Everybody uses instant messaging (IM) apps nowadays to communicate with each other. Be it Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, Instagram, Telegram, Twitter, Line, Kakao Talk, WeChat, Skype, or any other program that allows you to send texts and other media, these applications have become part and parcel of everyday life.

There are plenty of property management apps out there, some free, some paid, some basic, some complicated; Landlord123 is definitely my pick to manage rental properties. This is because the mobile app offers a lot of useful features for landlords to manage their rental properties by themselves. It is great for landlords who have just a few properties rented out and prefer a more hands-on approach to their rental properties, and are hesitant to hire property managers due to high fees. It is also ideal for realtors-cum-property managers who would like an all-in-one app that can be used anytime, anywhere.

So, why use Landlord123 to communicate property issues/damages when there are instant messaging apps?

Well, Landlord123 allows the tenant to easily submit issues about property damages or problems to their landlord directly through the app, which allows both parties to easily keep track of each issue/problem and the suggested timeline to fix/solve it. This feature also keeps an organized record of every issue connected to each property, and the expenses incurred, as well as comments and proof of receipts. Imagine that – no more scrolling through tons of messages just to find a particular issue that happened in the past!

Dedicated Issue Management Feature

The Issue Management feature is one of the main features of Landlord123, allowing the tenant to submit (report) an issue (problem) to their landlord directly via the app. Details such as photographic evidence, date, severity, and description of the issue – such as damages, complaints, or other problems – are included when the tenant submits the issue, and the landlord can then acknowledge or reject the submission as they see fit.

Resolution Timeline

Each issue submitted has a “Priority” status which determines the severity of each issue submitted. For example, a leaking pipe might be tagged as ‘Moderate’ which suggests the landlord or tenant solve the problem within 3 days from date of submission, while a more serious problem like a broken lock could be categorised as ‘Critical’ and should be fixed within a day (due to security reasons). All these will be recorded in the property’s Issues List.

Record Expenses

Some problems or damages require payment to be fixed, which is why each issue includes a field to note down the expenses incurred. It is important to have a clear view of the amount used to resolve each issue, and the expenses recorded here are directly linked to the landlord’s financial records for each property – an extremely useful feature.

Save Proof of Receipt

For issues that have incurred costs to be fixed – either by the landlord or tenant – receipts can be snapped and uploaded directly into the particular issue for recording purposes. This provides transparency to both parties and ensures everything is recorded with proof of receipt.

View Past Issues

Nobody wants to scroll up through countless instant messages just to find the details of an old issue, right? That’s why I highly recommend using Landlord123 to manage properties, as each issue submitted has its own tab and is easily viewed by both landlord and tenant. No matter if you’re trying to recall when was the last time the light bulbs were changed, or whether there was a previous occasion where the tenant reported leaking pipes, all these are recorded within the app and can be accessed anytime, anywhere.