What Should Landlords Put in Writing? A Record-Keeping Discipline

Most landlord-tenant disputes don’t start with bad faith — they start with memory. Both sides remember the same conversation differently: “I said I’d handle that repair”, “nobody told me that”, “we already agreed”. Nobody may be lying. But without a record, who’s right is simply undecidable.

The fix isn’t complicated: some topics should never live only in a phone call. Here’s which ones, and how to write them.

The 7 topics that must be in writing

1. Rent increases. The percentage, the new amount, and the month it takes effect. A verbal agreement gets remembered differently on payment day.

2. Payment-date changes and late payments. “I’ll pay on the 10th this month” belongs in writing; otherwise it becomes a habit and the boundary turns negotiable.

3. Repairs and who pays. Who does the work, who pays, is it deducted from rent? This is the single most argued-about topic. Nothing should start before the amount and method are written.

4. Inventory and appliance condition. Photographed records at move-in and move-out — that’s exactly what the move-in inventory checklist is for.

5. Renewal or notice to vacate. Date and intent, stated plainly. A verbal “I’ll probably stay” is neither a renewal nor a notice.

6. Requests to enter the property. Viewings, inspections, repairs — when, who’s coming, and consent. This is both courtesy and evidence.

7. Deposit return. How much was returned, how much withheld, and what each deduction is based on — line by line.

How to write it: 4 rules

• Short, one topic per message. Mixed messages get remembered selectively.
• Exact dates and numbers. Not “next week” but “August 5”; not “a small discount” but “$50”.
• Ask for confirmation. “If you agree, can you reply ‘confirmed’?” — a one-word reply becomes your record.
• Stay on one channel. Don’t finish a text-message topic on a phone call; if you do, write the summary back into the same thread.

Where to keep it

Messages that live only on a phone disappear when the phone does. A durable setup has three parts: filing per property, records with dates, and photographed documents.

RentMind keeps all of it under the property: rent and payment records, lease dates, inventory and expense notes in one place, with reminders before rent day and lease expiry. So the record of the conversation and the tracking of the date sit on the same screen. If you’re managing from another city it matters even more — as I wrote in managing a rental from another city, at a distance the record is your only truth.

Being formal isn’t being cold

Many landlords avoid writing things down so as not to seem distrustful. In practice the opposite happens: relationships with clear written terms have fewer arguments, because both sides know where they stand. A good tenant isn’t bothered by written records — the tenant who is bothered is usually the one who’ll cause trouble later.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is a text message enough? For day-to-day matters it’s practical and widely accepted. But formal notices — rent increases, termination, anything tied to the lease — may carry legal form and timing requirements in your jurisdiction. For those, check the required method with a local professional.

What if the tenant refuses to communicate in writing? Write anyway: after the call, send a summary — “today we discussed X and agreed to Y.” If they don’t object, that record becomes meaningful support over time.

Do I need to write down every small thing? No. The test: write it down if money, a date, or the condition of the property changes. “Is the boiler working?” doesn’t need a record. “I’ll replace the boiler, $600, not deducted from rent” does.