Property management automation is the using technology and software to automate various tasks and optimize processes related to managing properties. It can involve using single-family property management software to streamline tasks such as rent collection, applicant screening, property maintenance requests, and accounting, among others.
At Second Nature, we think of automation and outsourcing as two sides of the same coin. Either way, you're getting your time back. Our focus is making life better for residents and easier for investors and property managers. We want to create a triple win, improving the rental experience for everyone involved.
With that being said, let's dive into the nitty-gritty of property management automation: the 12 tasks you can most easily automate and seven tools to help you boost efficiency.
Automation might bring to mind images of manufacturing lines or robots, but in the modern workplace, automation is simply a catch-all term for tech tools that can instantly streamline your work process. Automation tools handle time-consuming, repetitive tasks, speeding up the workflow process, creating fewer mistakes, and freeing us up to do more valuable work.
Without automation, we find ourselves losing time with busy work like:
Think about the last month when you took the same action repeatedly – or saw the same situation and made the same decision – or got the same question and shared the same information.
If a task is easily duplicated and policy/rule-based, automation is coming for it. Here are a few of the most common areas where PMs are standardizing and applying automation tools.
Online rent payments can automate reminders to residents, reduce errors, and increase on-time payments to collect rent without creating any additional work for the PM. Tools like ELI+ (formerly Colleen.ai) and EliseAI are innovating this space. Both are chatbot-type tools that help automate things like rent collection by automating communication about delinquency and the follow-up process. The tools communicate directly with your residents for you with rent payment reminders, support, and more.
Maintaining compliance with property regulations and ensuring thorough inspections are critical responsibilities for property managers. Using an automated checklist on a handheld device not only speeds up the inspection process but also ensures consistency, helping you meet regulatory standards efficiently. Automation tools can instantly generate comprehensive reports, eliminating the need to return to the office to manually input data. Tools like RentCheck and OnSight Pros can either automate or outsource this work for you as a property manager.
RentCheck is a software tool that you and your staff can use for photos, checklists, workflows, and more, all while ensuring that inspections adhere to compliance standards. There's also a native app that residents can use to do inspections themselves. Then, it will compile a clean, easy report that you can send to your investors.
OnSight Pros isn't exactly an automation, but it has the same impact on your workflow. They have a network of professionals who do property reviews in person for you, helping you stay compliant without having to perform every property walkthrough yourself. They're not available in every market, but you can check their website for available service areas.
Related:
5 Best Property Management Inspection Software
Property Management Rental Inspection Checklist [Free Template]
A 24/7 maintenance portal means you don’t have to take calls every time they come in, and you can quickly and easily triage maintenance requests.
Tools like Property Meld help automate work requests, vendor communication, scheduling, and more. In early 2025, Property Meld also acquired Mezo, another tool that provides conversational AI to interact with your residents, scope maintenance issues, support self-service, and help deploy the right professional if needed. With a tool like this, you can eliminate multiple trips out to the property or even have it fixed by the residents themselves.
Related: 10 Best Property Maintenance Software
Bookkeeping was one of the first areas of automation when computers entered the scene. It's hard to find a professional property management business that doesn't use property accounting software. Tools like Rentvine help automate fees, statements, financial tracking, and more.
Most property management software platforms provide accounting features like expense tracking, rent rolls, and fee calculations. Whether you use integrations, layer in vertical tools, or an all-in-one platform, accounting automation can create operational efficiency and save time. Some automated property management systems offer hands-on accounting services, but you can also outsource to companies like Reconcile Daily who will do the accounting work for you.
Property managers are always on the go, making automated document management a game-changer. Allowing your staff to access key documents in the office, at home, or on a property visit makes their work more accurate, up to date, and effective.
This one is pretty straightforward. Most property management software has cloud-based document storage and tracking, and often integrates with services like Docusign for lease management.
With integrations, you can add new properties, trigger automatic processes, and reduce vacancies more quickly. For example, after entering a new property in your CRM, automation can launch a new property checklist and notify your whole team.
You can set up an integration where, if a new lead comes in as "won" through LeadSimple, Zapier automatically starts a new property checklist in Process Street, populates the data from the sales process, and assigns the checklist to the right person on your team. All automated.
Email is the most common form of communication, and yes, it is automation. Some PMs are using even more streamlined workflow communication like Slack, LeadSimple, or Help Scout.
