Tenant Maintenance Requests: One Channel Instead of Phone Calls
Tenant maintenance requests work when the lease names one channel and every request leaves a dated record. Do you have a few flats? Then you probably know the picture: problems come in by phone, text, messaging apps and email, from different people, at different times (sometimes at 11 pm on a Sunday). Without one place where it all lands, requests simply get lost. Later nobody remembers when the problem was actually reported or what has already been fixed. You can put this guide into practice without any system. An app is just one option, not a requirement.
How should a tenant report a problem? Set it out in the lease
The best place for the reporting channel is the lease. That way both sides know which request counts, and there is no argument later. Put this in the lease:
- one main channel: email, a form or a portal,
- a separate procedure for emergencies, e.g. a leak, no heating or a smell of gas,
- a backup contact for when you are away,
- what a request must include: a description, the location in the flat, a photo and the date the problem was noticed.
Who is responsible for a given repair follows from the law, including the Polish Act on the Protection of Tenants’ Rights, and from the lease itself. It is also worth spelling out who pays for minor repairs in black and white. It will save you a lot of stress. And if a case is borderline and you cannot agree on who is responsible for the problem? Then ask a lawyer, not an internet forum.
What a maintenance request for a rented flat should include
A good request tells you right away how urgent it is and lets you send a tradesperson without ten follow-up calls. The tenant provides:
- the address and flat number,
- a description of what is happening, not the suspected cause,
- a photo or a short video,
- since when the problem has been occurring,
- whether it could cause damage, e.g. flooding the neighbours,
- when they can let a tradesperson in.
Someone calls anyway, despite what you agreed? Fine, hear them out. But then politely ask them to repeat the request through the agreed channel. When signing the lease, give the tenant a simple template: “Address and flat: … What is happening: … Since when: … Could it cause damage: … When can someone come in: … Photo attached.”
Rental repair log: how to document requests without a system
One spreadsheet or a plain notebook with columns is enough. There is one condition: every unit goes in, not just the ones you happen to remember. Each request goes through the same stages:
- logging the request with a date,
- assessing how urgent it is,
- assigning it to a tradesperson,
- closing it with the repair date and cost,
- a photo after the repair.
Keep invoices, handover reports and correspondence with the specific unit. Not in one shared “repairs” folder where you will find nothing after a year. This history comes in handy when settling the deposit. It also shows repeat failures of the same appliance and helps you plan a replacement before it breaks down again. Is the spreadsheet getting hard to read? That is a good moment to think about when Excel stops being enough.
Statuses and deadlines: how not to lose a single request
Every request gets a status. One glance and you know where things stand. Four are plenty: new, in progress, waiting for a tradesperson or part and closed. Each time the status changes, send the tenant a short message, e.g. that the plumber is booked or that you are waiting for a part. That’s it. A tenant who knows what is going on calls to chase you far less often. With several flats, I recommend a fixed routine: once a week, review all open requests. You will quickly catch the cases that got stuck and the ones where nobody called back.
Tenant portal for requests: when to swap the spreadsheet for a tool
A portal makes sense when the number of units and requests grows and copying messages into a spreadsheet starts eating up too much time. The tenant enters the request themselves, so nothing gets lost between a messaging app and the spreadsheet. Tenanto has a tenant portal for requests, a repair board with statuses, a building record with inspection history and a place for documents, e.g. handover reports. It does not send inspection reminders, collect meter readings or track payments, so you need to handle those separately. The cost depends on scale, so check the pricing by number of units.
Tenant maintenance requests in practice: a rollout plan
The easiest place to start is with new leases. For current tenants, one message is enough, no revolution needed. Step by step:
- choose the channel,
- put it in the lease or an annex,
- send tenants instructions together with the request template,
- set up the log,
- consistently redirect every phone request to the agreed channel.
That last point is the hardest, because it is tempting to take it over the phone “just this once”. Don’t. Looking for other solutions? Browse our articles on rental tools. The whole thing comes down to something simple: one channel plus a log. That gives you a record of what was fixed and when, whether you keep it in a spreadsheet or in an app.
Frequently asked questions
In an emergency, e.g. a leak, absolutely. A phone call is the fastest then, and there is no point pretending email would work better. But after the call, the tenant should confirm the request through the agreed channel. Only then is there a dated record.
At least until the tenancy and deposit are settled, because that is when disputes about the condition of the flat most often break out. In my view, though, it is better to keep it longer, as the history of the unit. It will be useful with future tenants and when planning replacements.
It depends on the type of repair, the law and the terms of the lease. Minor repairs are often the tenant’s responsibility, and major ones the owner’s. The line can be disputed, though. In such cases it is best to ask a lawyer.
