Property management answering service for after-hours maintenance calls
Tenants call at 2 a.m. about a leak, a lockout, or no heat. Prospects call at lunch asking about pets and parking. LobbyStack answers both, sends real emergencies to your on-call maintenance tech, and books showings for your leasing team.
No credit card required. Works with your existing business number.
Example call to Harbor Property Management
Wednesday, 2:10 a.m. A tenant reports water from the ceiling.
- 0:00
LobbyStack
Harbor Property Management, after-hours line. Are you a current resident?
Separates residents from prospects
- 0:04
Caller
Yes, unit 4B at 120 Elm. Water's dripping from my bathroom ceiling.
- 0:09
LobbyStack
Is it a slow drip or a steady flow, and is it near a light fixture?
Asks the questions on your emergency list
- 0:15
Caller
It's steady, and it's coming around the light.
- 0:19
LobbyStack
Please turn that light off at the switch and stay clear of the water. This is on your emergency list, so I'm connecting you to the on-call maintenance tech now.
Transfers under your emergency list
- 0:30
Caller
Thank you.
Sorts maintenance emergencies from requests that can wait until morning
Answers leasing questions from the policies you enter
Transfers leaks, floods, and gas smells to your on-call maintenance tech
What happens to each property management call
You decide what LobbyStack does with each kind of call. A typical setup for a property management business looks like this.
| When a caller has | LobbyStack | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Leak, flood, no heat, or gas smell | Transfers | Connects your on-call maintenance tech |
| Lockout | Transfers | Follows your lockout policy, including any fee |
| Routine repair request | Takes a message | Logs it for the morning maintenance queue |
| Prospective tenant question | Answers | Replies from the listing details you enter |
| Showing request | Books | Books into your leasing agent's calendar and texts a confirmation |
| Rent or portal question | Answers | Replies from your policies |
Triage maintenance calls with your emergency list
You probably keep a written list already: flooding, no heat in winter, a gas smell, a lockout, a sewer backup. Load it into LobbyStack. It asks the tenant for the unit number and what they see, transfers emergencies to your on-call tech, and logs the dripping faucet for the morning.
- Collects the unit number, callback number, and a description of the problem
- Transfers emergencies to your on-call maintenance tech
- Logs routine requests for your morning queue
Answer leasing questions and book showings
Prospects ask about rent, deposits, pet policy, parking, and which units are open. Add those details to LobbyStack's knowledge base and it answers from them. When a prospect wants to see a unit, it books the showing into your leasing agent's calendar and texts the confirmation.
- Answers from the property details you enter
- Books showings and sends confirmation texts
Keep routine questions off your on-call phone
A tenant asking when rent is due at 11 p.m. shouldn't wake your maintenance tech. LobbyStack answers rent, office-hours, and portal questions from your policies and saves a summary of the call, so your on-call phone rings for the emergencies on your list.
- Answers rent, office-hours, and portal questions
- Saves a summary and transcript of each call in the dashboard
What after-hours coverage costs
Say your properties generate 60 after-hours calls a month at 3 minutes each. That's 180 minutes. Starter includes 150 minutes for $30 a month, and the other 30 minutes cost $0.20 each, so you pay about $36. Pro includes 500 minutes for $100 if your portfolio grows.
- Spam calls and calls under 10 seconds don't count toward usage
- The Free plan includes 30 voice minutes for testing
What LobbyStack asks property management callers
You choose the questions. These are the ones property management businesses start with, and every answer lands in the call summary.
- Current resident, owner, or prospect
- The property and unit number
- What's happening, and whether it's getting worse
- Whether water, gas, or electricity is involved
- The best callback number
- Permission to enter the unit
Set up LobbyStack in three steps
- Step 1
Forward your number
Keep the number your customers know. Forward every call, or only after-hours and overflow calls, to LobbyStack.
- Step 2
Write your rules
Describe in plain language what counts as a property management emergency, who's on call, which jobs to book, and which prices callers can hear.
- Step 3
Place a test call
Call your own line, try an emergency and a routine request, and adjust the rules before a customer calls.
AI and live property management answering services compared
A live answering service puts an operator on the line. LobbyStack answers with AI and hands calls to your team when your rules say so.
| Topic | LobbyStack | Live answering service |
|---|---|---|
| Calls at the same time | Answers as many as come in | Depends on how many operators are on shift |
| Booking | Books into Google Calendar during the call | Varies by service, often a message for you to return |
| Emergencies | Follows rules you write and transfers to your on-call number | Follows a script you provide |
| Call records | Transcript, recording, and summary for each call | Message notes, which vary by service |
| Pricing | Free plan, then $30 or $100 a month with included minutes | Usually billed per minute or per call |
| Calls that need a person | Transfers them to your team | An operator handles them |
Questions about property management answering services
Can it tell a maintenance emergency from a routine request?
Yes. You give LobbyStack your emergency list in plain language, such as flooding, no heat below a set temperature, a gas smell, or a lockout. It asks follow-up questions, transfers matching calls to your on-call tech, and sends the rest to your morning queue.
Can it answer questions about my properties?
Yes. Add details like rent, deposits, pet policy, parking, and open units to LobbyStack's knowledge base. It answers from those details and flags anything it can't answer for your office.
Can it book showings?
Yes. LobbyStack checks your leasing agent's calendar, offers open times, books the showing, and sends a confirmation text.
Does it work with my existing office number?
Yes. Forward your office line to LobbyStack after hours or all day, and tenants keep calling the number they know.
How much does a property management answering service cost?
LobbyStack's Free plan includes 30 voice minutes. Starter is $30 a month for 150 minutes, and Pro is $100 a month for 500 minutes. Spam calls and calls under 10 seconds don't count toward usage.
Answer tenants after hours
Load your emergency list, forward your after-hours line, and test LobbyStack on the Free plan.
No credit card required. Cancel anytime.