Where does AI actually help a property manager?
Not in the judgement calls: whether to serve notice, how to handle a deposit dispute, what to tell a landlord who won't pay for a repair. It helps in the steady flow of messages and chasing around every managed property.
| Job | Usually done by | What AI can take on |
|---|---|---|
| Repair reports | Phone, email, the repair portal | Takes the report at any hour, asks for photos, sorts emergency from routine, raises the job |
| Contractor jobs | Property manager, by phone | Sends the quote to the landlord, chases approval, books access with the tenant, chases completion photos and the invoice |
| Certificates | A spreadsheet or the PM system's alerts | Books the gas engineer or electrician, tells the tenant, chases the certificate and files it |
| Rent reminders | Accounts team | Friendly reminders before and after the due date; anything formal stays with you |
| Tenant questions | Whoever picks up | Answers from the tenancy file and property notes, hands the rest to a person |
| Landlord updates | Monthly statements and ad hoc calls | Plain updates when a job moves or a certificate is renewed |
There are AI products built for parts of this, such as AskPorter, PropServ and Tapi. If one covers what you need, use it. We build when your mix of systems, landlords and contractors doesn't fit a single product.
Who answers tenants' calls at 10pm when the boiler's gone?
Out-of-hours calls are usually one of three things: a real emergency, something that can wait until morning, or a question. Most agencies either pay an answering service to take messages or leave a mobile on someone's bedside table.
| The call | Voicemail or mobile rota | Answering service | AI receptionist |
|---|---|---|---|
| "I can smell gas" | Depends who picks up | Reads the script | Tells them to ring the National Gas Emergency Service on 0800 111 999, then alerts your on-call person |
| "No heating or hot water" | Depends who picks up | Takes a message | Asks the triage questions you set, raises an urgent job and calls the on-call contractor |
| "The kitchen tap's dripping" | Wakes someone | Takes a message | Logs a routine job with photos for the morning |
| "When is rent due?" | Wakes someone | Takes a message | Answers from the tenancy record |
| Record of the call | Whatever gets written down | An email | A job and a summary on the property record |
The triage rules are yours: what counts as an emergency, who's on call, and which contractors can be sent without landlord approval. More on how these work on our AI receptionist page.
How do we stop chasing contractors and landlords all day?
A routine repair can take a dozen messages: the tenant's report, a quote from the contractor, the landlord's approval, a date that suits the tenant, the completion photos, the invoice. Each one waits on someone else, and the property manager does the waiting.
Landlord approval in one tap
The quote goes to the landlord with photos and an approve or query reply; approval under your agreed limit goes straight through.
Contractors chased on WhatsApp
For a date, then for photos and the invoice, with the job updated as each arrives.
Access arranged with the tenant
The tenant picks a slot the contractor offered, and gets a reminder the day before.
Stalled jobs flagged
A job with no movement for a set number of days goes to the top of someone's list.
If you run Fixflo for repairs, it already handles reporting and contractor dispatch well, and its API lets us fill the gaps between it and your lettings system rather than replace it.
How do we keep on top of gas, EICR and EPC renewals?
In England, a gas safety check is needed every year and an electrical inspection (EICR) at least every five years, and the tenant needs a copy of each. Most systems will tell you a certificate is due. The work is booking the engineer, getting access and chasing the paperwork.
- Due dates read from your property management system, or from the certificates themselves where there is no system.
- The engineer booked from your approved list, and the tenant asked for access.
- A reminder to the tenant the day before, and a rebook if they aren't in.
- The certificate chased, filed against the property and sent to the tenant and landlord.
What has the Renters' Rights Act changed for our admin?
From 1 May 2026, section 21 "no-fault" notices ended for private tenancies in England, most tenancies became periodic, and rent in advance was restricted. Possession now runs through section 8, where you have to prove the ground.
For day-to-day admin that means records matter more: when a repair was reported and fixed, what was said about arrears and when, which certificates were served. Everything we build writes those records back to the property and tenancy. We don't give legal advice; the NRLA and your own advisers do.