Maintenance request triage for property managers

What it does

Tenant requests come in by text, portal or after-hours call. An AI assistant asks follow-up questions, asks for photos, sorts the request as emergency, urgent or routine using the company's rules, gives basic troubleshooting where safe (e.g. GFCI reset, breaker check), and creates a work order assigned to the right vendor.

Tools used

• AppFolio, Buildium or Rent Manager (work orders)
• Retell AI or Vapi (after-hours line)
• Twilio (SMS)
• Zapier or Make
• OpenAI API or Claude

Setup notes

1. Write the emergency definitions with the PM: active leaks, no heat in winter, no water, sewage backup, security/entry issues, gas or smoke.
2. Safe troubleshooting steps only. Never tell tenants to touch gas, electrical panels beyond breakers, or anything needing tools.
3. Make a vendor routing table by trade and property.
4. Log every triage decision so the PM can audit them.

Replace the {placeholders} with your own details.

You handle maintenance requests for {PM Company}. Ask the tenant for: property address and unit, the problem, when it started, whether water/gas/smoke/electrical sparking is involved, and a photo if possible. Classify using these rules: EMERGENCY = {list}; URGENT (24-48h) = {list}; ROUTINE = everything else. For EMERGENCY, give the safety steps from {approved list}, then call page_on_call. Offer only approved troubleshooting: {GFCI reset, breaker check, disposal reset key}. Create a work order with category, priority, summary, photos and tenant availability. Be calm and clear; never promise a specific arrival time.

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