Maintenance & Dispatch Workflow

How maintenance requests flow from tenant intake through routing, approval, completion, and cost.

A structured maintenance workflow is where tenant satisfaction is won or lost.

From request to resolved

  • Tenants submit requests with photos, video, a voice memo and details.
  • Requests are routed to the right trade and contractor.
  • Approval thresholds keep spending controlled.
  • Status and updates are shared automatically.
  • Completed work ties to its cost in your books.
Operations → Maintenance: counts of open, needs-review, overdue and emergency requests, the filters, and three open requests; the kitchen-faucet request at 214 Wilson Ave, Apt 4B is ringed.
Operations → Maintenance: open a request to assign it, schedule the visit, reply to the tenant and close it out.

The result is faster response times, fewer dropped requests, and a documented history for every unit.

Emergency maintenance requests

Flag urgent issues — no heat, active leaks, safety hazards — so they bypass normal queuing and route immediately to an available contractor, rather than waiting behind routine requests.

An open work order — the dripping kitchen faucet at 214 Wilson Ave, Apt 4B — with its description, photos, history and a reply box; on the right, Status, the Priority ringed as 1, and Assigned to ringed as 2, then scheduling a visit and the tenant’s access notes.
On a request: 1 raise the priority for anything urgent; 2 assign it to a contractor or a member of staff.

Voice memos

Some problems are easier to say than to type, and some are a sound — a rattle in the boiler, a fridge that hums. A voice memo of up to three minutes can go with a new request, or be added later as an update, on the website, the iPhone app and the Android app. Tap Record, speak, tap Stop; you can listen back or remove it before you send. Everyone who can see the request can play it on any device.

A voice memo counts as one of the eight files a request can carry. It does not count as a photo: if your property manager requires a photo with every request, a memo alone will not satisfy that.

Frequently asked questions

Can a tenant track the status of their request?

Yes — tenants see the same status updates (submitted, scheduled, completed) as the landlord or manager, without needing to call for an update.

Who decides which contractor gets a maintenance job?

Routing considers trade, availability, and — where AI-assisted dispatch is enabled — suggested matches, but a dispatcher can always override the suggestion.

Can a tenant attach a video, not just photos, to a request?

Yes. Photos, short videos and a voice memo can all go with a request, up to eight files of 60 MB each, and more can be added later as an update.

Can a manager leave a voice memo only the team hears?

Yes. On the maintenance board, switch the message to Internal before recording. An internal memo, like an internal note, is never shown or played to the resident.

Related guides

Related features and guides

  • Dispatch & Work Orders — Documentation. How jobs are routed to service pros, how work orders track status, and how approval limits keep spending in check.
  • Managing Properties & Units — Documentation. How to organize a portfolio of properties and units, assign them, and keep records clean across a management company.
  • Dispatch Automation Rules — Documentation. How to set up rules that automatically route, escalate, or approve dispatched jobs based on conditions you define.
  • Streamline Property Maintenance with Smart Dispatch — Guide. How a structured maintenance workflow — requests, routing, approval limits, and a trusted contractor network — cuts response times and keeps tenants happy.
  • Maintenance Requests & Work Orders — Feature. Tenants submit work orders with photos and video from their phone. Landlords triage, dispatch, and track every request to completion in one place.
  • AI-Assisted Maintenance Dispatch — Feature. AI-assisted dispatch routing and configurable automation rules send maintenance work to the right service pro, so routine repairs never wait on a manual decision.

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