Automation can feel stressful to some at first, because it means letting go of some of the hands-on control, but the best property managers are embracing it. They’re quick to do the hard work of developing policies, documenting the process, and then using the best tools to systemize their expertise and automate the work. The result is more reliable and likely less expensive than people doing it.
Better tenant communication doesn't just take work off of your team's plates—it also improves tenant satisfaction.
Solutions like LeadSimple provide communication tools across customer types so you can set up automation for clients and residents.
Automating lease renewals allows property managers to streamline communication with residents when their lease is going to end soon. Many tools on the market can automatically generate renewal reminders, send them to residents, and draft lease agreements for electronic signatures. By automating this process, property managers can ensure they never miss a renewal opportunity, helping to reduce vacancies and keeping the workflow organized without manual work.
Related: How to Craft a Lease Renewal Letter That Wows Your Residents [Free Template]
Self-service workflows for resident onboarding allow new residents to manage their move-in process independently. Through online portals, automated messaging, and chatbots, property managers can reduce their direct involvement. This is especially useful for smaller property management companies that need to stay competitive while cutting down on manual tasks across multiple properties.
By using these tools, residents can handle everything from signing leases and making deposits to setting up rent payments and maintenance requests, all without the need for back-and-forth communication.
Although some property management companies may have some hesitation around adopting new technologies, the ability to simplify operations and offer a more seamless experience to residents makes these systems a smart choice for companies looking to operate efficiently in a tech-driven world.
Related:
How to Create Self-Service Tenant Onboarding Workflows
Best Tenant Onboarding Software
10 Steps to Onboard New Tenants
Managing vendors is an integral and sometimes time-consuming part of property management. Automation helps by consolidating communication and scheduling. For example, software systems can automatically dispatch work orders, track progress, and update the property manager on the status of repairs or maintenance. By using automation to manage vendor interactions, property managers can ensure timely service delivery while keeping their operations running smoothly.
Automating reporting and analytics allows property managers to track essential key performance indicators (KPIs) in real-time, providing a clearer picture of both financial and operational performance. These KPIs might include rent collection trends, occupancy rates, or maintenance costs, categorized by financial, operational, or property performance.
By automating reports, property management companies can instantly access critical, transactional data while keeping sight of broader objectives like maximizing customer lifetime value. This enables informed decisions that not only focus on short-term metrics but also support long-term growth and stability.
Learn more: Top 20 Property Management KPIs to Track
Utility billing and expense management can be complex, but automation tools simplify the process by accurately tracking utility usage, generating bills, and distributing them to residents. This eliminates manual errors and ensures timely payment, while also allowing managers to monitor utility expenses across multiple properties. With automation, you gain full visibility into costs, making budgeting and forecasting significantly easier.
After identifying the processes you want to automate, the next step is to adopt the best tools available to property managers. We’re seeing buzz from PMs across the industry using ai tools to start automating at every stage of their operations.
One of the more visible examples out there is Peter Lohmann, CEO of RL Property Management. He outlined several no-code tools that he uses to automate his property management business. No-code tools are easy for anyone, and most can “talk” to other software through APIs.
Here are some of the tools we like the best and how Lohmann has used them for his PMC:
LeadSimple is a task management software geared towards property and real estate management. You can approve a rental application in the CRM and trigger other automations like emails, checklists, and more. LeadSimple recently added workflow automation and an inbox product that works like a ticketing system.
Zapier is a workflow automation app that connects all your other apps. For example, when you mark a new property in your CRM, it can “zap” your checklist software to start a “new property checklist.”
Process Street is an automated checklist software that gets your entire team on the same page. You can assign management tasks, mark priorities and completions, schedule, and more. It also has email templates that can be automatically populated from your CRM.
We all know Slack. Slack is the communications app that puts your whole team in one place, sets up groups, streamlines topics, and more. Zapier can automatically send notifications through Slack about new accounts and assignments.
Mailchimp automates and sends professional emails. Through integrations, you can connect it with your CRM and other automations, so emails are automatically populated and triggered at the right time.
Lohmann explains that he has transitioned all non-financial data from their legacy system into Airtable, where they have control of it and can connect it to other tools. Airtable is a spreadsheet-database hybrid that allows you to build out project plans, forms, and more.
Buildium is a property management software for PMs with 50+ doors in their portfolio. For a monthly fee, you can use Buildium to set up recurring rent payments with credit cards or ACH and use other property management features.
Professional property managers don’t just manage property; they manage projects, workflows, and processes. Here are some of the top benefits of implementing automation tools to improve those processes and workflows.
