Home document organization

Retention periods and filing rules by category

By category

Identity/personal

Passport, license copies, family registry, seal certificates — originals in fireproof/locked storage, digital copies. Permanent.

Housing/property

Lease/purchase contracts, disclosure docs, registry papers, repair history — keep ~7 years beyond contract period.

Finance/insurance/tax

Tax returns 7 years (10 for carryover). Policies while active + until maturity confirmed. Statements ~3 years post-filing.

Medical/health

Diagnoses, prescriptions, test results, maternity book, vaccination records — permanent/long-term. Medical-deduction receipts 7 years.

Warranties/manuals

Appliance warranties until expiry + repairability. Manuals can be PDF'd and originals discarded if on maker's site.

Contracts/deeds

Employment, insurance, loan, NISA certificates — active period + ~5 years after. Yearly review to purge expired.

Retention figures are guidelines — statutory periods vary by document type. When digitizing, keep originals of legally required documents (seal certificates, registry papers).