Documenting unsanitary conditions, room by room
The essentials
- A single photo of a stained wall says nothing about which room, when, or how bad it is.
- Every photo should carry two dates : the date it was taken and the date it was secured (imported into a reliable file).
- A stain that spreads over three months tells a story a single photo never could.
In short, from this page. Every statement is sourced below.
Document your housing situation, free. Dated photos of damage or mould, notices and demand letters, rent payments, exchanges with the landlord: every exhibit gets its date and its digital fingerprint, and you get a clear timeline to file with the TAL.
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Mould, vermin, heating breakdowns, water infiltration: these problems are proven with images, as long as you take them properly. Here is the method, and it works just as well for a tenant as for a landlord recording the condition of a unit.
The rule of series
A single photo of a stained wall says nothing about which room, when, or how bad it is. Always take a series : a wide shot (the whole room, with a landmark that locates it), then a close-up (the detail). The wide shot gives the context, the close-up gives the proof.
Both dates
Every photo should carry two dates : the date it was taken and the date it was secured (imported into a reliable file). When a photo comes from a messaging app that strips the metadata, say so honestly and give the date yourself: an honest label is what makes it credible.
Following it over time
A stain that spreads over three months tells a story a single photo never could. Take the same shot at intervals, from the same spot: dated progression often says more than any words.
In the app: the built-in camera dates and fingerprints every shot to the second, and the vault files your series by room and by date. See the Housing page.
Official sources (consulted July 18, 2026)
Every statement in this guide is backed by an official source. How we verify and correct.
- Preuve en main, Integrity methodology (the two dates, the fingerprints, the untouched originals)
- Tribunal administratif du logement (tal.gouv.qc.ca), general information on evidence
Found an error in this guide? Report it: corrected within 72 hours, and the correction log is public.
Reminder: this is general information; it is not information for anyone in particular. For advice on your situation: legal aid (eligibility based on income), a community justice centre, Juripop, or the Barreau referral service.