Can property managers text tenants?

Yes. Maintenance updates, rent reminders and building notices are informational and need the resident's consent when sent with automated systems, best collected in the lease paperwork. Promotions need prior express written consent, separate from the lease.

Can I send rent reminders by text?

Yes, for rent that's coming due, to residents who agreed to texts. Keep it short, name your company and link to your own payment portal. Texts about overdue balances can fall under debt collection laws, so check with counsel first.

Do property management companies need 10DLC registration?

Yes, to text from ordinary local numbers. The company registers a brand (legal name and EIN) and a campaign describing resident and leasing messages and how people opt in. Signilio registers your brand and campaign during onboarding.

Can I text leasing prospects?

Yes, with prior express written consent from your inquiry or tour form, since leasing texts are marketing. Keep them between 8am and 9pm in the prospect's local time and include how to opt out.

What if a resident opts out and there's a building emergency?

Respect the opt-out and reach them another way: email, a phone call or a notice on the door. Plan that backup before you need it.

Industry

Texting for Property Managers: Residents, Maintenance and Leasing

How property managers text residents and prospects: maintenance, rent reminders, emergency notices, leasing follow-up, consent, Fair Housing and 10DLC.

Residents read texts. A maintenance visit confirmed by text gets someone home, a water shutoff notice reaches every unit at once, and a prospect who toured on Saturday gets an answer before they sign somewhere else. Property managers text two different audiences, current residents and leasing prospects, and the rules differ between them.

Texts to residents

Maintenance updates: work order received, technician scheduled, job done.
Rent reminders for rent that's coming due, linking to your own payment portal. Texts about overdue balances can fall under debt collection laws, so check with counsel before sending those.
Building notices and emergencies: water shutoffs, elevator outages, weather, fire alarm tests.
Community updates: events, amenity hours, renewal dates.

These are informational. Sent with automated systems they still need the resident's consent, which is best collected in the lease paperwork as its own signed section, with the number the resident gives you. Promotions, such as offers from partners or paid services, are marketing and need prior express written consent, separate from the lease.

Texts to leasing prospects

Texts that encourage someone to tour, apply or sign a lease are marketing. Get prior express written consent on your listing inquiry form or tour booking: an unchecked box that names your company, says the prospect agrees to receive marketing texts, and says agreeing isn't a condition of renting. Keep them between 8am and 9pm in the prospect's local time. See how to word SMS consent.

Fair Housing applies to texts

The Fair Housing Act bars any advertisement or statement about a dwelling that indicates a preference or limitation based on race, color, religion, sex, disability, familial status or national origin. That covers leasing texts and listing promotions. Describe the unit and the terms, never the kind of resident you have in mind. State and local laws often add protected classes, such as source of income.

Consent and opt-outs

Keep your own record of when and how each resident and prospect agreed; Signilio doesn't keep that proof for you. STOP-keyword opt-outs are honored automatically; treat any reply asking you to stop as an opt-out too, and plan another way to reach residents who opt out, such as email or a notice on the door, for building emergencies. See SMS opt-out rules.

One inbox for the office and maintenance

Leasing agents, the office and maintenance coordinators can answer residents and prospects from one shared inbox on registered numbers, with each conversation assigned, and the team can text from the mobile app in the field.

10DLC registration for property managers

A property management company texting from local numbers registers a brand (its legal name and EIN) and a campaign describing what it sends and how residents and prospects opt in. If you send both resident notices and leasing promotions, describe both. Since February 2025, US carriers block unregistered business traffic from local numbers. See 10DLC registration.

What texting costs a property manager

A building-wide notice goes to every resident at once. On Signilio, Pro is $189.99 a month for 12,000 texts, 15 seats and 10 numbers, then 3¢ a text, with carrier fees included and replies free. See pricing.

Representing buyers and sellers? See real estate agents and brokers. Investing? See texting for real estate investors.

None of this is legal advice; have counsel review your program before you send.

Sample texts for property management

Starting points to adapt. Bracketed fields are merge fields or your own details; every marketing text names your business and says how to opt out.

Maintenance scheduled

[Your company]: your repair request #[number] is scheduled for Wed between 9am and noon. Reply here if that doesn't work.

Rent reminder

[Your company]: rent for [Unit] is due on the 1st. Pay online at [link]. Questions? Reply here.

Building notice

[Your company]: water will be shut off at [Building] tomorrow 10am to 2pm for repairs. Thanks for your patience.

Leasing follow-up (opted-in prospect)

Hi [First name], it's [Name] at [Your company]. Thanks for touring [Property] today. Want me to send the application link? Reply STOP to opt out.

Common questions

Can property managers text tenants?: Yes. Maintenance updates, rent reminders and building notices are informational and need the resident's consent when sent with automated systems, best collected in the lease paperwork. Promotions need prior express written consent, separate from the lease.
Can I send rent reminders by text?: Yes, for rent that's coming due, to residents who agreed to texts. Keep it short, name your company and link to your own payment portal. Texts about overdue balances can fall under debt collection laws, so check with counsel first.
Do property management companies need 10DLC registration?: Yes, to text from ordinary local numbers. The company registers a brand (legal name and EIN) and a campaign describing resident and leasing messages and how people opt in. Signilio registers your brand and campaign during onboarding.
Can I text leasing prospects?: Yes, with prior express written consent from your inquiry or tour form, since leasing texts are marketing. Keep them between 8am and 9pm in the prospect's local time and include how to opt out.
Does Fair Housing apply to leasing texts?: Yes. The Fair Housing Act's ban on advertisements indicating a preference based on race, color, religion, sex, disability, familial status or national origin covers leasing texts and listing promotions. Describe the unit and terms, not the kind of resident.
What if a resident opts out and there's a building emergency?: Respect the opt-out and reach them another way: email, a phone call or a notice on the door. Plan that backup before you need it.