Toolkit · United States
Housing Evidence Guide: Build a Court-Ready Record
A documentation system for repairs, rent, harassment, discrimination, lockouts, and court cases.
Reviewed 2026-10-01
Legal information, not individual legal advice
Use a chronological log
- Date and time.
- Who was involved.
- What happened.
- How the landlord or agency was notified.
- Response received.
- Photo/video filenames.
- Witness names.
- Complaint or inspection number.
Keep originals
Do not overwrite original photographs, videos, emails, or PDFs. Save copies in a second location. Preserve file metadata when possible.
Name files consistently
Use a simple naming convention such as 2026-10-01_Leak_Kitchen_01.jpg or 2026-10-02_Landlord_Text_EntryNotice.pdf so the evidence can be sorted chronologically.
Create a case index
- Lease and renewals.
- Rent and deposit records.
- Notices.
- Court papers.
- Repair evidence.
- Agency complaints.
- Witness statements.
- Settlement communications.
- Orders and judgments.
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