You've completed a routine inspection at 47 Maple Road. The property is in good condition, minor maintenance needed. Now you need to let the landlord know the inspection is done and the report is ready.
Option 1: Send an email. The landlord might check it tonight. Might check it tomorrow. Might miss it entirely in their crowded inbox.
Option 2: Call them. You get voicemail. Leave a message. They might call back.
Option 3: Send a text. "Inspection completed for 47 Maple Rd. Report ready to view in LetAdmin. Link: [...]" Message delivered instantly. Read within minutes. Landlord clicks the link, views the report, job done.
Text messages get read. Email open rates for letting agents average 20-30%. SMS open rates? 98% within 3 minutes.
This week, we integrated SMS notifications into LetAdmin for property inspections. This article explains why SMS matters for letting agents, how it works in LetAdmin, and when to use text vs email vs phone calls.
Why SMS Works Better Than Email for Time-Sensitive Communication
Email is great for detailed information. Property reports, tenancy agreements, certificate uploads—these belong in email where landlords can file them properly.
But email is terrible for urgent communication:
- Gets buried in crowded inboxes
- Often goes to spam (especially automated notifications)
- Not checked frequently by busy landlords
- Easy to miss or forget
SMS is the opposite:
- 98% open rate within 3 minutes
- Impossible to miss: Vibrates in your pocket
- Instant delivery: Landlord gets it immediately, wherever they are
- Perfect for short, urgent messages: "Inspection done", "Maintenance needed", "Viewing booked"
What LetAdmin's SMS Integration Does
We've integrated Twilio (enterprise SMS platform) into LetAdmin to enable direct texting from the system:
Use Case 1: Inspection Completion Notifications
When you complete a property inspection in LetAdmin:
- Save the inspection report
- Click "Notify Landlord"
- Choose: Email, SMS, or both
- SMS sent instantly: "Inspection completed for [property address]. View report: [link]"
The landlord gets an instant notification with a direct link to view the inspection report in LetAdmin. No email checking required.
Use Case 2: Inspection Booking Confirmations
When you schedule an inspection:
- Book the inspection date/time in LetAdmin
- System automatically texts the tenant: "Inspection scheduled for [property] on [date] at [time]. Please ensure access."
- 24-hour reminder sent automatically: "Reminder: Inspection tomorrow at [time]"
Reduces no-shows and missed appointments significantly.
Use Case 3: Urgent Maintenance Alerts
Inspection reveals urgent maintenance (broken boiler, leak, safety issue):
- Flag as "Urgent" in inspection notes
- SMS sent immediately to landlord: "URGENT: [Issue] found at [property]. Please call to discuss."
- Follow-up email with detailed report
Landlord knows within minutes, not hours or days.
When to Use SMS vs Email vs Phone
Not every communication deserves a text. Here's our guide:
Use SMS for:
✅ Urgent notifications: Maintenance emergencies, missed rent, urgent property issues ✅ Time-sensitive reminders: Inspection appointments, viewing confirmations, access requirements ✅ Quick status updates: "Inspection done", "Viewing cancelled", "Keys collected" ✅ Confirmations: "Maintenance booked for Monday 9am", "Report uploaded"
Use Email for:
📧 Detailed information: Full inspection reports, tenancy agreements, certificates 📧 Documentation: Anything that needs to be filed or referenced later 📧 Non-urgent updates: Monthly statements, portfolio summaries, general correspondence
Use Phone Calls for:
☎️ Complex discussions: Negotiating rent increases, discussing multiple maintenance issues ☎️ Sensitive matters: Tenant complaints, serious property damage, legal issues ☎️ Immediate responses needed: Emergency decision-making
Best practice: SMS to alert, email to document, phone to discuss.
Example: Inspection finds damp issue
- SMS: "Damp found in bedroom at 47 Maple Rd. Inspection report attached to email. Please call when convenient to discuss."
- Email: Detailed inspection report with photos
- Phone: Discussion about contractor quotes and next steps
How It Works: Simple SMS from LetAdmin
Setup (one-time):
We've integrated Twilio, an enterprise-grade SMS platform. You add a small amount of credit to your account (typical cost: £0.04 per SMS in the UK), and you're ready to go.
Daily usage:
- Complete an inspection in LetAdmin
- Click "Notify Landlord"
- Choose SMS, email, or both
- Message sent instantly
That's it. No separate SMS app, no copying phone numbers, no manual message composition. The system knows the landlord's mobile number (from your property records) and sends the appropriate message automatically.
Real Example: Reducing Inspection No-Shows
Before SMS reminders (our experience at Phillip James):
- 12-15% no-show rate for property inspections
- Time wasted traveling to properties where tenants forgot about the appointment
- Follow-up inspections needed (more time, more cost)
After SMS reminders:
- 24-hour reminder text sent automatically
- No-show rate dropped to 3-4%
- Tenants respond immediately if they can't make it, allowing us to reschedule without wasted travel
Impact: 10% reduction in no-shows = approximately 1 hour saved per week = 50 hours per year
Cost and Practicality
SMS isn't free, but it's cheap:
- UK SMS cost: ~£0.04 per message
- 100 SMS per month = £4
- 500 SMS per month = £20
For context: If sending an SMS saves you one wasted trip to a property (no-show inspection), you've saved 30-60 minutes of time. At letting agent hourly rates, that's £15-30 saved. The £0.04 SMS cost is negligible.
When SMS makes financial sense:
- Preventing no-shows (saves travel time)
- Urgent maintenance alerts (prevents property damage)
- Quick landlord notifications (improves landlord satisfaction)
- Viewing confirmations (reduces tenant drop-outs)
When SMS probably isn't worth it:
- General monthly updates (email works fine)
- Long detailed messages (SMS character limit is 160)
- Non-time-sensitive information
What Landlords and Tenants Think
We've been using SMS notifications at Phillip James for property inspections. Feedback:
Landlords love it:
- "Much easier than checking email constantly"
- "I get the notification immediately and can view the report right away"
- "Appreciate the quick updates"
Tenants appreciate reminders:
- Automated 24-hour reminders reduce missed appointments
- Clear communication about inspection times
- Professional, organized impression
No complaints about spam: Because we use SMS sparingly (only for genuinely useful notifications), landlords and tenants see it as helpful, not intrusive.
What We're Building Next
SMS is the foundation for better communication:
Two-way SMS: Landlords reply to texts, responses appear in LetAdmin Viewing confirmations: Automatic SMS to tenants confirming viewing appointments Rent reminders: Optional SMS reminders for late rent (configurable by landlord preference) Maintenance updates: Automatic SMS when contractors complete work
The goal: Faster, more reliable communication without overwhelming inboxes.
We'd Love to Hear from You
How do you currently communicate time-sensitive information to landlords? Email? Phone? WhatsApp?
Do you use SMS in your agency operations? What works well? What's frustrating?
What communication challenges slow down your agency? We're building LetAdmin based on real agency needs.
Get in touch: paul@letadmin.com
LetAdmin is in active development, built by letting agents for letting agents. SMS notifications are being tested at Phillip James and refined based on real-world feedback. If you're interested in joining the priority list, we'd love to hear from you.