Document Repairs for Legal Rent Deductions

Cost Savings

Checklist Tasks

• Take repair photos from multiple angles with date stamps to prove issue timing.
• Write a repair request referencing urgency and your state’s repair law for compliance.
• Send the request via certified mail or email with delivery receipt for proof.
• Log all landlord communications to document response times and any delays.
• Store all related correspondence and evidence in one organized digital folder.
• Get two itemized estimates from licensed contractors for reasonable cost justification.
• Request before-and-after photos and detailed invoices from contractors.
• Pay with a traceable method and save receipts that show payment and contractor info.
• Inform your landlord in writing of intent to deduct, attaching all repair records.
• Photograph completed repairs and write a summary to show restored habitability.
• Keep any replaced parts or materials, if possible, as evidence of repair.
• Prepare a summary packet of all documentation if your deduction faces a challenge.