File fields

Field
Unit and building
What to record
Number, floor, building, adjacent units
Attach
Floor plan reference
Field
Report
What to record
Date, who reported, how they described it
Attach
Resident message or work order
Field
Inspection
What to record
Date, who inspected, smell character and strength
Attach
Photographs
Field
Suspected source
What to record
Material or system believed responsible
Attach
Evidence photos
Field
Action
What to record
What was done, by whom and when
Attach
Receipts or work orders
Field
Recheck
What to record
Date, hour and result
Attach
Notes and photographs

A simple layout for a spreadsheet or the community's work-order system.

Photographs worth taking

  • The room as found, before anything is moved.
  • Stains or discoloration, with something for scale.
  • The air handler filter and condensate pan.
  • Lifted carpet corners showing backing and cushion.
  • Drain traps and floor drains, with and without water.
  • The same view after the work, taken in similar light.

Keeping the file current

  1. Open it at the first report

    Create the file when the first complaint arrives, even if the cause seems obvious.

  2. Add entries the same day

    Short dated notes written promptly are more useful than summaries written later.

  3. Link related units

    Note neighboring and stacked units, since a source may affect several.

  4. Close with a recheck

    Record the date and hour of the recheck and who confirmed the result.

Why a file helps beyond one unit

A file for one unit is useful, but files across a community are more useful still. Looking across them can show that complaints cluster in a certain building, on a certain floor, or in the weeks after a heavy rain. Those patterns point to building-level causes such as a shared chase or a roof leak, which no single-unit fix would solve.

Files also help when staff change. Someone new to the property can read what happened last time, avoid repeating a treatment that did not work and move straight to the next likely cause. Keeping the language factual and the photographs dated makes the file readable by people who were not there.

Resident privacy matters. Record conditions and actions rather than personal details, and store the files where only the people who need them can see them.

Treat the file as a conversation across time between people who may never meet. A well-kept entry from last year can save a day of searching this year, and a missing one can send a team down the same path again.

Common questions

How long should a file be kept?

Many communities keep it at least for the period their records policy requires, and longer for units with a repeat history. Check the policy that applies to your community.

Can the file be digital?

Yes. A shared folder or the work-order system works, provided photographs are dated and entries can be found by unit.

General information for Centennial, not a quote or professional advice. In an emergency, call 911.