How to document repair requests to a landlord

To document repair requests to a landlord, put every request in writing, even when you also mention it in person or by phone. Keep a dated copy of what you sent, take dated photos or short videos of the problem, and track each issue in a simple repair log: the date you asked, what the problem is, how the landlord responded, when anyone came to look at it, and what happened next.

The goal is a calm, factual record that someone else can follow without your help. A tenant legal clinic, a mediator, or the landlord-tenant body where you live can review a dated log and a folder of photos in minutes, while a memory of asking many times is hard for anyone to check. Rules about repairs differ by province, territory and state, so the record helps you get informed advice rather than replacing it.

Repair problems tend to stretch over weeks. A dripping tap becomes a stained ceiling in the unit below, a broken heater gets a temporary fix and fails again, a window latch is promised for next week three weeks in a row. By the time anyone asks what happened, the details have blurred for everyone, including the landlord.

A written trail fixes the order of events. It shows when the problem was first reported, how many times it was raised, and what was said in reply. It also helps the relationship: a polite, dated message is easier for a busy property manager to act on than a hallway conversation, and it gives both sides the same reference point.

CMHC's guidance for tenants in Canada says tenants should contact the landlord as soon as possible when a serious problem involving repairs or services comes up. HUD's resident rights brochure for HUD-assisted multifamily housing lists the right to have repairs performed in a timely manner, upon request. Neither page tells you exactly how a request must be made where you live, which is one more reason to keep your own copy of every request.

A repair request does not need legal language. It needs to be specific enough that someone could find the problem without calling you, and dated so it can be placed in order later. Send it through a channel that leaves a copy: email, the building's online portal, a text to the number the landlord uses for maintenance, or a letter you photograph before handing it over.

• The date, your name, and your unit number or address.
• What is wrong, in one or two plain sentences, and exactly where it is, for example the bathroom ceiling above the tub.
• When you first noticed it, and whether it is getting worse.
• Any immediate safety concern, stated plainly, such as water dripping near an electrical outlet.
• Times that work for access, or a note that you will follow whatever entry notice process applies to your tenancy.
• A polite request for a reply or a rough date for the visit.

An example in a neutral tone: Hello, I am writing to report a leak under the kitchen sink in unit 4B. I first noticed water on the cabinet floor on March 3. It has soaked the cabinet base and I have placed a bowl under the pipe. Photos are attached. Could you let me know when someone can look at it? Weekday mornings work best for me. Thank you.

Photos are often the clearest part of a repair file, but only if they can be dated and understood later. A close-up of a stain means little without a wider shot that shows which room it is in. Take both, every time you document the problem.

• Take one wide photo that shows the room, then one or two close-ups of the problem.
• Include something for scale, such as a ruler or a coin next to a crack or a patch of water damage.
• Keep the original files. Editing, cropping or sending photos through some messaging apps can strip the date and time stored in the file.
• Retake the same angle when the problem changes, so the sequence shows progress or a lack of it.
• For noises, drips or a heater that cycles on and off, a short video of 10 to 30 seconds can show what a photo cannot.
• Back up the files somewhere other than your phone, and name or note them by date.

CMHC's inspection guidance suggests using a smartphone to record or photograph problems you find and keeping a backup of the files. It is written for move-in and move-out, but the same habit works for repairs during the tenancy.

A repair log is a single list where each row is one event about one issue. It can live in a notebook, a spreadsheet, or a tool like SteadyFile. What matters is that every entry has the same fields, so gaps and repeat requests are easy to spot.

1. Give each issue a short label, such as Kitchen sink leak or Bedroom heater.
2. Record the date you first reported it and how: email, portal, text, letter or in person.
3. Note the landlord's response and its date, quoting short phrases where you can.
4. Record any visit: the date, who came by role (superintendent, contractor, property manager), and what they did or said.
5. Write the outcome in a few words: fixed, partly fixed, temporary fix, or still open.
6. Link the supporting records, such as photo file names, the email, or the portal ticket number.
7. When an issue comes back, add a new row instead of editing the old one.

