How to Set Up Automated Tenant Communication for Your Rentals

Your tenants or renters are the bread and butter of your real estate business. They bring in a steady source of income for your rental business. That’s why you have to do what it takes to provide them with platinum-level tenant support.

When it comes to this aspect, having consistent communication with your valued tenants is imperative. However, responding to their needs and concerns regularly can be exhausting. That’s where automated interactions can help!

In this page, we’ll tackle what you need to know about hands-off tenant communication. Find out when to use automated texts, emails, and/or in-app messages. More importantly, discover their potential benefits for you and your tenants. 

Understanding What Hands-off Tenant Communication Is

To begin, it’s best to digitize your rental business with digital tools and technologies best used for property management endeavors. 

This technological adoption practically applies to tenant communication since you’re managing multiple properties and dealing with several clients. Instead of communicating with tenants one by one, why not consider taking advantage of automation? 

The tenant communication lifecycle begins with your rental listing. To attract good tenants and reduce vacancies, ensure your listing shows up where people search. A keyword research tool can help you find the exact phrases renters use. That way, your listing gets noticed by the right applicants.

Once tenants move in, those exact keywords can make your communication smarter. The way renters describe issues (like “no hot water” or “shower is cold”) can train an AI agent to understand problems faster. This lets your automated system trigger the right fix without you having to jump in.

That’s where hands-off communication comes in, with automated tools or technologies used to communicate with tenants. That said, below are three options you can have:

• Automated text is a quick message sent to tenants’ phones for timely reminders or updates. It’s best for urgent, time-sensitive, or simple updates. It proves helpful for its instant, high open rate. On the flip side, it only allows for limited details and may feel intrusive if overused.

• An email is a more detailed message used to share important information or documents. It’s ideal for formal, detailed, and comprehensive communication. It offers the best space for details, attachments, and record-keeping. The problem is that it has a lower open rate and risk of landing in spam.

• An in-app message is a notification sent through a tenant app to keep communication organized in one place. It’s best suited for continuous communication or ongoing engagement within a tenant portal or app. It provides a centralized communication hub for an integrated experience. However, it requires tenant adoption of the app, where notifications might sometimes get ignored.

However, it’s better to invest in a tool or platform that lets you send automated text, email, and in-app messages, all in one place. That’s where RentRedi’s property management software comes in, allowing you to do just that—creating, customizing, and automating notifications for renters. This multifaceted mobile app is ideal for landlords or property managers seeking to enhance tenant communication and provide comprehensive support for client satisfaction.

John Grant, Founder and CEO at Premier Bidets, underscores the power of digital tools and technology in real estate, as with any other industry. He specifically cites the use of automated texts, emails, and in-app messages for hands-off communications best utilized by rental businesses. But in general, he emphasizes the rise of property technology (PropTech) in the industry.

Grant says, “Hands-off communication offers convenience for renters but a competitive advantage for property owners. By leveraging automated texts, emails, and in-app messaging, you can streamline operations as a landlord while giving your tenants the seamless experience they expect. With PropTech on the rise, those who adopt early will stay ahead of the curve.”

The worldwide PropTech market is projected to grow from $40.19 billion in 2025 to $88.37 billion by 2032 at an 11.9% compound annual growth rate (CAGR). So, it’s a good idea to invest in these resources for your property management endeavors. 

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Learn when to use automated texts, emails, and in-app messages in the next section.

When To Offer Hands-off Tenant Communication

It’s crucial to leverage digital tools and technologies to streamline tenant communication. They enable you to stay on top of your renter interactions, whether processing maintenance requests or collecting rent payments.

That said, consider relying on automation for hands-off tenant communication. But when do you use automated texts, emails, or in-app messages? Here’s when:

For automated alerts

• Rent reminders: A quick text reminder helps tenants beat the due dates and avoid late fees. For example, you send a text stating, “Rent is due today. Thank you for your prompt payment.”
• Emergency notifications: Texts are perfect for urgent updates since they reach tenants instantly. For instance, “Water will be shut off for repairs from 10 AM to 2 PM,” or “Electricity out of service, Technician arriving this afternoon.”
• Appointment confirmation: Sending a text to confirm maintenance inspections keeps schedules clear and avoids missed appointments. This message could be as simple as: “Your repair is scheduled for Thursday at 2 PM” or “Inspection confirmed for Monday at 10 AM.”

Leo Huang, CEO at RapidDirect, highlights the power of automation for real estate updates. He believes in using automated SMS to keep tenants informed about your rental business.

Huang says, “Automated SMS is one of the fastest ways to keep tenants informed and engaged. A simple text can prevent late payments, reduce confusion, and build trust through timely updates. In real estate, speed and clarity matter, where automation can surely deliver.”

For emails

• Lease renewals and policy changes: Emails are ideal for sharing updates to lease agreements or changes in building policies. For example, “Your lease agreement is up for renewal on June 30. Please review the attached document,” or “Policy update: New recycling guidelines starting next month.” 

• Move-in or move-out checklist: A detailed email gives tenants clear instructions when moving. For instance, you can send them an email saying, “Here’s your move-out checklist, including cleaning requirements and key return instructions.”

• Regular newsletters or community updates: Emails work well for keeping tenants informed about key events and pertinent notices. Have a sneak peek of these announcements: “Community Newsletter: Pool reopening this weekend” or “Monthly Update: Parking lot resurfacing scheduled for April 12–14.”

