How to handle maintenance requests as a small landlord

1. Pick one place for requests — and tell tenants about it

Requests that arrive by text, voicemail, email, and a note on the door are the main reason small landlords lose track of repairs. Choose a single channel and put it in writing at move-in, along with what to do in an emergency.

A dedicated request form (rather than a text thread) works best because every request has the same details and its own history.

2. Ask for the details you need the first time

• What's wrong and where ("kitchen sink leaking under the cabinet")
• A category such as plumbing, electrical, appliance, heating and cooling, or pests
• How urgent it is
• Photos — they often tell you whether you need a plumber or just a new washer
• Whether you or a contractor may enter when the tenant isn't home

3. Sort by urgency

Emergencies — no heat in winter, active flooding, sewage backups, gas smells, electrical hazards, or anything that makes the home unsafe — need a same-day response. Most states require landlords to keep rentals habitable and to make necessary repairs within a reasonable time, and some set specific deadlines. Check your state and city rules.

Everything else can be scheduled. A dripping faucet can wait a few days; a broken refrigerator usually can't wait long.

4. Reply fast, even if the fix takes longer

Tenants mostly get frustrated by silence, not by the time a repair takes. A quick "Got it — a plumber is booked for Thursday morning" heads off follow-up calls. Update the request's status as it moves from open to in progress to completed.

5. Respect the tenant's home

Many states require advance notice — often 24 hours — before a landlord enters for non-emergency repairs, and the rules vary. Asking for permission to enter on the request itself, and confirming the time, keeps things simple and documented.

6. Keep a record of everything

Write down when each request came in, what you did, who did the work, and when it was finished. Keep receipts. A clean history protects you in a deposit dispute, helps at tax time, and shows patterns — the same unit's water heater failing twice is worth replacing.

Keep your own notes (contractor quotes, costs) separate from what the tenant sees.

How Keytidy handles this

In Keytidy, tenants submit requests from their phone with photos, a category, an urgency level, and permission to enter. You update the status and reply on the request, add private notes only you can see, and every request keeps its full history.

Common questions

How quickly should a landlord respond to a maintenance request?

Acknowledge every request within a day, and handle emergencies that affect safety or habitability the same day. Repair deadlines are set by state and local law, so check the rules where your rental is.

Can a landlord enter a rental to make repairs?

Generally yes, but most states require reasonable advance notice (often 24 hours) except in emergencies. The exact rules vary by state, so check yours and get the tenant's permission in writing when you can.