Messaging Overview
How Messaging Works
The tenant portal includes a built-in messaging system for communicating with your landlord. Messages are sent and received within the portal — not through your personal email. When a new message arrives, you receive an email notification with a preview and a link to read the full message.
Privacy
Your personal email address and phone number are not shared with your landlord through the messaging system. When you send a message, your landlord sees it in their portal under your name. Similarly, their messages to you appear in your portal. All communication stays within the platform.
Email Notification for New Messages
When your landlord sends you a message, you receive an email at the address on your account. The email includes:
- Your landlord’s name
- A preview of the message
- A link to view and reply in the portal
This ensures you see the message quickly even if you are not actively using the portal.
Sending a Message
Starting a New Conversation
- Go to Messages from the navigation
- Click New Message (or Compose)
- Enter a subject line that describes your topic
- Write your message
- Click Send
Your message is delivered to your landlord’s portal immediately, and they receive an email notification.
Writing Your Message
Keep messages clear and specific. Include relevant details so your landlord can respond effectively. For example:
- Rent question: “I noticed a charge on my statement dated March 5 for $50 labeled ‘Late Fee.’ My rent was paid on March 2. Can you check this?”
- Maintenance: “The hot water heater in Unit 3B is making a loud banging noise. It started yesterday evening.”
- General: “I wanted to let you know I’ll be traveling March 15–22 in case any maintenance is scheduled.”
Sending and Confirmation
After clicking Send, the message appears in your conversation thread. You can see the timestamp and confirm it was delivered. There is no “unsend” feature, so review your message before sending.
Receiving and Replying
New Message Notification
When your landlord sends you a message, a notification email arrives in your inbox. The portal also shows an unread indicator (a badge) on the Messages navigation item so you know there is something new to read.
Reading Messages
Go to Messages and click on the conversation to read the full message. Messages are displayed in a thread format — all messages in the conversation appear in chronological order, making it easy to follow the discussion.
Replying in a Thread
To reply, type your response in the text field at the bottom of the conversation and click Send. Your reply is added to the same thread, keeping the entire conversation in one place. Your landlord is notified of your reply by email.
Message History
Viewing Past Conversations
All conversations are preserved in the Messages section. Scroll through the conversation list to find past discussions. Conversations are sorted by most recent activity, so active discussions appear at the top.
Finding Older Messages
If you need to find a specific conversation from weeks or months ago, scroll through the list or use search (if available) to find messages by subject or content. No messages are automatically deleted — your full history is always available.
Conversation Continuity
Each conversation maintains its full history. If you messaged your landlord about a maintenance issue three months ago and need to follow up, you can find the original conversation and add a new reply. This keeps all context in one place.
Tips for Effective Communication
Be Specific About Issues
When reporting problems or asking questions, include specific details:
- What is happening (or not happening)
- When it started
- Where in the unit the issue is located
- Any relevant context (has this happened before? Did something change?)
Specific messages get faster, more helpful responses.
Reference Unit and Lease Details
If your message is about a charge, payment, or lease term, reference the specific item:
- “The charge on March 5 for $50…”
- “My lease shows an end date of August 31…”
- “The payment I made on February 28 for $1,200…”
This helps your landlord find the exact item you are asking about.
Keep a Record of Requests
The messaging system automatically creates a written record of every exchange. Use it for anything you might want to reference later — payment arrangements, maintenance promises, lease discussions. If a question ever arises about what was agreed, you can point to the conversation thread with exact dates and content.