Landlords, agents and executors all benefit from a clear record of work completed at a property. Dated evidence makes later questions about condition, removals and handover easier to answer. This guide covers what is worth keeping.
Worth keeping for every handover
- Dated photographs of the property before and after work
- Invoices and quotations for clearance, repairs, cleaning and decorating
- Waste transfer confirmation, if you want a record of responsible disposal
- Written confirmation of who authorised the work
Why these records matter
A dispute or question about a property’s condition, what was removed, or what work was done, is far easier to resolve with clear records than without them. This applies whether the question comes from a former tenant, a new tenant, a beneficiary, or simply your own future reference. The records don’t need to be elaborate — they need to exist, be dated, and be kept somewhere you can find them.
For landlords and agents
| Record | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Photographs before and after clearance/repair | Evidence of the property's condition at each stage |
| Confirmation of lawful possession, if relevant | Protects against a dispute over when work began |
| Invoices for clearance, repairs, cleaning | Supports costs claimed against a deposit or a former tenant |
| Waste transfer confirmation | Evidence of compliant disposal, particularly for tenant-left belongings |
For executors
Alongside the records covered in the related guide on documents executors should keep after a property clearance, a full handover — clearance plus any repairs or cleaning before a sale — benefits from the same approach: photographs, invoices, and confirmation of what was done, kept together as part of the estate’s overall records. This supports the final estate accounts and protects against later questions from beneficiaries or HMRC.
A simple record-keeping approach
For any property handover:
Frequently asked questions
How long should I keep these records?
This depends on your situation — a landlord may want records for at least the length of any deposit dispute period, while an executor's records may be relevant for considerably longer. See the related guide on documents executors should keep for specifics.
Do I need professional photographs?
No, clear phone photographs with a visible date, or saved with a dated filename, are generally sufficient.
What if several trades are involved in one handover?
Keep each invoice and any related photographs together under the property and date, rather than scattered separately, so the full picture is easy to reconstruct later if needed.
Is this different for a sale versus a letting?
The principle is the same — clear, dated records of condition and work done — though what specifically matters (deposit disputes for a letting, estate accounts for a sale following probate) differs by situation.
Key takeaways
- Photograph the property before and after work, dated.
- Keep invoices and quotations together for every stage of work.
- Request waste transfer confirmation if you want a compliance record.
- Store everything in one place so it's easy to find if questioned later.
See property maintenance and repair or eviction and tenant abandonment clearance, or the related guide on documents executors should keep after a property clearance. Request a quote.