Written by
Emma Collins
Published on
Jan 29, 2026
The phone rings. You're mid-sentence in an email to a landlord. You answer — it's a tenant asking for an update on their repair. You give the update, hang up, and try to remember what you were writing.
Fifteen minutes later, it happens again. Different tenant, different question, same interruption.
By the end of the day, you've handled dozens of calls but accomplished almost nothing on your actual to-do list. You've been busy all day and yet somehow fallen further behind.
This is the phone call problem. And it's one of the biggest drains on productivity in property management.
Why phone calls are so costly
A phone call isn't just the duration of the call. It's everything around it.
The call itself: 5-10 minutes on average, often longer for complex issues.
The context switch: When you're interrupted, it takes an average of 15-20 minutes to fully refocus on what you were doing before. That's not opinion — it's well-documented cognitive science.
The unpredictability: You can't plan around incoming calls. They arrive whenever tenants decide to call, fragmenting your day into unusable chunks.
The reactive mode: When you're constantly responding to calls, you never get ahead. Proactive work — improving processes, building landlord relationships, developing your team — gets permanently deferred.
Twenty calls a day, at an average of 7 minutes each, is over two hours on the phone. Add the context-switching cost, and you've lost most of your productive day to interruptions.
Why tenants call
Before you can reduce calls, you need to understand why tenants pick up the phone in the first place.
To report something A maintenance issue, a concern, a question about their tenancy. They have information to convey and want to make sure it reaches you.
To get information "When is my inspection?" "Has the contractor been booked?" "Did you receive my email?" They're seeking information they don't currently have.
To chase They reported an issue last week and haven't heard anything. They're calling to find out what's happening — and to make sure it hasn't been forgotten.
Because it's easy They know the number. They know someone will answer. It's the path of least resistance.
Because alternatives don't work The portal is clunky. Email responses take two days. They've learned that calling gets faster results.
Each of these represents a different type of call — and a different opportunity to reduce volume without reducing service.
The calls you can eliminate
Information-seeking calls
Tenants call to ask things they could find themselves — if the information were easily accessible.
Solutions:
Clear documentation at move-in covering common questions
A simple FAQ that actually answers real questions (not corporate boilerplate)
Proactive communication about scheduled events (inspections, contractor visits)
If tenants know when their inspection is because you told them clearly in advance, they don't need to call and ask.
Chasing calls
These are the most frustrating calls for everyone. The tenant feels ignored. You feel defensive. The conversation is tense even when you've done nothing wrong.
Solutions:
Proactive updates at key milestones (issue received, contractor booked, visit scheduled, work completed)
Status visibility so tenants can check progress without calling
Realistic timelines communicated upfront — if you say "we'll be in touch within 48 hours," be in touch within 48 hours
Tenants chase because they don't know what's happening. Keep them informed, and the chasing stops.
"Did you receive this?" calls
A tenant emails about a repair. A day later, they call to check you got it. They're not being impatient — they just don't know if their message landed.
Solutions:
Instant acknowledgment when they report something
Confirmation message with reference number and expected next steps
A channel that clearly shows their message was received
When tenants know their issue is in the system, they don't need to call to verify.
Calls because other channels fail
This is the important one. If tenants call because calling works better than the alternatives, reducing calls means making the alternatives actually work.
Signs your other channels are failing:
Tenants report issues via the portal but call anyway "just to make sure"
Email response times are measured in days
Tenants say "I find it easier to just call"
Portal adoption is low despite promotion
Fixing this isn't about forcing tenants to use other channels. It's about making other channels genuinely better than calling.
The calls you shouldn't try to eliminate
Not all calls are bad. Some conversations genuinely need to be phone calls:
Complex issues that require back-and-forth discussion
Sensitive situations (disputes, complaints, difficult circumstances)
Vulnerable tenants who need extra support
Landlords who prefer phone communication
Situations where tone and nuance matter
The goal isn't zero calls. It's reserving phone capacity for calls that actually benefit from being calls, while handling everything else more efficiently.
Making alternative channels actually work
If you want tenants to stop calling, you need to give them something better. That means:
The channel must be easy
No app downloads. No password resets. No navigating confusing menus.
WhatsApp and email work because tenants already use them. There's no friction, no learning curve, no barrier to entry.
Response must be immediate
If a tenant emails and hears nothing for 48 hours, they'll call. If they message via WhatsApp and get an instant response, they won't.
"Immediate" doesn't mean a human responds instantly. It means the tenant receives acknowledgment instantly — confirmation that their message was received and will be handled.
It must feel like communication, not a void
The difference between a phone call and a portal submission is feedback. On a call, you know someone heard you. With a portal, you're submitting into uncertainty.
Conversational channels bridge this gap. When AI responds with relevant follow-up questions — "Can you send a photo?" "Is the heating affected too?" — it feels like talking to someone, not filling in a form.
Updates must come without asking
If tenants have to chase for updates, they'll call. If updates come proactively — "Your contractor visit is confirmed for Tuesday 2-4pm" — they don't need to.
Automation makes proactive updates scalable. Every status change triggers a message. Tenants stay informed without your team sending individual updates.
The role of AI in reducing calls
AI transforms what's possible with tenant communication:
Instant response, always Every message gets immediate acknowledgment and intelligent follow-up. 9am Monday or 9pm Sunday — same instant response.
Conversational information gathering AI asks the right questions, requests photos, gathers availability — all the back-and-forth that would otherwise happen over multiple calls, handled in one conversation.
Guidance that resolves issues Many calls are for problems tenants can fix themselves. AI can walk them through checking boiler pressure, resetting tripped electrics, or diagnosing whether they actually have no hot water or just haven't waited for it to heat. Issues resolved without a call or a contractor.
Proactive updates Status changes trigger automatic messages. Tenants know what's happening without calling to ask.
Complete documentation Every conversation is logged. When a tenant does call about something complex, you have the full history immediately — no "let me look into that and call you back."
Measuring success
Track these metrics to see if you're making progress:
Inbound call volume: Week-on-week, are calls decreasing?
Calls by type: Which categories are reducing? Which aren't?
Alternative channel usage: Are more issues coming through digital channels?
Time to first response: How quickly do tenants hear back on non-phone channels?
Tenant satisfaction: Survey regularly. Are tenants happier, or just frustrated?
The last point matters. The goal isn't fewer calls at the cost of worse service. It's fewer calls because service is better through other channels.
Reframing the goal
"Reduce phone calls" sounds like you're trying to avoid tenants. That's not it.
The real goal is: serve tenants better, more efficiently, so that calling becomes unnecessary rather than unavoidable.
When tenants get instant acknowledgment, proactive updates, and issues resolved quickly — they don't need to call. They're not frustrated. They're not chasing. They're not wondering if anyone's dealing with their problem.
Fewer calls isn't a sign you're avoiding tenants. It's a sign you're serving them so well they don't need to call.
Lanten gives tenants instant, conversational responses via WhatsApp and email — gathering information, providing guidance, and sending proactive updates automatically. Tenants get faster resolution; your team gets fewer interruptions. Book a demo to see how it works.
