The problem
Repair reports arrive as texts, WhatsApp messages and late-night calls, usually without the detail you need to book the right trade. Across 5 flats, about 6 reports a month at 15 minutes each to get photos, the room and the details is 90 minutes a month, and anything reported by voicemail is easy to lose.
What the AI does
August's tenant app lets tenants pick a category such as Plumbing or Electrical, choose the specific issue, add details and optional photos and the room. You're notified straight away and requests are sorted by property in your dashboard. Urgent issues such as a burning smell are flagged as emergencies automatically. You mark each request in progress while you arrange the work, and the tenant is told when it is resolved. August doesn't assign contractors or track quotes, so you still book the trade yourself.
A worked example
A landlord in Derby has 5 flats and gets about 6 repair reports a month by text and phone. They move all reports into August's tenant app, keep their phone number for emergencies, and book contractors as before.
Before
About 6 reports a month at 15 minutes each to collect photos and details: 90 minutes
After
About 6 reports a month at 5 minutes each to read and arrange: 30 minutes
What it's worth
About $40£30€36A$58C$56 a month saved, against a $16£12€14A$23C$23 to $20£15€18A$29C$28 cost. That is 1 hour a month (90 minutes down to 30), valued at $40£30€36A$58C$56 an hour. Portfolio is $19.94£14.99€17.84A$28.78C$28.18 a month for up to 6 properties, about $16£12€14A$23C$23 billed annually; if you already pay for August for certificate reminders, this costs nothing extra.
How to set it up
- Set up each property and tenancy in August and invite your tenants to the free tenant app.
- Tell tenants in writing that gas smells, floods, electrical danger and anything unsafe must be phoned in straight away, as well as logged in the app.
- Turn on notifications on your phone so new requests reach you the same day.
- Mark each request in progress once the contractor is booked, and resolved once it is fixed, so the tenant gets the update.
- Once a month, look for anything open longer than two weeks and chase it.
What goes wrong
- August doesn't assign contractors or track quotes. You still find, book and chase trades by phone or message.
- Not every tenant will use an app. Keep a phone number for anyone who can't, and log their reports in August yourself so the record is complete.
- Automatic emergency flagging works on some words, not every emergency. Tenants must have a phone number for anything dangerous.
- The free plan covers only 2 tenancies and 1 property; 5 flats need Portfolio at $19.94£14.99€17.84A$28.78C$28.18 a month.