Send Tenant Communications | RentMouse

Coordinate tenant messaging across channels—direct messages, announcements, email, and SMS—from a single RentMouse workspace. Build templates, schedule updates, and measure engagement while staying compliant with opt-out rules.

At a Glance#

Who it’s for: Property managers, leasing staff, and communications specialists.
Time to complete: Initial setup 30 minutes; ongoing campaigns vary by scope.
Prerequisites: Tenant records with valid emails/phone numbers, verified sending domain, and communications permissions.

What You Can Do#

Send 1:1 and bulk messages to tenants via email, SMS, and in-portal notifications.
Publish announcements targeted by property, building, or tenant tag.
Automate reminders for payments, maintenance, and policy updates.
Build reusable templates with personalization tokens and compliance messaging.
Monitor delivery, open, click, and acknowledgment metrics.

Before You Begin#

Permissions: Requires communications.manage. Owners inherit this permission automatically.
Domain verification: Authenticate your sending domain under Settings ▸ Communications to improve deliverability.
Opt-out compliance: Ensure tenant consent for SMS; US SMS campaigns must include opt-out instructions and respect TCPA rules.
Data hygiene: Update tenant contact details in /help/tenant-portal-login-help onboarding flows.

Step-by-Step#

Breadcrumb: Communications ▸ Inbox

Manage direct messages
Open the Inbox to view tenant threads. Assign conversations, tag for context, and reply using saved snippets. Toggle Mark as priority for urgent issues.

Breadcrumb: Communications ▸ Announcements

Publish announcements
Click New announcement, select delivery channels (portal, email, SMS), target properties or tenant tags, add rich-text content, attach files, and schedule or send immediately. Mark critical announcements to require acknowledgment.

Breadcrumb: Communications ▸ Campaigns

Build recurring campaigns
Use Campaigns to create sequences (e.g., rent reminders). Choose triggers (three days before rent due), select templates, and define channel priority. Save and activate to automate delivery.

Breadcrumb: Communications ▸ Templates

Create reusable templates
In Templates, click Create template, choose message type, add subject lines, body content, and tokens such as {tenant.firstName} or {invoice.amountDue}. Assign categories for easy filtering.

Breadcrumb: Communications ▸ Audience

Segment audiences
Build segments based on property, unit type, lease status, tags, or payment behavior. Save segments (e.g., "Auto-pay opt-outs") to reuse in announcements and campaigns.

Breadcrumb: Communications ▸ Analytics

Review engagement metrics
Monitor delivery, open, click, and acknowledgment rates. Drill down to message-level detail or export CSV. Address bounced contact info promptly.

Breadcrumb: Communications ▸ Settings

Configure compliance settings
Set quiet hours for SMS, customize opt-out footer text, and map reply forwarding to support inboxes. Enable double opt-in for SMS in regions requiring explicit consent.

Operational Checklist#

Review the Inbox each morning; assign high-priority threads to team members.
Send monthly community updates via Announcements and link to /help/tenant-portal-login-help for portal support.
Audit template library quarterly to ensure policy language remains current.
Sync with finance to align rent reminders with /help/manage-rent-invoices.
Encourage adoption of /help/pay-rent-online and /help/tenant-autopay in messaging sequences.

Screenshots & Media#

rm-communications-inbox-step1-v1.png — Alt: “Inbox view with tenant thread list and assignment options”; Title: “Manage tenant inbox”; Description: Show thread list, assignment dropdown, and message composer; Caption: “Assign conversations and reply with snippets in the Inbox.”
rm-communications-announcement-step2-v1.png — Alt: “Announcement editor with channel toggles and scheduling options”; Title: “Publish announcement”; Description: Highlight channel toggles, target filters, and schedule picker; Caption: “Send announcements to selected properties and channels.”
rm-communications-campaign-step3-v1.png — Alt: “Campaign builder with trigger and sequence timeline”; Title: “Build recurring campaign”; Description: Display trigger configuration and message sequence; Caption: “Automate reminders with multi-step campaigns.”
rm-communications-template-step4-v1.png — Alt: “Template editor showing personalization tokens”; Title: “Create template”; Description: Include token selector and preview; Caption: “Create templates with personalization tokens and categories.”
rm-communications-audience-step5-v1.png — Alt: “Audience segment builder with filters for property and tags”; Title: “Segment audiences”; Description: Show filter fields and save segment button; Caption: “Build reusable segments for targeted messaging.”
rm-communications-analytics-step6-v1.png — Alt: “Analytics dashboard with delivery and open rate charts”; Title: “Communications analytics”; Description: Provide KPI cards and chart; Caption: “Track delivery, open, and acknowledgment metrics.”
rm-communications-settings-step7-v1.png — Alt: “Compliance settings screen with quiet hours and opt-out text fields”; Title: “Configure compliance settings”; Description: Highlight quiet hours, opt-out text, and double opt-in toggle; Caption: “Enforce quiet hours and compliance messaging.”

Troubleshooting#

Symptom	Likely cause	Fix
Messages failing to send	Sending domain not verified or throttle exceeded	Verify domain, reduce batch size, and retry after throttle resets.
SMS replies not visible	Reply forwarding disabled or phone number mismatch	Enable reply forwarding in Settings and confirm the correct phone number is assigned.
Announcement not showing in portal	Announcement scheduled for future or target filters exclude tenant	Check publish time and ensure the tenant meets targeting criteria.
Campaign duplicate sends	Multiple triggers overlap (e.g., draft invoice + posted)	Review triggers, consolidate events, and disable overlapping campaigns.
High bounce rate	Outdated contact data or spam filters	Update tenant contact info, warm up domain, and adjust subject lines for clarity.

FAQ#

Can I send attachments via SMS?
Yes. Attachments convert to secure links for SMS delivery. Large files (>10 MB) may compress or require portal download.

How do I ensure tenants acknowledge critical notices?
Mark announcements as Requires acknowledgment. Tenants see a modal in the portal and must click Accept; the acknowledgment timestamp logs in analytics.

Can I integrate external helpdesk tools?
Yes. Configure webhooks or Zapier integrations to sync Inbox threads with your helpdesk while keeping sensitive data in RentMouse.

Do tenants see internal notes?
No. Internal notes remain hidden from tenants and are visible only to staff with communications access.

How do I comply with regional SMS regulations?
Use compliance settings to define quiet hours and automatic opt-out messaging. For US tenants, include "Reply STOP to unsubscribe" in every SMS. For Canadian tenants, ensure bilingual opt-out instructions if applicable.

Can I allow tenants to reply via email?
Yes. Enable reply-to forwarding so tenant replies land in your shared support inbox while staying tracked in RentMouse.

Security & Privacy Notes#

Tenant communication data is encrypted at rest; only authorized communicators can view message history.
Opt-out requests immediately prevent additional SMS/email sends until re-consent is captured.
Attachments scan for malware before delivery; flagged items are quarantined for review.
Feature flag communications_hub_v2 unlocks campaigns, analytics, and compliance settings.

Version & Region#

Feature flag: communications_hub_v2
Last verified build: RentMouse web 2025.10.28
Last verified date: 2025-11-01
Supported regions: United States (TCPA compliance tools), Canada (CASL compliance tools)

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