Sample entries in plain text. March 3: Kitchen sink leak. Reported by email to the property manager, photos IMG_0412 and IMG_0413 attached. No reply that day. March 6: Followed up through the tenant portal, ticket 2291. Status changed to Received. March 10: Superintendent visited around 10 a.m., tightened the trap, said a plumber may be needed if it drips again. Cabinet base still damp. March 18: Drip returned overnight. New photo IMG_0450. Second email sent referring to ticket 2291.

Many buildings now use an online maintenance portal. Portals are convenient, but tickets can be closed, edited or lost when management changes software or companies. Treat the portal as one channel, not as your only copy of what you asked for.

• Screenshot or save each ticket when you submit it, showing the ticket number, the date and your description.
• Save status changes such as Scheduled, Completed or Closed, especially when a ticket is closed while the problem continues.
• Forward text messages about repairs to your email, or screenshot them with the date and sender visible.
• After a phone call, send a short confirming note: Thanks for speaking with me today, I understand someone will come Thursday afternoon to look at the heater.
• If you raised a repair in person, write it into the log the same day, with the time and the role of the person you spoke with.

Repair problems affect daily life, and it is reasonable to record that. The key is to describe what happened rather than how unfair it felt. Factual detail is more useful to any reviewer than strong adjectives, and it keeps the record calm if the landlord ever reads it.

Compare two ways of writing the same day. Less useful: The landlord is ignoring us and the apartment is unlivable. More useful: Second week without a working stove. Cooking on a hot plate bought March 12, receipt saved. Three follow-up messages sent, the last on March 14, no reply yet.

• Rooms or appliances you could not use, and for how long.
• Costs you paid because of the problem, with receipts, such as a space heater or laundromat visits.
• Belongings that were damaged, with photos and an approximate value.
• Time taken off work for scheduled visits that did not happen.
• Health information only if it is relevant, kept short and stored privately.

• Relying only on phone calls or hallway conversations with no written follow-up.
• Deleting old photos to free space on your phone before backing them up.
• Rewriting earlier log entries after the fact instead of adding a dated correction.
• Bundling several problems into one long message, which makes it hard to tell which issue was answered.
• Sending angry or accusing messages that read badly when someone else reviews the file later.
• Arranging or paying for repairs yourself before finding out what your lease and local rules allow.

On that last point, CMHC's maintenance page notes that a landlord can refuse to pay you back for something that was not a true emergency, and it cautions Canadian tenants against holding back rent while waiting for repairs. Rules on repairs, costs and remedies differ across Canada and the US, so check with your provincial, territorial or state landlord-tenant body or a tenant legal clinic before acting on your own.

Is a text message enough to request a repair? A text leaves a dated record, which is better than a phone call alone. Some leases or local rules describe how notices or requests should be given, so check your lease and, if it matters, ask the landlord-tenant body where you live. Many tenants send a text and then an email with the same content so there are two copies.

What if the landlord only accepts requests through a portal? Use the portal, and keep your own screenshot of every ticket and status change. If something urgent happens, you can also send an email that refers to the ticket number so both records line up.

Should I record the superintendent when they visit? Recording conversations raises legal and trust questions that vary by place. A simpler habit is to write notes right after the visit and send a short summary by email, such as: Thanks for coming today, you mentioned the part is on order and you will return next week.

How long should I keep repair records? At least until the issue is resolved and the tenancy has ended with no open questions about the unit or the deposit. If anything is in dispute, keep them until a qualified reviewer tells you they are no longer needed.

Will a clinic want to see the log? A one-page summary plus the log and photos usually makes a first conversation faster, because the reviewer can see dates, requests and responses at a glance instead of scrolling through your phone.

If you would rather not maintain a spreadsheet, SteadyFile can hold the same method. You can start a rental housing file for free in the browser at app.steadyfile.com, on your phone or computer, without an account. Each repair event becomes a dated entry with what happened, who was involved by role and linked records, and each photo, email or portal screenshot gets an ID in the records index. Open repairs can sit on the gaps and questions list, and with an account, entries keep their creation date and a visible edit history. When you want help, you can export a chronological packet a clinic worker can read in a few minutes. Your landlord has no access to the file, and SteadyFile does not judge whether a repair problem gives you any legal options.