WhatsApp evidence for landlord and tenant disputes
Landlord ignoring the problem? Preserve the WhatsApp evidence before it disappears.
Repairs reported and ignored, a deposit withheld, an eviction, or harassment. Export the conversation, send it to us, and we deliver a certified package a court, tribunal or deposit scheme trusts: a readable, line-numbered transcript with an eIDAS qualified timestamp, chain of custody, and your raw export preserved. One conversation, certified in 24 hours.
Tenant or landlord. The chat proves what was agreed, what you reported and when. Capture it before a message is deleted and it becomes one word against another.
A deposit scheme adjudicator decides on the evidence alone. The date you reported a repair, or what your landlord agreed, can decide the case. We make sure the chat holds up.
Delivered in 24 hours · eIDAS qualified timestamp · Verifiable by anyone
Landlord
online
The boiler's been off 3 weeks, still no heating or hot water. 4th time reporting since the 2nd.
08:12
Yeah I'll sort it.
08:40
You said that last week. Can you give me a date?
08:41
Illustrative example. A preserved full thread shows what you reported and when, which a single screenshot cannot.
Every package can be verified by anyone, for free, in the open Trust Verifier.
Quick answer
Can WhatsApp messages be used as evidence in a landlord-tenant dispute?
Yes. Courts, tribunals and tenancy deposit schemes accept WhatsApp messages as evidence of what was agreed and what was reported during a tenancy, as long as they are authentic, complete and attributable. WhatsApp is often where repairs are reported, deposits are discussed and notices are sent, so the chat is frequently the key record. Export the whole conversation from WhatsApp (open the chat, use Export chat, include media), then have it certified: a line-numbered transcript, SHA-256 hashes, chain of custody and an eIDAS qualified timestamp, so the content, order and timing are hard to dispute.
ProofSnap preserves and authenticates the evidence; it is not legal advice and does not decide your dispute. For housing advice, speak to a specialist such as Shelter or Citizens Advice. One conversation is $59.99, in 24 hours.
What a preserved chat can prove in a tenancy dispute
A full thread captures what was agreed, what was reported and when. That is exactly what a deposit adjudicator, a tribunal or a court needs to see.
Repairs reported and ignored
Messages showing you reported a broken boiler, a leak or damp, and when. A landlord's duty to repair generally starts once they are on notice, so the report date matters.
Deposit and its return
What was agreed about the deposit, the inventory, cleaning or a deduction. A deposit scheme adjudicator decides on the evidence, so the chat can settle a dispute.
Rent, arrears and payment plans
Rent agreed, a payment plan, a promise to waive or defer, or a receipt of payment. The running chat is the clearest record of what was actually agreed.
Notice and eviction
When and how notice was given, or a threat to evict without process. The exact wording and date can be central to whether an eviction was lawful.
Harassment and unlawful entry
Threats, repeated pressure, or a landlord letting themselves in without notice. Preserved messages are powerful evidence in a harassment or illegal eviction case.
Agreed changes and permissions
A rent change, permission to keep a pet or sublet, or agreed works. If it was settled over WhatsApp, the thread proves what both sides agreed.
If your landlord is harassing you, see WhatsApp harassment and stalking evidence. For a short-term rental or Airbnb, see short-term rental evidence, and for the general service, WhatsApp chat evidence.
Harassment, illegal eviction and Rent Repayment Orders
Where a landlord crosses the line, the stakes are high, and documentation is often the single most important thing. Preserved messages can support a serious claim.
What can amount to harassment
- Threats or pressure designed to make you leave.
- Entering the property without notice or permission.
- Cutting off services, changing the locks, or removing your belongings.
- Improper rent demands or arranging viewings without consent.
Harassment and illegal eviction of a residential occupier are offences under the Protection from Eviction Act 1977. General information, not legal advice.
Rent Repayment Orders
In England, a tenant can apply to reclaim rent from a landlord who has committed certain offences, including harassment or illegal eviction, or renting out an unlicensed property.
Up to 24 months' rent
The maximum is up to 12 months' rent, rising to up to 24 months for offences committed on or after 1 May 2026 under the Renters' Rights Act 2025. Repeat offenders can face the full amount.
See the Renters' Rights Act 2025 and GOV.UK guidance. Take advice from a housing specialist.
Get support early. Housing law is specialist and the rules differ by country and region. Free help is available from charities such as Shelter and Citizens Advice. ProofSnap preserves your evidence so it holds up; it does not give legal advice or run your case.
For tenants and for landlords
The same authenticated record serves both sides. Whoever relies on the chat is better off with a version that cannot be dismissed as edited.
If you are the tenant
- Prove you reported repairs, and when, so the landlord cannot claim they did not know.
- Preserve what was agreed about the deposit, rent or works before a message is deleted.
- Build a documented record of harassment or an unlawful eviction attempt.
If you are the landlord
- Show you responded to a report, arranged a repair, or gave proper notice.
- Evidence a deposit deduction, agreed condition, or a tenant's admission of damage or arrears.
- Preserve the record before a device is lost, so your account of events holds up.
