What photos should a maintenance request include?

A wide shot that places the issue in the room, a close-up of the issue itself, and — for appliances or HVAC — the model and serial plate. Add the date you first noticed it and what was running at the time.

Where do I find the appliance model and serial plate?

Fridges carry it on an interior side wall or ceiling, ovens around the door frame or storage-drawer edge, washers under the lid or on the back rim, dishwashers on the door jamb, and furnaces and water heaters on a printed label on the cabinet.

When should I re-take maintenance photos?

Twice: after a wet or damaged area has had time to dry or settle, and after the repair visit. Use the same angles as the originals so the change is visible without explanation.

Should the note suggest the repair?

No — describe what you can see and when it changes. Outlet sparks when the vacuum plugs in is more useful to a dispatcher than needs rewiring, and it avoids sending the wrong trade to the door.

Rental Maintenance Photo Guide for Clear Requests

A text that says the sink is leaking gets a plumber eventually. A wide shot of the cabinet, a close-up of the P-trap, and the date you found the puddle gets the right repair the first visit. This guide covers the photo pair, what to include for each issue type, when to re-shoot, and what the note should say.

Shoot every issue as a wide-then-close pair

Take the wide shot first: the whole cabinet, wall, or appliance with a door, window, or counter edge in frame so the tech can find the spot without you home.
Move in for the close-up only after the wide shot exists — a close-up alone shows the problem but not the room or the fixture it belongs to.
Shoot both frames in the same minute so the timestamps travel together, and repeat the pair from a second angle when the issue has depth, like a sagging panel or a lifted edge.

Match the frames to the issue type

Use the dedicated ceiling-stain and under-sink checklists for water issues — the short version is the stain edge plus the nearest hardware, both in frame.
Photograph electrical issues as found — scorch marks, cracked cover plates, loose outlets — plus the breaker panel label that feeds the room, and never remove a plate for a better shot.
Add the model and serial plate for appliances and HVAC, plus the vent, filter, or thermostat reading — a plate photo lets the tech arrive with the right part instead of booking a diagnosis visit.

Time-stamp the discovery, not just the photo

Note the date and time you first noticed the issue and what was running: the dishwasher mid-cycle, the shower upstairs, the AC on a 95-degree afternoon.
Photograph an intermittent issue in the failing state — the breaker that trips, the drip that only follows laundry — even if that means waiting for the next occurrence.
Capture anything you did in the meantime: the bucket under the drip, the taped-off outlet, the breaker left in the off position.

Re-shoot after drying and after the repair

Retake the same wide-then-close pair after a wet area dries — a stain that keeps growing after the water stopped tells a different story than one that faded.
Shoot the pair again after the repair visit: the new trap, the replaced outlet, the patched drywall, plus any leftover parts or mess the visit left behind.
File the before and after pairs under the same maintenance entry in door.lease so the repair history reads in order if the issue comes back.

Write the note like a work order

Write where first: hall bathroom, outlet left of the mirror beats bathroom outlet in a unit with three bathrooms.
Note when it started and what changes it: first noticed Saturday, worse after each laundry cycle gives the tech the pattern without a phone call.
Describe what you see, not the repair you expect — water beads on the valve stem ages better than needs a new valve, unless a professional already said so.

Use this guide as documentation support, not legal advice. Local rules, lease terms, platform policies, and professional guidance may affect how a record should be used.