks or damaged surfaces
- A damaged window, door or fitting
- Water collecting on a floor or surface
- Visible damage after a repair problem
Avoid altering or heavily editing photographs that you are keeping as a record. Keeping the original files can preserve useful information such as when the image was taken.
4. Take new photos if the condition changes
One photograph only shows one moment in time.
If a problem becomes worse, spreads, disappears and returns, or changes after repair work, take another photograph.
A sequence of images can show how the condition developed rather than simply proving that a problem existed on one particular day.
This is especially useful for issues such as recurring damp and mould, leaks, water damage or cracks that appear to change over time.
5. Use video when movement, sound or scale matters
Sometimes a photograph cannot capture what is happening clearly.
A short video may be useful for showing things such as water actively leaking, a window that will not close correctly, unusual movement in a fitting or another problem where seeing what happens provides useful context.
Keep videos focused on the repair issue. You usually do not need long recordings when a short clip clearly demonstrates the problem.
6. Keep emails, messages and online reports
Save written communications about the repair where possible.
These might include:
- Emails to or from your landlord
- Text messages
- Screenshots or confirmations from a repair portal
- Appointment confirmations
- Messages from contractors
- Complaint correspondence
Written records can help establish what information was shared and when.
If you report something by telephone, you can make a brief note afterwards with the date, approximate time and what was discussed.
7. Record inspections and contractor visits
Keep a simple note of visits connected with the repair.
Record the date, who attended if you know, what they came to inspect or repair and what happened next.
For example, note whether work was completed, whether another appointment was required or whether you were told that a different contractor or specialist would need to attend.
You do not need to create a transcript of every conversation. A short factual note is usually much easier to maintain.
8. Keep track of missed or rearranged appointments
If an appointment is cancelled, missed or rearranged, add that to your timeline too.
Record whether the landlord or contractor contacted you and the new appointment date if one was provided.
This can become particularly useful when a repair takes longer than expected because it shows why time passed between the original report and completed work.
Our guide on how long a landlord has to fix a repair explains why repair times can depend on the seriousness and circumstances of the problem.
9. Record the effect of the problem on your home
The repair itself is important, but so is what happened around it.
Keep factual notes if the issue affects another room, damages belongings, prevents part of the home being used normally or creates another practical problem.
If belongings are damaged, photographs and receipts or other proof of ownership or replacement costs may be useful depending on the circumstances.
Avoid exaggerating the effect. A clear, accurate description is much more useful than trying to make the problem sound worse than it was.
10. Keep records when the repair is completed
Do not stop your record at the contractor appointment.
Note when the repair was completed and, if possible, what work was carried out.
Take an updated photograph where that makes sense. This gives you a useful before-and-after record and can be particularly helpful if the problem later returns.
What evidence should you keep if a repair keeps coming back?
Recurring repairs are where a good timeline becomes particularly valuable.
Keep the previous repair references, dates, photographs and contractor visits rather than starting again from scratch each time.
When the issue returns, report it again and make it clear that it has happened before. Add new photographs and the new repair reference to the existing history.
Our guide explains in more detail what to do when a housing repair keeps coming back.
How should you organise housing repair evidence?
You do not need specialist software.
A simple folder on your phone or computer can work well. You could create one folder for the repair and keep photographs, screenshots and documents inside it.
It can also help to keep a short repair timeline containing the date and a sentence or two for each important event.
For example:
3 March: Leak first noticed beneath kitchen sink. Photographs taken.
3 March: Reported through landlord repair portal. Repair reference received.
6 March: Contractor attended and replaced fitting.
18 March: Water appeared beneath sink again. New photographs taken and repair reported again.
The important part is consistency, not complexity.
Do screenshots count as evidence of a repair report?
Screenshots can be useful, particularly when a landlord's online portal or app does not provide an email confirmation.
A screenshot might show the repair description, submission date, status or reference number.
Where possible, keep the original confirmation or message as well rather than relying only on screenshots.
Should you keep medical information with your repair evidence?
Be careful with sensitive personal information.
If a housing condition is affecting someone's health and you later seek advice, there may be circumstances where relevant medical information is requested or useful. That does not mean residents should routinely collect or share extensive medical records for every repair.
Only share sensitive information where there is a clear reason to do so and with an appropriate organisation or adviser.
What if you need to make a complaint about repairs?
If a repair remains unresolved, your records can help you explain the problem clearly when using your landlord's complaints process.
Rather than trying to remember everything, you can set out when the problem was reported, what happened afterwards, what remains outstanding and what outcome you are asking for.
For social housing residents, the Housing Ombudsman places significant importance on effective record keeping and information management by landlords when repairs and complaints are handled.
If you need advice about your individual rights or a potential legal matter, seek appropriate independent housing or legal advice.
How does repair evidence relate to housing disrepair?
Keeping records does not itself determine whether a legal housing disrepair claim exists.
However, a clear history can help show the condition of the property, when problems were reported and what happened afterwards.
If you are unsure what the term means, read our guide to housing disrepair and common examples.
Frequently asked questions about housing repair evidence
What evidence should I keep for a housing repair?
Useful records can include photographs, videos, repair reference numbers, emails, messages, portal confirmations, appointment details and a simple timeline of inspections and repair work.
Should I photograph a repair before it is fixed?
If it is safe to do so, photographs can create a useful record of the condition before work takes place. You can also take another photograph afterwards where appropriate.
How often should I photograph damp or mould?
There is no need to photograph it constantly. Take clear initial photographs and update them when something meaningfully changes, such as the affected area spreading, returning after treatment or changing following repair work.
What if I reported the repair by phone and have no written proof?
Make a note of when you called and what was discussed. If appropriate, you can follow up in writing to confirm the problem and ask for the repair reference or next steps.
Should I delete old repair photographs after the problem is fixed?
Keeping a reasonable record can be useful, particularly for problems that may recur. Store records securely and avoid retaining unnecessary sensitive personal information.
Do I need evidence before I report a repair?
No. Do not delay reporting an urgent or serious problem because you have not collected evidence. Report the issue promptly. Photographs and other records can be added where appropriate afterwards.
A repair record creates context
A photograph can show a problem. A repair reference can show that something was reported. An appointment record can show what happened next.
Together, those pieces of information create something more useful: a history of the condition of the home and how the issue was handled over time.
That is why House Krowd encourages residents to keep clear, structured records of property issues rather than relying on memory or information scattered across different places.
Start with the essentials: report the problem promptly, keep the reference, record important updates and add new information when something changes.