Why photo evidence matters
The single most effective bond-defence tool is photo evidence. When an agent flags an inclusion 48 hours after the clean ("the kitchen wasn't done", "there's mould on the shower screen"), you reply with the time-stamped photo for that exact item. Most disputes resolve within minutes instead of escalating to NCAT / VCAT / QCAT.
The per-item photo workflow on OneBookPlus is built around this. Each scope item carries its own evidence.
The 6 critical shots
For a typical 3-bed bond clean, capture at minimum:
- Kitchen wide-shot — counters, splashback, sink, stovetop visible. Covers 5+ scope items in one photo.
- Oven interior — open and photograph after deep-clean. Almost every bond dispute touches the oven.
- Bathroom wide-shot — screen, basin, toilet, floor visible. Covers 4+ items.
- Bathroom shower detail — grout, screen tracks, taps. Resolves mould / soap-scum disputes.
- Per-bedroom wide-shot — empty room, skirting boards, window tracks visible.
- Outdoor / balcony — swept, cobwebs removed, bins position.
One photo can evidence multiple items — link it to all relevant scope items via the Pick from existing picker.
On-the-day workflow
Before starting
Nothing photographed yet — the property is "before" by default. If there are particularly soiled areas, capture a 📷 Before photo against the relevant scope item. Especially:
- Oven before (the grease state proves you weren't responsible for the mess)
- Carpet stains before (pet urine, red wine — proves pre-existing condition)
- Bathroom grout / mould before (proves you're cleaning, not damaging)
After completion
As each zone is finished, tap 📷 After on the relevant scope items. The camera opens, you snap, the photo links automatically.
Don't batch this — capture as you go. By the time the keys are returned, every item has its After evidence.
What the agent sees
Option 1: The proof-of-service PDF
From the scope page, tap ↓ PDF or ✉ Email PDF. The generated PDF includes:
- Branded header (your business name, ABN, phone)
- Job context (number, customer, site address)
- Completion summary (% done, items complete, items skipped)
- Every item grouped by zone with status badge, notes, and embedded photo thumbnails (up to 2 per item)
- Photo thumbnails have a coloured stripe — emerald for "after", amber for "before"
The agent receives this as an email attachment with your cover message. They typically forward it to the bond authority unchanged.
Option 2: Direct dashboard share (admin only)
For strata or commercial recurring contracts, surface the dashboard scope progress widget to the facility manager via a tokenised share link (future feature). For now, the emailed PDF is the canonical artifact.
Tips
- Same photo can evidence multiple items — a kitchen wide-shot covers stovetop, rangehood, splashback, sink. Click into each item's Pick from existing picker and toggle the same photo.
- HEIC and JPEG work fine — modern iPhone HEIC is accepted; the PDF embeds JPEG-converted thumbnails.
- Two photos per item is the PDF embedding cap — beyond that, additional photos show as a count chip ("4 photos") but aren't embedded. The full evidence is always available via the dashboard for any photo over the embed limit.
- Time-stamps are preserved — Exif data on each photo includes the capture time. The agent / authority can verify the photos are from the actual cleaning visit.