Why a screenshot may not be enough
Take screenshots, they are a good first step. For an adjudicator or a court, they are also the easiest evidence for the other side to attack.
To rely on a message, you generally need to show it is authentic, complete and attributable. A deposit scheme may give a screenshot little weight if it looks incomplete, and a cropped image invites the argument that it was edited or taken out of context.
"It could have been edited"
Fake-chat generators can produce a convincing conversation in seconds, so a bare screenshot invites the claim that you altered it. A SHA-256 hash and a signed manifest answer that.
No provable date
When you reported a repair is often the whole case. A screenshot has no independent timestamp; an eIDAS qualified timestamp and a Bitcoin anchor fix when the messages existed.
It shows only a fragment
A single message can be spun out of context. A full export shows the whole exchange in order, so nothing looks cherry-picked, which adjudicators prefer.
No chain of custody
There is no record of how the image was captured and handled. Certification preserves the raw export and adds the chain of custody an authentication needs.
From a WhatsApp chat to court-ready, in four steps
You export the conversation; we do the rest. No software to install, no forensic know-how required.
Export the chat
Use WhatsApp's built-in Export chat, with media, on your phone or computer.
Pay and upload
A secure upload page appears right after payment, so nothing sensitive goes by email.
We certify it
We seal your export with a hash, a signed manifest, chain of custody and a qualified timestamp.
You get the package
Within 24 hours: a transcript and a signed ZIP anyone can verify for free.
Step 1 in detail
How to export the WhatsApp chat
WhatsApp has a built-in per-chat export on your phone (iPhone and Android) and in the WhatsApp Desktop app (Mac and Windows). Choose to include media, and send us that export.
On a computer, in WhatsApp Desktop (Mac and Windows)
Export from WhatsApp Desktop
In the WhatsApp Desktop app on Mac or Windows, this is the quickest route:
- 1Right-click the conversation in your chat list (or click the chevron that appears on hover), then click Export chat.
- 2Choose Attach media (recommended) or Without media.
- 3The file is saved straight to your Downloads folder (a message confirms "Exported chat was saved to Downloads folder"). Send us that .zip.
You get the same _chat.txt plus media as the phone export. Desktop is easiest when the chat is already on your computer, or is too large to email from a phone.
On your phone (iPhone and Android)
Export from your phone
On iPhone: open the chat, then:
- 1Tap the contact or number at the top to open contact info.
- 2Scroll down and tap Export chat.
- 3Choose Attach media, then Save to Files.
On Android: open the chat, then:
- 1Tap More options (the three-dot menu at the top right).
- 2Tap More, then Export chat.
- 3Choose Include media, then pick how to save it.
Export chat greyed out or missing?
Two things can hide the in-app Export chat. It is unavailable in Germany (and may be limited in a few other regions). It is also disabled when Advanced Chat Privacy is turned on for that chat. Turn Advanced Chat Privacy off and export again, use a device backup, or email us and we will guide you.
For the exact click-by-click with screenshots, see our guide to exporting and printing a WhatsApp chat for court, or WhatsApp's guide to exporting your chat history.
Send us everything (recommended)
The primary artifact is the _chat.txt export plus its media folder. For the strongest exhibit, if available also send the WhatsApp message database, which can sometimes still hold recently deleted messages. We seal whatever you send, hashed and timestamped, never opened. If authenticity is ever disputed, a court-appointed expert can verify the transcript against the source. Decrypting the database needs its key, which the custodian provides separately.
Optional: the message database
Find your device below, then send us the folder it points to. When in doubt, send more rather than less.
Connect by USB and copy the whole WhatsApp folder:
Android/media/com.whatsapp/WhatsApp/
- •
Databases/:msgstore.db.crypt15and every dated backup - •
Media/: the attachments
Your 64-digit key: WhatsApp › Settings › Chats › Chat backup › End-to-end encrypted backup.
The store lives inside a device backup, so make a full local backup:
- 1.Plug into a Mac (Finder) or Windows PC (Apple Devices / iTunes)
- 2.Tick Encrypt local backup, set a password, back up
- 3.Send the whole backup folder:
~/Library/Application Support/MobileSync/Backup/(Mac)%APPDATA%\Apple\MobileSync\Backup\(Windows)
Encrypting the backup is what keeps the WhatsApp data complete.
Zip this whole folder as-is (needs Full Disk Access):
~/Library/Group Containers/group.net.whatsapp.WhatsApp.shared/
- •Messages:
ChatStorage.sqlitewith its-waland-shmsidecars (recently deleted messages can live only in-wal) - •Attachments: the
Media/andMessage/folders
Too large to zip whole? Send the .sqlite with its -wal and -shm plus the Media folder.
Zip the whole folder for whichever build you have:
- •Store / older app:
%LOCALAPPDATA%\Packages\5319275A.WhatsAppDesktop_cv1g1gvanyjgm\LocalState\ - •Newer WebView2 build (default since late 2025):
%APPDATA%\WhatsApp\
Not sure which you have? Zip both paths if present, or just tell us.
