Add maintenance updates
Record contractor activity, appointment changes, tenant messages, repair delays, photographs and other progress against an active maintenance request.
Maintenance updates create a dated history of what happened after the initial issue was reported. Use them to preserve progress without repeatedly replacing the original request description.
How maintenance updates work
Each update should record a meaningful event, decision or change connected to the repair. The update can include text, dates, attachments and visibility settings.
Request reviewed
Priority confirmed as high. Contractor contacted for an inspection and quotation.
Inspection booked
Contractor appointment arranged for 1 August between 10:00 and 12:00.
Replacement part required
Contractor attended and identified a faulty valve. Part ordered and follow-up visit required.
The initial description should continue to show what was originally reported. Add later developments as dated updates.
When to add a maintenance update
Contractor activity
Contact, inspection findings, quotation, work completed or follow-up action.
Appointment changes
Booking, confirmation, cancellation, rearrangement or missed access.
Tenant communication
Information requested, response received or progress message sent.
Repair evidence
Progress photographs, inspection reports and completion evidence.
- Add an update whenever the next action changes.
- Record material telephone conversations.
- Add contractor attendance and findings.
- Record delays or revised completion dates.
- Add tenant confirmation or access problems.
- Record changes to priority or scope.
- Add new quotations or additional work.
- Record when the repair is ready for completion review.
Open the maintenance request
Open Maintenance
Select Maintenance from the main Estavo navigation.
Find the request
Search by property, issue title, tenant, contractor or status.
Open Activity or Updates
Select the request area containing its dated progress history.
Review the latest activity
Check the most recent update before adding another entry.
Create a maintenance update
Select Add Update
Open the form for adding a new activity entry.
Select the update type
Choose contractor, appointment, tenant, progress, cost or another relevant category.
Add a clear title
Summarise the event, such as “Contractor inspection completed”.
Describe what happened
Record the factual outcome, next action and any relevant date.
Add attachments
Upload relevant photographs, reports, quotations or supporting documents.
Review visibility and save
Confirm whether the tenant can view the update, then save it to the activity history.
Add a contractor update
Where the update is based on a contractor’s verbal report, identify it as the contractor’s stated finding rather than an independent Estavo assessment.
Record an appointment update
Appointment booked
Record the confirmed date, time window, contractor and purpose of the visit.
Appointment rearranged
Retain the original date and add the new confirmed appointment.
Appointment cancelled
Record who cancelled, when and the proposed next action.
Access unavailable
Record that access was not available and what needs to happen before another visit.
Do not overwrite a missed, cancelled or rearranged appointment. Add a new dated update so the sequence remains clear.
Add a tenant-facing update
- Confirm the request has been reviewed.
- Explain the current repair status.
- Confirm a contractor appointment where arranged.
- Ask for access confirmation where required.
- Explain any delay or revised date.
- Request additional information where necessary.
- Confirm when work has been completed.
- Avoid sharing internal notes or unrelated contractor information.
- Check that the update is marked as visible to the tenant.
Review the visibility setting before saving. An internal update may not appear in the Tenant Portal.
Record a maintenance delay
A delay can change the impact or urgency of an issue. Reassess the priority and next action where circumstances have changed.
Add progress photographs and documents
Open the new update
Create or edit the maintenance update containing the progress information.
Select Add Attachment
Choose the relevant photograph, report, quotation or document.
Add a descriptive title
Identify the repair stage, property area and date.
Review visibility
Confirm whether the tenant should be able to view the file.
Save and verify
Open the attachment to confirm it uploaded correctly and belongs to the request.
Update the maintenance request status
Change the request status when the repair moves to a new stage. The available labels may vary, but the status should match the current position.
New
The issue has been reported and requires review.
In progress
The repair is being assessed or actively managed.
Awaiting action
The request is waiting for access, parts or a quote.
Ready to complete
The work is finished and the outcome needs review.
- Add a dated update before changing the status.
- Record why the request moved to the new stage.
- Review outstanding appointments and reminders.
- Check whether the tenant requires an update.
- Confirm costs and documents are current.
- Avoid marking the request complete before reviewing the final outcome.
Edit an incorrect maintenance update
Open the maintenance request
Confirm the property and repair before making changes.
Find the update
Locate the relevant entry by date, title or update type.
Select Edit
Correct the text, date, category, visibility or attachments.
Save and review
Confirm the corrected entry appears properly in the activity history.
Where circumstances later changed, retain the earlier accurate update and add a new entry explaining the change.
Common maintenance-update problems
The tenant cannot see the update
Check whether it was saved as an internal note and review the tenant-visibility setting.
The update is in the wrong request
Remove or correct the entry and add it to the proper property maintenance record.
The attachment will not upload
Check the file format, size, internet connection and available document storage.
The request status did not change
Confirm the update and status were both saved, then refresh the maintenance request.
An appointment disappeared
Check the update history and confirm it was not overwritten instead of being rearranged.
The update appears twice
Review both entries and retain the one containing the correct text and attachments.
The maintenance history is up to date
The next guide explains how to complete a maintenance request, record the final outcome, confirm costs and retain completion evidence.
Continue to complete a maintenance request