Managing maintenance requests like a pro
Learn how to receive, prioritize, track, and close maintenance requests efficiently—keeping tenants happy and properties in great shape.
Maintenance: The Never-Ending Story
Every landlord knows the drill: things break. Faucets leak, furnaces fail, and mysterious stains appear. How you handle maintenance makes a huge difference in tenant satisfaction.
How Tenants Submit Requests
Through the tenant portal, they fill out:
- Category: Plumbing, electrical, HVAC, appliance, etc.
- Description: What's the problem?
- Urgency: Routine, urgent, or emergency.
- Photos: Pictures of the issue.
You're notified instantly by email.
The Maintenance Dashboard
In Maintenance, see all requests across all properties. Filter by property, status, priority, or category.
Working Through a Request
1. Review and Acknowledge
Read the description, look at photos, and update status to "In Progress". This tells the tenant you've seen it.
2. Decide on Action
- DIY Fix: Something you can handle yourself.
- Hire a Vendor: For expert work.
- Provide Instructions: Quick fix the tenant can do (like resetting a breaker).
3. Schedule and Communicate
Update status to "Scheduled" with the date/time. Send a message: "Plumber scheduled for Tuesday at 2pm."
4. Complete and Document
Mark as "Completed", add notes about what was done, upload photos, and link any expenses.
Emergency Requests
No heat in winter, flooding, no electricity, security issues—these are highlighted in red. You'll get push notifications in addition to email.
Preventive Maintenance
Don't wait for things to break! Schedule recurring tasks:
- Annual furnace inspection
- Gutter cleaning twice a year
- Smoke detector battery replacement
- Air filter replacement quarterly