Automated property management processes can drastically reduce the time spent on repetitive tasks, allowing your team to focus on more strategic activities. Use rent collection as an example: Instead of manually tracking payments, an automated system can collect payments electronically, keeping records updated in real time.
Automated workflows minimize the chance of human error in tasks like accounting, tenant screening, or maintenance scheduling, ensuring accuracy and consistency. For instance, in accounting, automating calculations and data entry can reduce errors that may occur due to manual entry, ensuring the accuracy of financial records.
Automation can speed up response times to maintenance requests, rent payment processing, and communication, leading to a better tenant experience. Using maintenance as an example here: residents can submit requests online, the system can automatically assign a service provider, and update the resident with progress in real-time.
Automated reminders and notifications keep all stakeholders—from residents to service providers—informed and engaged, improving communication. For example, automated reminders can notify tenants about upcoming lease renewals or rent due dates, ensuring they're well-informed and reducing late payments.
Automated systems allow for easier scaling of operations as your property portfolio grows. It's much simpler to manage increased workloads when processes are automated. As your property portfolio grows, an automated system can easily handle adding new tenants, properties, and corresponding data, without requiring more administrative effort.
With automation, real-time reporting becomes possible, providing valuable insights into your business's performance and enabling data-informed decision-making. An automated system can provide real-time occupancy rates, rental arrears, or maintenance costs, enabling you to make data-driven decisions.
By streamlining operations and reducing manual labor, property management automation can lead to significant cost savings in the long run. By automating routine tasks like tenant screening or lease agreement generation, you can save administrative time and associated labor costs.
Automated systems can help ensure compliance with housing laws and regulations, reducing the risk of legal issues. For example, automated systems can update you on changes to housing laws and ensure all lease agreements are compliant.
Remember, automation doesn't mean losing the personal touch that sets your business apart. Instead, it's about freeing up time and resources to focus more on those areas that truly require a human touch.
One innovative example of automated property management is right here at Second Nature.
Our service helps manage and automate the resident experience to be the best that it can be. Our Resident Benefits Package allows property managers to deliver premium services – without the hassle of managing the programs in-house.
Second Nature's RBP™ offers benefits that residents pay and stay for, like rent reporting, renters insurance, filter delivery, identity protection, resident rewards, and even a move-in concierge. With the RBP™ you can essentially automate resident happiness.
Automation sets professional property managers apart. As automation is adopted across the industry, professional PMs are more likely to build the right systems and put together the right tools faster than people who aren’t as motivated or skilled.
At Second Nature, we believe in the power of innovation, and we see it every day in property managers around the country. Our tools, like the Resident Benefits Package, aim to bring more ease and automation to your work processes so you can get out there and grow your business.
What is property management automation?
Property management automation uses software and digital tools to handle repetitive or manual property management tasks like rent collection, maintenance requests, and lease renewals, improving efficiency and accuracy.
Which property management tasks can be automated?
Commonly automated tasks include rent collection, inspections, maintenance, accounting, document management, resident communication, lease renewals, and reporting.
How does automation improve property management efficiency?
Automation reduces manual work, saves time, minimizes errors, and keeps operations running smoothly by handling tasks instantly and consistently without human oversight.
Can automation increase tenant satisfaction?
Yes. Automated systems improve communication, speed up maintenance response times, and simplify rent payments and renewals, leading to higher tenant satisfaction and retention.
What tools are best for property management automation?
Popular tools include LeadSimple, Zapier, Process Street, Buildium, Airtable, and Mailchimp. These help automate workflows, communication, accounting, and reporting.
How does automation support real estate professionals?
Automation helps property managers and real estate professionals focus on growth and client relationships instead of administrative tasks, improving overall productivity and service quality.
Is automation useful for managing multiple properties?
Absolutely. Automation scales effortlessly, allowing managers to handle multiple properties, tenants, and vendors with consistent workflows and fewer resources.
How can automation reduce manual work in property management?
By using software integrations, managers can eliminate data entry, automate reminders, generate reports, and trigger follow-ups automatically, cutting down on repetitive tasks.
Does property management automation help with expense tracking?
Yes. Automated expense tracking provides real-time financial visibility, accurate reports, and streamlined accounting, reducing errors and improving decision-making.
What’s the biggest benefit of automating property management?
Automation saves time, boosts efficiency, enhances tenant experience, and enables property managers to grow their portfolios while maintaining operational control.