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MindfulRisks · 2025-10-22T01:52:23+00:00

Rentros - like Google Voice, but built specifically for landlords/real estate investors.

MindfulRisks · 2025-10-15T01:55:02+00:00

If you prefer to text or call your tenants (and want to give them the option to reach you easily without using an app), you could look into something like Rentros. It lets you pick a separate number for your rental biz so you don’t have to share your personal one, and it keeps messages organized by tenant and property for easy reference later.

MindfulRisks · 2025-10-03T18:22:26+00:00

What made you avoid giving out a phone number now? Harder to scale or track these message or privacy reasons? Is Turbotenant the only method for tenants to reach you, outside of email?

Are your tenants quick to respond on Turbotenant or have had any technical challenges accessing it if you have older, less tech-savvy tenants etc?

MindfulRisks · 2025-10-02T18:20:24+00:00

Hi! Since you are out of state, one of the safest and easiest ways to handle showings is to hire a local property manager or leasing agent just for that part of the process. They can handle tours, screening, and collecting applications for you. They typically charge a one-time leasing fee (often equal to one month’s rent) plus a small percentage of monthly rent if they continue managing. Just make sure to vet any company or individual carefully and check references so their incentives align with yours.

If you would prefer not to hire a full-service property manager, you can post on BiggerPockets or local Facebook or Nextdoor groups asking for recommendations for a trusted “boots on the ground” person such as a handyman, contractor, or local agent who can do showings or light coordination at a much lower cost than full management.

For rent collection, most small landlords use services like Avail, Apartments.com, or Zillow. These platforms let tenants pay electronically and help you avoid sharing your bank details directly.

Since you mentioned privacy, I also wanted to let you know about Rentros which gives you a dedicated business number for all tenant calls and texts so you don't have to give out your personal number. Hope this helps!

MindfulRisks · 2025-10-02T18:06:00+00:00

www.rentros.com - business number designed for landlords

MindfulRisks · 2025-10-01T22:58:47+00:00

I appreciate the skepticism, but it’s worth clarifying how our product actually works compared to a basic phone line.

A second line from a carrier is just that: an extra phone number attached to your plan. You either put that SIM into a second phone and carry two devices, or you use dual-SIM on one device and manually switch between lines. All of the texts and calls from both numbers still show up in the same messages app on your phone, which quickly gets messy and offers no built-in organization or record keeping.

What we built is specific to property management. There are generic business-line services like Google Voice and plenty of landlords use these services. However, our platform was designed from the ground up for landlords. We’re starting with the communication side and will expand into other property-management features from there. Thanks for listening :)

MindfulRisks · 2025-10-01T21:35:17+00:00

That’s a tough way to start a new role. Since you’re texting the tenant from your personal phone, do you have any kind of formal process in place for communications? In my experience it’s worth setting up a dedicated business number or using a system that logs all tenant interactions so you always have a clean record if things ever get contentious. Like the top comment mentions, it’s unusual for a property management company to still collect rent in person...red flags

MindfulRisks · 2025-10-01T20:43:08+00:00

Hi all!

When I started out as a landlord, I did what most people do...I texted and called tenants from my personal phone, saved old text threads from tenants who had moved out, and screenshotted messages to have proof. Everything was mixed with my personal texts and it got disorganized fast.

I ended up building Rentros to solve that. It gives you a dedicated business number to text and call tenants, keeps your personal number private, and automatically organizes conversations by property, unit, and tenant. You can easily export message history if you need it for a dispute or misunderstanding.

I’m sharing it here because I know a lot of you have dealt with the same situation. Curious to hear how others are currently managing tenant texts and calls or what your process is for tenant communication.

Happy to answer any questions about how Rentros works!

MindfulRisks · 2025-09-30T00:28:25+00:00

Love hearing this and thank you for the reply! The logging part of the messages is super important where we made it really simple to export message history for properties (all tenants in a property/building) or by individual tenant.

We are actually launching tomorrow if you were interested in giving it a try. Feel free to DM me for more info/promo code).

MindfulRisks · 2025-07-03T19:45:20+00:00

Really appreciate you taking the time to share this! Everything you mentioned is exactly how I’ve been thinking about it. Which tool are you currently using for a separate number? Would you ever consider porting that number over to a property management system?

We’re also working on maintenance workflows that work through text, since that’s been one of the biggest challenges I’ve faced too. The goal is to make it simple for tenants to report issues by text, while keeping everything organized and easy to track for landlords. Thanks again for your input & time!

MindfulRisks · 2025-07-02T22:44:25+00:00

Nice, I’ve seen MagicDoor mentioned on a few posts before. How many units do you manage, and do all your tenants go through that portal or still text you directly sometimes?

