Who this log is for
A single-family homeowner can usually manage with the camera roll on one phone. A landlord with a fourplex, a manager of an apartment building, or the owner of a commercial building with several tenants faces a different problem: tenants, maintenance staff, plumbers and drying technicians all take photos, on different days, of different units. Weeks later, when an insurer or a tenant asks what a ceiling looked like on the first night, those photos are scattered.
This log gives each photo or video a number, records the unit, the person and the time, and notes what it shows. Keep a printed copy with the maintenance file and a matching shared folder.
Photo log
| # | Date and time | Unit / room | Taken by | Shows | File name or folder |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Unit 3B bathroom | Tenant | Failed toilet supply line | ||
| 2 | Unit 2B ceiling | Tenant in 2B | Stain spreading around the light | ||
| 3 | Unit 3B floor | Maintenance | Water at the base of the toilet | ||
| 4 | |||||
| 5 |
Keeping the log useful
Ask everyone to send originals
Request the original photo files, not screenshots or images compressed in a messaging app, so the date and time stay attached.
Name a single folder
Create one shared folder for the incident and add subfolders by unit. Rename files to match the log numbers.
Add photos at each stage
Log the first night, the day equipment arrives, each day of drying, the day materials are removed, and the finished repair.
Record what was removed
Before drywall, carpet or cabinets go to the dumpster, log a photo of each with the unit label.
Close it out
When repairs are done, add final photos and keep the folder with the property records.
Questions to settle with tenants and contractors
- Who is the single person collecting photos for this incident?
- How should tenants send their photos, and by when?
- Will the drying company share its photos and daily readings?
- How long will the incident folder be kept?
Common questions
Do tenants have to give me their photos?
No, but most will if asked, especially when the photos help with repairs to their unit. Thank them and offer copies of the repair photos in return.
Should I photograph inside tenants' units myself?
Give proper notice and ask permission except in an emergency, and photograph only the damage and the building, not tenants' private belongings beyond what is needed.
General information for Englewood, not a quote or professional advice. In an emergency, call 911.