Tenant Evidence on iPhone: Keep It Safe and Private
Something is wrong with your home, and you may need to prove it later. Record it on your iPhone now, keep it in one private place, and keep a second copy off the phone.
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What do I need to know?
- Dates matter. iPhone photos record when they were taken. Keep the original files, not edited copies.
- Writing beats memory. A dated text or email asking for a repair is often stronger than a phone call.
- Housing records are personal. Leases, pay slips and ID scans should not sit in a shared camera roll.
What should I record?
- The problem itself. Damp, mould, leaks, broken heating, pests, damage.
- Every request. Texts, emails and letters to your landlord or agent, and their replies.
- Money. Rent receipts, deposit details and bank transfers.
- Your home's condition. A walk-through video when you move in and when you leave.
- The impact. Damaged belongings, doctor's notes and receipts for costs you paid.
How do I take useful evidence photos?
- Shoot wide, then close. One photo shows the room, the next shows the detail.
- Add scale. Put a coin, ruler or your hand next to a crack or patch of mould.
- Repeat on a schedule. The same spot each week shows whether it is getting worse.
- Take a short video for leaks, noises or a heater that will not start.
- Do not edit the originals. Crop a copy if you need to send a close-up.
Your iPhone can also save a location with each photo. Our guide to photo metadata shows how to see the date and place. It also shows how to remove them from a copy you share.
How do I save messages with my landlord?
Take screenshots of the full conversation, with dates showing. Apple's guide to taking a screenshot covers each model. Do not delete the original thread; the messages themselves may matter later.
For emails, forward the important ones to a second address you control. Write a short dated note after any phone call or visit.
Where should I keep it all?
In one place, sorted by issue, with its own lock. Make a folder for each problem, such as "Bathroom leak", and add files as they come.
Then make a second copy. Phones get lost, broken and stolen, often at the worst moment. A copy on a computer, or an encrypted backup, means one lost phone is not lost evidence.
Who should I talk to?
This page is not legal advice. Rules on repairs, deposits and eviction differ a great deal between places. A local tenant union, legal aid office or housing lawyer can tell you which evidence counts. Ask them what format they want before you send anything.
What this doesn't protect against
A vault keeps your records private, but it does not make them admissible or prove they are unedited. It cannot save messages you already deleted. If you lose both your pattern and your recovery phrase, the vault is gone, so keep that second copy. Anyone who watches you draw your pattern can open the vault.
Do it with Cryptile
Cryptile holds photos, videos, PDFs and notes in folders, opened by a pattern, not your passcode. Its in-app camera keeps photos out of your Photos library, with GPS on or off as you choose. Encrypted iCloud backup with a 9-word recovery phrase gives you a copy you can restore.
Cryptile is free for up to 2 vaults, 100 photos and 10 videos, with files, notes and folders unlimited. Plus removes the limits for $19.99 a year (7-day free trial) or $39.99 once.