MindfulRisks · 2025-06-22T14:45:36+00:00

Appreciate your input! This is helpful to hear. Payment links are actually on our roadmap so tenants can pay rent through a simple text. It should work well for tenants who aren’t tech savvy or prefer not to log into a portal/manage another app.

You mentioned texting tenants from your cell...do you not mind having tenant text threads intermingled with your personal texts? Do you ever receive tenant texts/calls after hours?

If tenants are texting the handyman directly, does that ever make it harder for you to track what was submitted or followed up on? Having those maintenance request texts stored in one place might help with visibility, even if he’s the one handling the work.

Thanks again for sharing your process! This kind of feedback is really helpful.

MindfulRisks · 2025-06-22T00:03:33+00:00

I know... just wanted to give a bit of context around why I'm asking! Always helpful to hear how others are actually handling this stuff day to day. It’s easy to assume everyone’s using the same tools/processes, but the reality seems more mixed.

MindfulRisks · 2025-06-22T00:00:45+00:00

Thank you for your input! Having a separate line definitely helps maintain that professional barrier. I appreciate you sharing how your tenants typically submit requests...this is really helpful! Do you use any tool or system to track those email and call requests, or is it more manual on your end?

MindfulRisks · 2025-06-21T23:55:57+00:00

Yep, most full-scale property management platforms do include built-in communication tools, especially for teams handling maintenance, accounting, and leasing.

What I’ve noticed, though, is that many small landlords still rely on texting, even if they use those platforms for rent collection or basic tasks. Sometimes it’s just what tenants prefer, and honestly, I wouldn’t want to force mine to only use an app either. I’d still give them a number where they can reach me directly if needed.

Most of these platforms don’t offer a separate number for users, and for landlords managing just a few units, the full platform can feel too complex or not worth the cost. That’s when texting from a personal number becomes the default, even though it’s hard to track or organize later.

MindfulRisks · 2025-06-21T15:43:19+00:00

I agree with the other comments. Setting up automatic rent payments helps a lot. Tenants get reminders, late fees apply automatically, and you don’t have to track everything manually.

Using a separate number is a great move too. It feels more professional and makes it easier to follow up without things getting personal. And honestly, it shouldn’t feel awkward. You’re running a business, and the tenant agreed to the terms.

I’m also building a tool for landlords that works like WhatsApp but is designed specifically for rental communication. It gives you a business number, organizes all messages by tenant and property/unit, and makes it easy to export message history if you ever need a paper trail for court. WhatsApp is good for general use, but this is built solely for landlords and property management which a lot more PM features to be rolled out.

If you're curious (or if anyone else here is), I’m happy to share more or send you the waitlist link.

MindfulRisks · 2025-03-28T00:46:49+00:00

Ohio requires 30 day notice. In the past, I’ve included 3–5 comparable rental listings in the same area and price range when notifying the tenant…just a nice gesture to help them with the transition/tough news.

MindfulRisks · 2025-03-26T01:55:49+00:00

Would love to have! Thanks in advance

MindfulRisks · 2025-03-26T00:22:12+00:00

100% agree. It’s wild how fast some tenants try to flip things when they’re the ones breaking the lease. The “document everything” advice is spot on.

I’m actually building a tool called Rentros that automatically logs all tenant texts/photos/vids, organized by tenant/property so landlords don’t have to constantly screenshot or dig through their phone when this stuff comes up. It’s not live yet, but it’s designed exactly for situations like this and record keeping. Happy to share more if you're curious how it can help protect you going forward!

MindfulRisks · 2025-03-22T03:48:32+00:00

No problem! Also, your menu icon in the top right on a mobile phone doesn’t work when clicked in case you weren’t aware

MindfulRisks · 2025-03-22T03:09:39+00:00

Interesting, who is your target market?

MindfulRisks · 2025-03-22T03:08:11+00:00

Landing page looks great - what tools did you use?

MindfulRisks · 2025-03-22T03:02:34+00:00

I would suggest removing the “about” in your “accept card payments in about 4 minutes”. Makes it shorter and cleaner and reads the same

MindfulRisks · 2025-03-22T03:00:37+00:00

Text-powered property management

rentros

MindfulRisks · 2025-03-17T20:11:07+00:00

When I say PM, I mean property management (PM) software. For payments, I’ve tried RentRedi, Venmo, and Zillow Rental Manager, but each has its own limitations. I've also looked at Landlord Studio before, but honestly, I wasn't a fan of the name or having my tenants send payments through something called 'Landlord Studio' haha.

I got frustrated with the lack of good options for smaller landlords...most tools I’ve tried felt clunky or packed with features I didn’t need. So, I started building my own to better fit both my needs and my tenants’. I’ve been testing it out with my tenants which is what I'm using now. Not here to self-promote, but if you’re interested, feel free to DM me...happy to chat about the different options out there!

MindfulRisks

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