Written by
Emma Collins
Published on
Nov 19, 2025
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Why Fixflo No Longer Works
Fixflo has long been one of the leading repair-reporting tools for UK property managers. Its portal-based approach helped standardise maintenance reporting and gave agencies more structure than relying on free-form emails or calls.
But tenant behaviour has changed. Today, tenants rarely remember portal logins — they default to WhatsApp, email, or phone calls. And that creates friction, duplication of work, and a lot of unnecessary admin for property managers.
That’s where Lanten comes in: a modern, AI-powered alternative to Fixflo that handles the channels tenants already use, automates the triage process, and removes the need for portals entirely.
This guide breaks down the differences between Fixflo and Lanten to help you decide which tool is the better fit for your portfolio.
What Fixflo Does Well
Fixflo is a mature platform with a robust portal for structured issue reporting. It’s widely used across the UK and supports agencies with features like:
A dedicated repair-reporting portal
Guided issue templates
Contractor management tools
Compliance workflows
Status tracking
For teams that can enforce consistent portal usage, Fixflo remains a reliable option and has strong enterprise adoption.
Where Fixflo Falls Short
Despite its strengths, most property managers highlight the same recurring challenges when relying on Fixflo:
1. Tenants often bypass the portal
Even with reminders and training, tenants naturally revert to:
WhatsApp
Email
Phone calls
This means the PM has to manually log jobs into the system and chase missing details.
2. Missing information causes delays
Without structured intake, PMs spend time collecting:
Photos
Videos
Appliance details
Tenant availability
Access instructions
This slows down scheduling and first-time fix rates.
3. Contractors dislike portals and apps
Fixflo, like many systems, uses a contractor app/portal.
But most contractors prefer:
Email
WhatsApp
Simple job briefs
Apps can create friction, slow responses, or get ignored entirely.
4. Higher-friction user experience
Tenants need to:
Remember a login
Navigate a portal
Submit details manually
For many, this feels outdated compared to modern messaging habits.
Introducing Lanten — A Modern Fixflo Alternative
Lanten is a next-generation maintenance platform designed for how tenants and contractors actually communicate today.
Instead of forcing everyone into a portal, Lanten automatically turns:
WhatsApp messages
Emails
Phone call summaries
QR code scans
Website form submissions
…into complete, structured maintenance tickets — without the tenant ever needing to log into anything.
It’s fast, familiar, and frictionless.
How Lanten Works
When a tenant sends a message or reports an issue, Lanten’s AI instantly:
Classifies the issue
Collects all required information (photos, videos, access notes, availability, safety flags)
Diagnoses likely causes
Guides tenants through troubleshooting
Creates a perfect, structured ticket
Automatically updates the tenant
Routes the job to the right contractor
The goal: eliminate 70–90% of the administrative work PMs typically handle manually.
Contractors Will Actually Use It
One of Lanten’s biggest advantages over Fixflo is the contractor workflow.
Most platforms — including Fixflo — rely on a contractor portal or contractor app.
But tradespeople overwhelmingly prefer simple communication channels.
Lanten avoids all friction by sending job requests directly via WhatsApp or email, whichever the contractor prefers.
They receive:
Job details
Photos and videos
Availability windows
Access notes
Key information the AI collected
And they simply reply like normal. No logins, no training, no app adoption needed.
This leads to:
Faster job acceptance
Higher contractor engagement
Quicker quoting and scheduling
Fewer missed updates
For PMs, this single change removes a huge amount of unnecessary chasing.
Why Many Property Managers Switch from Fixflo to Lanten
1. It works with tenant behaviour, not against it
People message.
They email.
They call.
Lanten handles all of it.
2. AI removes all the back-and-forth
Every ticket ends up complete and fully structured — without PM effort.
3. Contractors instantly adopt it
Because there’s no contractor app.
4. Faster first-time fix
Contractors get the full context upfront — not partial information.
5. Less admin for PMs
Lanten reduces time spent on:
Logging issues
Chasing photos
Clarifying details
Director-level escalations
Contractor coordination
Status updates
6. Much higher tenant satisfaction
No logins.
No portals.
No friction.
Just simple, modern communication.
Comparison Table: Fixflo vs Lanten
Feature | Fixflo | Lanten |
|---|---|---|
Tenant reporting | Portal | WhatsApp, Email, Phone, QR |
Data collection | Manual | AI-automated |
Troubleshooting | Static guides | Dynamic AI flows |
Contractor workflow | Portal/app | WhatsApp or Email |
Adoption | Depends on training | Extremely high |
PM workload | Medium-high | Very low |
Ideal for | Enterprise compliance workflows | Modern, automation-led operations |
When Fixflo Might Still Be the Right Fit
Fixflo remains suitable for:
Enterprise-level organisations
Agencies with strict compliance workflows
Teams already fully trained on Fixflo
Companies enforcing portal usage
If portal compliance and rigid workflows matter more than automation, Fixflo still performs well.
When Lanten Is the Better Alternative
Choose Lanten if you want:
To reduce maintenance admin
Faster job scheduling
Less friction for tenants
No contractor app
AI triage and data collection
Fewer calls and emails
A modern experience that fits 2025 communication habits
Lanten is built to make property maintenance lighter, faster, and more automated for UK property managers.
Final Verdict
Fixflo is a solid, established portal system for reporting repairs.
But if your tenants prefer messaging, if your contractors refuse to use apps, or if you want to reduce the ongoing admin load on your team, Lanten is the best Fixflo alternative available today.
It meets people where they already are — in their inbox, on WhatsApp, or on the phone — and automates the maintenance workflow around real communication routines.
Try Lanten
See how Lanten turns WhatsApp messages, emails, and phone calls into structured maintenance tickets:
