Guides
Property record guides
Practical guidance on what to record about a property, what to keep and how to keep it usable, for homes, rental properties and commercial buildings. Where a guide touches a legal duty it points to the official source and says that requirements differ across the UK.
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Commercial buildings
Registers, checklists and documents for commercial and mixed-use buildings.
- What is a plant and equipment register?
What a building’s plant and equipment register is, and which details are worth recording for each item.
- Commercial property maintenance checklist (UK): what to inspect and what to record
A practical checklist, grouped by building system, of what to inspect and what to keep a record of.
- Fire alarm and emergency lighting records for commercial buildings
What to record for each fire alarm and emergency lighting visit, and where the official guidance is.
Landlords
What to keep for a rental property, and where the rules differ.
- What records should a landlord keep for a rental property?
Practical landlord records, the legal duties that may apply, and how the four UK nations differ.
- HMO record keeping: what landlords should keep
Useful records for an HMO, and how licensing rules differ across the four UK nations.
Maintenance
Planning recurring work and keeping the history.
- How to create a property maintenance schedule
A step-by-step method for a schedule you can keep up: items, frequencies, due dates, history and overdue work.
- Planned preventative maintenance (PPM): what it is and how to keep the records
What PPM means, how it differs from reactive maintenance, and the schedule, completion and evidence records worth keeping.
- How to track maintenance across multiple properties
Keep one record per property, use consistent categories and look across the portfolio without merging the histories.
- Client property records: how managers should keep them
Keep one live record per client property, keep your own notes separate, and leave the history with the property.
Records & documents
Registers, checklists and handover records for the paperwork behind a property.
- What documents should be kept for a commercial building?
The documents worth keeping for a commercial building, in practical groups, and what is useful versus required.
- Property compliance register: what it is and how to keep one
What a compliance register is, the kinds of records it holds, and how to keep it current without treating it as proof.
- Property handover checklist: what to pass to the next owner or manager
What to pass to the next owner or manager: documents, history, recurring work, warranties, providers and open items.
- How to organise property documents and records
Group by property, use a few clear categories, name and date each file, and link it to what it concerns.
Homeowners
Keeping a useful record of your own home.
- Home maintenance record: what to keep and how
What to record about your own home: work, servicing, warranties, manuals and providers.