What photos to take for a disrepair claim

Direct Answer

Take wide shots of each affected room, plus close-ups of the damage. Add one photo with a dated newspaper or your phone clock in shot, to prove when it was taken. Repeat the photos every 2 to 4 weeks, so you can show the problem getting worse. Back everything up to a free cloud service so nothing is lost.

Key facts

• About 9% of homes in England, around 2.3 million, had a category 1 (most serious) hazard under the HHSRS in 2024 to 2025. In privately rented homes the figure was 10%. English Housing Survey 2024-25, GOV.UK
• About 5% of homes in England, around 1.4 million, had a damp problem. It is most common in privately rented homes, at 10%. English Housing Survey 2024-25, GOV.UK

What to capture

Photos are the strongest piece of evidence in a disrepair case. For damp and mould, photograph every wall in every affected room, then move in close to the worst patches. Show ceilings, behind furniture, around windows, and around the bath or shower. For a leak, photograph the source, the path of the water, and any damage to belongings underneath. For broken heating in winter, photograph the thermostat reading and a thermometer in each cold room.

Photograph damaged belongings on their own: ruined mattresses, mouldy clothes, warped flooring. You can claim for these alongside the disrepair. See can I claim for damaged belongings for what counts.

How to date and store them

Modern phones add the date and location to each photo. But landlords and contractors sometimes argue with this. The simple fix is to lay that day's newspaper, a printed page with the date, or your phone's lock-screen clock in the shot. Take one "dated" shot per room, each visit.

Store everything in two places: your phone and a free cloud account (Google Photos, iCloud, or Dropbox). Phones get lost, dropped, or wiped. Tenants who lose their evidence often lose their case.

How often to repeat

Take a fresh round of photos every 2 to 4 weeks while the problem is unfixed. A clear set showing mould spreading over six months is far stronger than one snapshot. If your landlord sends a contractor who only paints over the problem, photograph the work that day. Then photograph it again two weeks later, when the damp bleeds back through.

If your photos are piling up and the landlord still has not fixed it, that is usually the moment to act. Call Support for Tenants on 0800 030 4669 for a free eligibility check, or read what evidence do I need to see how photos sit alongside medical notes and repair logs.

Free alternative: Shelter's website has a free template letter you can attach photos to, and Citizens Advice will help you write your first complaint at no cost.

Sources

• Pre-Action Protocol for Housing Conditions Claims (England) (justice.gov.uk)