# Record responsibility against a defect

> Record who you think is responsible for a defect, alongside its description and photos. Your assessment appears in the PDF and in notes sent to Fixflo.

Published 5 November 2026. Web version: https://helloreport.co.uk/blog/recording-who-is-responsible-for-a-defect

When you record a defect during an inspection, you may already have a view on who's responsible. It might be damage caused by the tenant, a repair for the landlord to arrange, or simply fair wear and tear. Sometimes you'll need to check the property's history before deciding.

You can now record that assessment alongside the defect's description and photos in HelloReport. It gives the agent or landlord reviewing the report a place to see what you thought at the inspection, without having to pick it out of your notes.

## Recording responsibility

When you add or edit a defect, you'll find an optional **Responsibility** field on the web and in the app. It offers four choices:

- Tenant
- Landlord
- Fair wear and tear
- To be agreed

Responsibility sits alongside the defect's category. For example, a broken cupboard door could be recorded as **Maintenance**, with **Tenant** selected as the responsibility. The category records the type of issue; responsibility records your assessment of who is responsible for it. You can leave the field blank if you don't need it.

## In the report

Your selection appears against the defect in the report editor, in the PDF and in its Summary of Defects. The PDF also explains that responsibility reflects the inspector's view at the time of the visit.

Responsibility isn't copied when you bring defects forward from a previous report, so you can assess it again at the next visit.

Selecting **Tenant** doesn't establish a deposit deduction; that still needs supporting evidence. Our guide to [what deposit adjudicators look for](https://helloreport.co.uk/blog/what-deposit-adjudicators-look-for-in-check-out-evidence) explains what to include.

## Sending defects to Fixflo

If your team uses our [Fixflo integration](https://helloreport.co.uk/how-it-works), Maintenance defects on linked properties are sent when you complete the report and generate the final PDF. The notes now include any responsibility you've recorded, so the person picking up the repair can see your assessment too.

Maintenance defects are still sent regardless of the responsibility selected.

## Getting started

The field is available now on the web and in the latest HelloReport app on iPhone, iPad and Android. Open a defect or add a new one to record your assessment.

New to HelloReport? [Book a guided demo](https://helloreport.co.uk/book-a-demo) or [start your free trial](https://my.helloreport.co.uk/#/auth/register).