Use cases / Property and housing
The tenancy
Tenancy records, together for the life of the tenancy and after it
A deposit dispute or a disrepair claim can turn up long after a tenant has moved out, and by then the papers are usually spread across inboxes and a shared drive. folio will keep each tenancy’s records together, from the agreement onwards, so you can answer with the documents in front of you.
Where it goes wrong today
A single tenancy collects a lot of paper: the agreement, the deposit certificate and the information that goes with it, inspection reports, certificates, notices and letters about repairs.
Across hundreds of homes, finding the one notice that matters, and being able to show it hasn’t been altered since it was served, takes far longer than it should.
What folio will do
Retain
Each tenancy’s records will sit in one folder under the property, kept for as long as your policy says after the tenancy ends.
Find
You’ll be able to search by address, tenant name or the words inside the documents.
Hold
When a dispute starts, you’ll be able to place a hold on that tenancy, and nothing in it will be disposed of until two people release it.
Account
Every view will go in your ledger, so you’ll be able to say who has opened a tenant’s file, and when.
What you’ll set up
- Make a retention class for tenancy records, and another for anything you’ve decided to keep for longer, such as records about the building itself.
- Create a folder for each property with a subfolder for each tenancy, so a new tenant starts a new file.
- File the agreement and deposit papers at the start of each tenancy, and notices and inspection reports as they happen.
- Bring older tenancies across in one import when you’re ready.
A day with folio
- A new tenancy starts, and the signed agreement and deposit papers will be filed into its folder before the keys are handed over.
- A former tenant disputes a deduction from their deposit. You’ll search the address and have the check-in and check-out reports side by side.
- A disrepair claim arrives for a flat, so you’ll place a hold on its tenancy folders until it’s resolved.
- Your housing manager will want to know who has opened a tenant’s file this month, and the ledger will show them.
Where your periods come from
The limitation periods in the Limitation Act 1980 are one thing to weigh, and the tenancy deposit rules in the Housing Act 2004 set out what a deposit’s paperwork has to cover.
This page is general information, not legal advice. How long each kind of record should stay is your professional judgement, and folio will hold to whatever you set.
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Tell us what you have to keep
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