How to keep a tenant communication log
Write down every request, complaint, notice and promise between you and a tenant on the day it happens: date, who, how it came in, what was said and what you did next. Keep the original message too. A plain log that is current is stronger evidence in a deposit dispute, an eviction case or an insurance claim than memory ever is.
Why keep a log at all?
Disputes are decided on records. When a tenant says they reported a leak in March, or you say you gave notice in April, the side with dated proof usually wins. A log also shows patterns that single messages hide: the same unit calling four times about a heater, or the same tenant paying late each quarter.
What goes in each entry?
| Field | Example |
|---|---|
| Date and time | March 4, 6:10 p.m. |
| Unit and tenant | Unit 2C, the tenant on the lease |
| Channel | Email, text, phone call, in person, letter |
| What was said | Tenant reports water under the bathroom sink. |
| What you did | Opened a work order; plumber booked for March 6. |
| Proof | Photo from the tenant, work order number, copy of the email. |
Log promises as well as problems: "agreed to a payment plan of $200 a week for six weeks". Then confirm each promise in writing, so the record has both sides.
How should I handle texts and phone calls?
- Prefer email or one written channel for anything that matters. It leaves a record without extra effort.
- After a phone call, send a short email recapping it: "Thanks for calling today. As we discussed ..."
- Save screenshots of texts with the date visible, and back them up off the phone.
- For formal notices, follow your state's delivery rules; serving notice by email covers when email counts.
Review the log once a month. Look for units with many entries, requests that never got a reply, and promises with a date that has passed. A five-minute review catches the repair you forgot to schedule and the tenant who has quietly stopped answering, long before either becomes a dispute. At renewal time, the log also tells you which tenants were easy to work with and which units cost you the most attention, which is useful when you price the next lease.
Keep the tone factual. A log may be read aloud in a hearing, so leave out opinions and insults, and write only what happened.
How do I protect tenant information in the log?
Logs hold personal details, so keep them in an account with a login, not in a shared notebook, and share them only with people who need them, such as your accountant or lawyer. The FTC publishes basic guidance for businesses on protecting personal information, which applies to landlords as well.
Keep the log for the same time as the lease records. The IRS says to keep records until the period of limitations for the return runs out, and lists the periods in Publication 583, and you should hold a tenant's file through any deposit dispute. The records guide has a checklist.
Example a made-up owner logs a tenant's heat complaint on January 8 and the repair on January 9. In February the tenant disputes a deposit deduction and claims heat was off for a week. The two dated entries show a one-day gap, which closes the question.
How DoorKeeping handles it
Requests become work orders with dates, photos and the vendor's job link, emails to tenants are kept, and notices and leases are stored as documents on each lease. Ask Claude or ChatGPT "what happened with unit 2C this year" and it reads the same record. Rent and payments stay in your own bank accounts. DoorKeeping never holds your money and sends a payment only when you approve it.
Sources
- IRS Publication 583: Starting a Business and Keeping Records, read Oct 30, 2026
- FTC: Protecting Personal Information, A Guide for Business, read Oct 30, 2026
- DoorKeeping: Connect Claude or ChatGPT (steps and tools list), read Oct 30, 2026
Questions
- Does a text message count as a record?
- It can, if you save it with the date and sender visible and back it up. Confirm important points by email too.
- Should I record phone calls?
- Recording laws vary by state, and some need everyone's consent. A written recap after the call is simpler and safe.
- Can the tenant ask to see my log?
- Rules vary. Assume anything you write could be seen in a dispute, and keep the log factual.
- How detailed should entries be?
- Enough that a stranger can follow what happened and when. Two or three lines per event is plenty.