Tenant text messages

Change the words in brackets. Send them from one number, in your company’s name.

When the request comes in

[Company] maintenance. Thanks for letting us know about the [problem]. Is any water near an outlet or a light, or is anyone in danger? If anyone is in danger, call 911.

To stop the damage

Please turn the valve under the sink, or behind the toilet, to the right until the water stops. We’ll text you who’s coming and when.

When it can wait for the morning

Thanks. This isn’t an emergency, so we’ll contact you by [time] tomorrow to set up a visit. If anything gets worse, text or call this number.

To book the visit

[Vendor] can come [day] at [time]. Does that work? Reply YES or send a better time.

The day before

Reminder: [Vendor] comes tomorrow, [day], at [time] for the [problem]. Please keep pets away from the work area.

When the visit moves

Update on your [problem]: [Vendor] moved the visit to [day] at [time]. Sorry for the wait. Reply if that time doesn’t work.

After the visit

[Vendor] says the [problem] is fixed. Is everything working? Reply YES, or tell us what’s still wrong.

How to use it

1. Copy the texts into your phone or your software’s message templates, one for each stage of a maintenance request.
2. Change the company name, the times and the sign-off to match how you write.
3. Send one at each step of the repair, so the tenant never has to ask what happens next. Tenant maintenance communication explains why each one matters.
4. Get the tenant’s consent to texts at move-in, and honor STOP replies. The tenant posts have more.

The guide behind it

The work order process