Repairs: the evidence landlords should keep from first report to completion
Repairs: the evidence landlords should keep from first report to completion
A repair log should show a complete chain of events: what was reported, how risk was assessed, what access was offered, what work was instructed and whether the problem was resolved.
CAPTURE THE ORIGINAL REPORT
Keep the tenant’s wording, date, photographs and indication of urgency. “Boiler broken” may conceal no heating, no hot water, a gas smell or a minor control fault. The first report determines the questions that need asking.
If there is possible danger, record the action taken and advice given. Do not allow an informal message to become the only evidence of a serious safety issue.
TRIAGE BEFORE BOOKING
Classify the report by urgency and risk, considering safety, security, water ingress, heating, sanitation, vulnerable occupants and the potential for damage to worsen. State the initial response and any temporary measure offered.
KEEP ACCESS EVIDENCE
A landlord cannot complete a repair without reasonable access, but “tenant refused access” should not be a bare conclusion. Keep proposed dates, responses, rearrangements and alternative arrangements. If access is missed, record who attended, what happened and what happened next.
LINK DIAGNOSIS TO COMPLETION
Keep contractor details, qualifications where relevant, photographs, reports, invoices and completion dates together. If the first repair did not solve the problem, open a follow-up event rather than closing the original report.
For damp, mould, leaks and recurring defects, record the underlying investigation. Painting over a mark may not address the cause. Distinguish the symptom, suspected cause, work undertaken and post-repair check.
CLOSE THE LOOP
Ask whether the repair resolved the issue and record the answer. If the tenant remains dissatisfied, preserve the further report and investigate it. A closed invoice is not the same as a closed repair.
Review open repairs monthly by age and risk. Escalate any report with no owner, appointment, explanation for delay or completion evidence.
RentVault can help link reports, photographs, contractor documents and dates, but the landlord remains responsible for decisions and action. The same standard can be achieved with a disciplined folder and log if maintained properly.
Editorial note: Practical information only. Follow the current requirements applying to the property and location.
Sources: GOV.UK private renting repairs guidance; GOV.UK How to Rent.