How should you reply when a tenant reports a repair?
Reply the same day, even if only to say you got it. A good first reply thanks the tenant, asks for any missing detail such as a photo or the room, says what happens next and when they will hear again, and sends emergencies such as gas or flooding straight to the right number. A fast acknowledgment prevents most repeat messages.
Why the first reply matters
Tenants judge a landlord by how repairs go. A broken dishwasher is an annoyance. An unanswered message about it is what they remember. The first reply does not have to fix anything. It has to show the request arrived and that someone is on it.
It is also the start of your record. A dated reply is evidence that you responded promptly, which can matter if a repair becomes a dispute. More on records is in keeping a maintenance log.
Four things a good reply does
- Confirms you received the request and thanks them for reporting it.
- Asks only for what you need: which room, since when, a photo, and whether it is getting worse.
- Says what happens next, such as a vendor visit, and when they will hear from you.
- Gives an emergency path, so a serious problem is never waiting on email.
Example a made-up reply. "Hi Marcus, thanks for letting me know about the dripping faucet in the kitchen. Could you send a photo, and tell me whether it drips all the time or only when the tap is on? I will line up a plumber and update you by tomorrow evening. If water ever starts flowing where it should not, shut the valve under the sink and call me right away."
Emergencies need a different reply
Some reports cannot wait for a scheduling exchange. Gas smell, no heat in freezing weather, flooding, sparking, a lock that will not secure the unit, or smoke should be handled as emergencies. Your reply should first tell the person to call emergency services where there is danger, and then give your direct number. Sorting requests by urgency is explained in triaging maintenance requests.
Example a made-up emergency reply. "If you smell gas, leave the unit now and call 911 and the gas company from outside. Then call me at the number on your lease."
Ask few questions, and the same ones every time
A long list of questions makes tenants feel interrogated. Ask for what a vendor needs to arrive prepared: location, symptom and photo. Use the same questions for everyone. Responding faster or more fully to some tenants than others, because of who they are, can be a fair housing problem; the point is covered in responding the same way to every tenant.
Ask about access too: whether the tenant will be home, and whether pets will be loose. Entry rules differ by state, and a notice may be required, so cross-check with notice before entering.
Close the loop
After the repair, send one more line asking the tenant to confirm it is fixed. It catches half-finished jobs early and it completes the record.
Example a made-up close-out. "Hi Marcus, the plumber replaced the faucet cartridge today. Is it still dripping? Reply yes or no and I will close this out."
How DoorKeeping handles it
In DoorKeeping a repair becomes a work order with a status and a history, and you can create or update one from your connected Claude or ChatGPT after you say yes. A job can be sent to a vendor by link with no login for them, and the request, the tenant messages about it and the visit stay together on the work order.
Sources
- Fair Housing Act, 42 U.S.C. 3604 (Cornell LII), read Oct 30, 2026
Questions
- How fast should I reply to a repair request?
- Acknowledge the same day. Emergencies such as gas, flooding or no heat in freezing weather need an immediate response.
- Should I ask the tenant for photos?
- Yes, when it helps a vendor arrive prepared. Keep questions short and the same for everyone.
- What if the request is an emergency?
- Tell the tenant to call emergency services if there is danger, then give your direct number and act at once.
- Do I need a written record of repair requests?
- It is a good practice. Dated messages and work order notes protect you if a repair is disputed.