Edward White, Head of Growth at beehiiv, suggests leveraging emails for detailed or comprehensive tenant updates. He claims that emails are helpful in the real estate industry, including rental businesses.

White explains, “Email” is still one of the most effective ways to deliver detailed updates that tenants can reference anytime. It ensures pertinent information doesn’t get lost, whether it has lease agreement attachments or move-out checklists. In rental management, clarity and accessibility are what make email indispensable.”

For in-app messages

• Request status updates: In-app messages are perfect for keeping tenants informed about maintenance progress. For example, you can send an update stating, “Work order #1234 has been completed. I appreciate your patience.”

• Rent payment confirmation: Tenants appreciate instant confirmation when payments go through. For instance, “Your rent payment of $1,200 has been received” or “Payment successful: transaction ID #56789.”

• Community announcements: In-app messages keep all your tenants in the loop about property updates. Take this example: “The gym will be closed for cleaning on Friday,” or “New package lockers are now available in the lobby.”

Emily Ruby, Owner at Abogada De Lesiones, recommends leveraging automated apps or platforms for in-app messaging. She believes it’s the perfect way to engage with your clients, all in one place!

Ruby shares, “In-app” messages give tenants real-time updates right where they already are. Whether it’s confirming a rent payment or announcing community changes, automation makes it seamless and keeps everyone engaged in one central place.”

Take RentRedi’s mobile app, for instance, which features hands-off communication for easier tenant-landlord interactions.

This property management tool enables you to customize messages and send push notifications automatically to renters. Plus, it offers 24/7 live chat support with a solid team ready to communicate with your tenants round the clock. 

With all these in place, you can keep your tenants always up-to-date on key concerns like rental payments, maintenance updates, and special community announcements.

Discover the benefits of using automated texts, emails, and in-app messages in the next section.

Key Benefits of Hands-off Communication

It’s time to invest in digital tools and technologies for your property management endeavors, including hands-off communication. This allows you to meet your renters’ needs and preferences as a way to enhance client satisfaction. Over 58% of tenants prefer text and email communication, and nearly 45% want to submit maintenance requests online.

Michael Melen, Co-Founder at SmartSites, recommends leveraging digital tools and technologies across industries. He notes that they simplify processes and improve the overall experience for everyone involved.

Melen shares, “Digital tools make interactions faster, easier, and more convenient. For landlords, that means happier tenants and more efficient operations.”

As far as real estate is concerned, consider investing in digital tools and technologies for hands-off communication. That said, here are its potential benefits for both landlords and tenants: 

Benefits for landlords or property managers: 

It’s abundantly clear to see that landlords use property management software due to several benefits. This is especially true for automated tools or platforms utilized for hands-off tenant communication. Here’s why they prove beneficial to landlords or property managers:

• Increased efficiency: Automation saves time on repetitive tasks, such as rent reminders and maintenance updates. As a result, you can focus on bigger priorities over this routine work!

• Guaranteed scalability: As your portfolio grows, digital tools make it easy to manage more tenants without adding extra workload. With automation in place, you can scale your rental business up and down!

• Utmost professionalism: Consistent, timely communication helps you maintain a polished image and build stronger tenant trust.

The goal of automation is to remove the stress of chasing payments so you can focus on growing your business. An automated rent reminder system operates similarly to how tax professionals collect preparation fees from refunds. This eliminates manual follow-ups and late-payment uncertainty.

Every time you save by not tracking down rent, you gain energy to use where it matters most. By year-end, you’ll be organized. You’ll be ready to work with your accountant and better prepared to plan for the year ahead.

Benefits for tenants or renters:

Automated texts, emails, and in-app messages aid landlords in their property management tasks. But on the flip side, hands-off communication proves beneficial for renters, especially when it comes to  tenant concerns, maintenance requests, and even practical conflict management

• Quick responses: Automation ensures your tenants get timely replies to concerns or requests. They need not have long waiting times!

• Clear updates: Regular reminders and notifications keep renters informed about rental payments, maintenance and repair, as well as condo announcements or community updates.

• Reduced miscommunication: Consistent, automated messages minimize confusion. They help avoid misunderstandings between tenants and landlords.

On top of that, automation also supports better record-keeping. Some disputes arise months into a lease. This is why storing signed agreements and tenant message history in contract management software is essential. 

This lets you keep inspection checklists, payment records, lease contracts, and renewal notices in one system. You and your tenants can rely on a single, accurate source for legal and operational decisions. That can ultimately protect both parties!

Maximizing Automated Messages for Robust Communication

Tenant communication is crucial to streamlined rental property management. As a landlord or property manager, you have to establish robust interactions with your renters. This helps you build good relationships with them and ultimately ensures a consistent income for your rental business. 

But since constant communication can be exhausting, harnessing the power of automation can help. That said, consider implementing hands-off communication using digital tools and modern technologies. More importantly, heed our advice on when to leverage automated texts, emails, and/or in-app messages discussed above.

As a landlord or property manager, automated messages can ensure efficiency, promote scalability, and demonstrate true professionalism. With these in place, your tenants can expect quick responses, clear updates, and reduced misunderstandings. 

Looking to establish hands-off communication? RentRedi is ready to provide its all-in-one property management platform. To get 25% off on the standard annual plan, sign up today!