Landlord-Tenant Communication: What to Log and for How Long
Most disputes between a landlord and a tenant aren't about what the tenancy agreement says. They're about what was said afterwards: whether the leaking tap was reported, whether the landlord was given access, whether anyone agreed to the work being done by Friday. Good landlord tenant communication is mostly about being able to answer those questions later.
This guide covers three things: which channel to use for what, what's worth recording, and how long to keep it.
Which channel to use: calls or texts
Each channel does a different job, and the problems start when one is used for everything.
| Channel | Good for | Weakness |
|---|---|---|
| Phone call | Urgent problems, back-and-forth, anything that's quicker to say than type | No record unless you make one |
| Text | Quick confirmations, access times, "I'm on my way" | Easy to lose in a busy phone, and informal enough that details get left out |
A workable rule is to talk when it's urgent, then write it down when it matters. Take a call about a boiler that has stopped working, then send a text afterwards: "Thanks for calling at 6pm about the boiler, I've asked an engineer to come Thursday morning, I'll confirm a time." That one message turns a phone call into a record both sides can see.
It also pays to say upfront which channel you'd like tenants to use. GOV.UK's How to Rent guide tells tenants to get the right contact details for their landlord or agent, including an emergency telephone number, and to report repairs as soon as they can. A tenant who knows where to send things is far less likely to report a problem by mentioning it in passing.
Keep tenant contact on a dedicated number
Where tenant contact goes matters as much as which channel they use. If tenants call and text your personal mobile, tenancy messages end up mixed in with everything else on your phone, and finding the conversation you need means scrolling through personal ones. There's also no way to take the number back once it's been handed over; we cover that in more detail in why giving tenants your personal number is a risk.
A dedicated landlord number keeps tenancy contact in one place and separate from personal contact. It also lets you set boundaries, such as stopping late-night calls, without changing how friends and family reach you.
What to log
You don't need to record everything. Concentrate on the conversations where a dispute would otherwise come down to memory.
Repairs. The date the tenant reported the problem, what they said was wrong, what you did in response and when. If a repair is delayed, record why. Under GOV.UK's guidance on making repairs, landlords have repair responsibilities, so a clear trail shows you took action promptly.
Access. Requests to enter the property and the notice you gave. GOV.UK says landlords must give at least 24 hours' notice before entering to inspect or carry out repairs, and visit at a reasonable time of day, except in an emergency. Giving that notice in writing means you can show it was given.
Agreements made by phone. Anything that changes what was originally agreed: a rent date moved, a repair the tenant will do themselves, a visit rearranged. These are the ones most likely to be remembered differently later.
Complaints. Whatever a tenant raises, and your reply.
For each entry, note the date and time, who was involved, what was said or agreed, and the next step. Keep the original text or recording where you can, rather than a summary written afterwards.
How long to keep it
There isn't one number, and anyone who gives you one without a source should be treated with caution.
What the ICO, the UK data protection regulator, says in its guidance on storage limitation is that UK GDPR doesn't set a fixed maximum retention period for personal data. Instead you need to think about how long you need the data for your purpose, be able to justify that, and review it periodically, erasing or anonymising what you no longer need. It also notes that other laws can set minimum retention periods for particular kinds of record, so check those for specific documents such as deposit paperwork.
Messages and call records between you and a tenant contain personal data, so this applies to them. In practice that means:
- Decide a period and stick to it, rather than keeping everything forever by default. Keeping records for as long as you might reasonably need them to resolve a dispute is easier to justify than keeping them indefinitely.
- Be able to say why. "So I can deal with a disputed repair or deposit claim" is a purpose. "Just in case" is weaker.
- Review it. Put a reminder in your calendar and clear out what's no longer needed, especially after a tenancy has ended and any dispute is resolved.
This isn't legal advice, and the right period for your situation may depend on things the ICO's general guidance doesn't cover. If you're unsure, ask a solicitor or a landlord association.
Keeping a history for each property
The practical problem is that calls and texts end up in different places. A tenant calls on Monday, leaves a voicemail on Wednesday and texts on Friday about the same boiler, and putting that story together later means checking your call log, your voicemail and your messages separately.
Keeping a history per property, rather than per channel, makes that easier: every call, voicemail and text about one address in one place, in date order. That's the approach TenantCall is built around. A dedicated number keeps tenant contact separate, with consent-based call recording and a retention period attached, so there's something to look back on that isn't two conflicting memories. Our pricing page covers what's included at each tier.
A simple routine
- Give tenants one number for calls and texts, and tell them to use it for everything.
- Follow any important phone call with a short text confirming what was agreed.
- Give access notice in writing, at least 24 hours ahead.
- Log repairs with dates from first report to completion.
- Decide how long you'll keep records, and review them when a tenancy ends.
None of it is complicated. The value comes from doing it every time, including the time you're sure there won't be a problem.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best way to communicate with a landlord?
For anything that matters later, put it in writing. A phone call is quicker for something urgent, but a call on its own leaves no record, so the usual advice is to follow it with a text confirming what was agreed. GOV.UK's How to Rent guide takes the same approach for tenants: notice to leave should be in writing, and tenants should keep a copy and a record of when it was sent.
What should a landlord keep a record of?
Repair reports and what was done about them, requests for access and the notice given, and any agreement made by phone that changes how the tenancy works. For each, note the date, who was involved, what was said or agreed, and what happens next. Keeping the original message or recording is better than a summary written from memory.
How long should a landlord keep tenant communications?
There is no single figure. The ICO, the UK data protection regulator, says UK GDPR sets no fixed maximum retention period for personal data: you need to decide how long you need it for your purpose, be able to justify that, and review and erase what you no longer need. Messages and call records contain personal data, so the same applies to them. Some other laws set their own minimum periods, so check the rules for specific documents such as deposit paperwork rather than applying one blanket period.
How much notice must a landlord give before visiting a tenant's property?
GOV.UK says a landlord must give at least 24 hours' notice before entering to inspect the property or carry out repairs, and should visit at a reasonable time of day. Immediate access may be possible in an emergency. Giving that notice in writing means there is a record that it was given.