A landlord-tenant dispute often becomes easier to understand when the events are put in order. The lease may have been renewed, payments may be disputed, and a repair request may have led to several separate conversations. A useful timeline connects each event with the record that helps explain it.
This two-page worksheet gives landlords and tenants space to organize that information before a conversation with counsel. Print it and complete it by hand. You do not need to enter personal information on this website.
How to Build a Useful Timeline
- Start with the agreement. Record when the tenancy began, the original lease term, and any renewal or change. Keep the actual agreements with the timeline.
- Put each event on its own line. Include payments, notices, repair requests, inspections, communications, and court events. Distinguish the date a document was written from the date it was sent, served, or received.
- Identify the supporting record. A short label such as “March rent receipt” or “May 12 repair email” helps connect the entry to a document. Preserve the complete original record.
- Mark uncertainty. If a date is approximate or comes from memory, say so. Note any disagreement about the event or payment instead of treating a disputed account as an established fact.
- Separate court dates from the chronology. Copy dates from the papers into the worksheet and identify where they came from. Confirm response deadlines with counsel; this worksheet does not calculate them.
An Example Entry
Date: May 12, 2026
What happened: Tenant emailed the property manager about a leaking kitchen sink. The manager replied the following morning and proposed a repair visit.
Supporting record: Complete May 12–13 email thread; dated photographs of the leak.
This is an illustration of a factual entry, not a conclusion about either party's legal rights. The wording should describe what happened without trying to decide the case.
What to Bring with the Worksheet
Bring the lease and renewals, payment records, notices with any service information, complete communications, photographs, and all court papers. Our Landlord-Tenant Preparation Checklist offers a more detailed way to organize those materials.
The worksheet is an organizational aid, not a court form or filing. Completing it does not file an appearance, answer, or request with the court. For an explanation of those terms, use our eviction court glossary. Official forms and procedural sources are collected in our New Hampshire court resources guide.
When a notice or court deadline is involved, contact the office so the dates and documents can be reviewed together. Our article on the October 2026 eviction procedure changes explains why that early review matters.