Your files stay encrypted. Keep your key or backup password yourself. We seal everything exactly as sent, hashed and timestamped, and never open it. You only hand the key to a court-appointed expert if authenticity is ever disputed. After we deliver your finished package, we delete all your data from our servers.
What you get back
A readable transcript that shows what was reported and agreed
We render your conversation into a clean, line-numbered Chat Conversation Transcript PDF: every message in original order, deleted messages shown as markers, photos inline where they were sent, and every other attachment referenced by file name and linked to the preserved file inside the package.
Every message in original send order, numbered so you or the adjudicator can cite "Line 61"
Deleted messages shown as markers, and photos of the defect rendered inline in place
A SHA-256 hash on every file, a signed manifest and a chain of custody
Cover sheet: parties, case reference, date range, message count and source SHA-256
Bitcoin anchor plus an eIDAS qualified timestamp, verifiable by anyone for free
Two layers of proof, and what each one means
Both layers are included in every certification. The qualified timestamp is what carries a legal presumption in the EU, and strong corroborating weight elsewhere.
Bitcoin OpenTimestamps
The SHA-256 hash of your sealed manifest is anchored in the Bitcoin blockchain: a decentralised, independent, tamper-resistant proof that the export existed at a point in time. The court or adjudicator weighs it as part of the evidence.
eIDAS qualified timestamp
Presumption in the EU
Issued by Disig a.s., a Qualified Trust Service Provider on the EU Trusted List. Under eIDAS Article 41(2) it carries a presumption of accuracy of the date and integrity of the data in the EU. Elsewhere a court treats it as strong, independent corroboration.
What certification proves, and what it does not
What certification proves
- The export existed in that exact state no later than the timestamp.
- It has not been altered since it was sealed.
- The raw export is preserved for later expert examination.
- If you also send the sealed message database, an expert can examine the sender identifiers each message is bound to, which materially strengthens attribution.
What it does not do
- It does not decide your dispute or prove a landlord broke the law; the court, tribunal or adjudicator decides that.
- It is verifiable preservation, not legal advice or a substitute for a housing specialist.
- On its own it ties messages to an account, not conclusively to a named person; the decision-maker decides authorship.
We make the content, order and timing impossible to dispute, and preserve the untouched original, so your case rests on evidence that is hard to challenge. Deciding the dispute is for the court, tribunal or adjudicator.
Courts, tribunals and tenancy deposit schemes weigh authenticated messages as documentary evidence; in the UK the Civil Evidence Act 1995 lets the court weigh reliability, and harassment and illegal eviction are offences under the Protection from Eviction Act 1977. The eIDAS Article 41(2) presumption applies in the EU; in the US the same package supports authentication under FRE 901 and self-authentication under FRE 902(14). ProofSnap is an evidence tool, not legal advice.
Pricing
Already have the WhatsApp conversation exported? We certify it as-is.
One certification covers one conversation, including its attachments and any supporting file.
WhatsApp Chat Certification
1 conversation · certified in 24 hours
- Your WhatsApp export, certified as-is
- Line-numbered transcript, deleted messages marked
- eIDAS qualified timestamp + Bitcoin anchor
- Signed ZIP + certificate PDF + chain of custody
- Raw export preserved, verifiable by anyone for free
Right after payment, a secure upload page appears where you send us your files, so nothing sensitive has to go by email. If we cannot process your files, we will help you produce a usable export or issue a full credit. Not sure what you have? Ask us before you order.
Being harassed by your landlord?
See WhatsApp harassment and stalking evidence, and get support from a housing charity.
A deposit or payment agreement?
See WhatsApp contract and payment dispute evidence, or the full service on the WhatsApp chat evidence page.
Frequently asked questions
For a web page, not a chat
Evidence on a listing, a portal or in webmail, not WhatsApp?
If the evidence is a rental listing, a letting portal message, a tenancy portal or a webmail thread, ProofSnap is a Chrome extension that captures it as court-ready evidence yourself, in seconds, before it is edited or taken down. Same integrity you read about here: a SHA-256 hash, an RSA-4096 signature, a Bitcoin blockchain timestamp and a Provenance Certificate, packaged into an 11 to 15 file evidence ZIP you can verify for free.
Standard SnapPack
10 captures · no expiration · one-time purchase
Pay-as-you-go, no subscription. All features: export, metadata, a short video proof, Provenance Certificate and blockchain timestamp.
eIDAS SnapPack
EU qualified timestamps (Disig a.s.)
$5.00 / stamp · also 1× $6.99 or 10× $49.99
Adds a qualified eIDAS timestamp per capture (Article 41), with a legal presumption of accuracy across the EU. Whitelabel branding on the evidence PDF.
Subscription
Essential · Professional · Enterprise
Annual plans save 20%
For regular use: monthly capture allowances, File Certification and eIDAS stamps on higher tiers. Includes a 7-day free trial (a credit card is required to start).
Prefer no subscription and no auto-renewal? The Standard SnapPack at $4.99 is a one-time purchase. SnapPacks are bought inside the extension after you install it. See the full ProofSnap pricing and features on getproofsnap.com.
Free to install · capture your first web evidence in under a minute.