- You have a LeaseBase owner account with at least one property and unit.
- Your tenant has submitted a maintenance request (or you can create one manually).
Maintenance vs. Maintenance Pro
Every LeaseBase account includes core maintenance management. The Maintenance Pro add-on ($29/mo + $1/unit) unlocks AI-powered automation and intelligence to save you time and make smarter decisions.
Included with every plan
- ✓ Create and manage work orders
- ✓ Assign vendors or handle it yourself
- ✓ Comments, timeline, and status tracking
- ✓ Approve and reject vendor quotes
- ✓ Cost tracking (estimated and actual)
- ✓ Record vendor payments
- ✓ Dispatch preferences
Maintenance Pro add-on
- ⭐ AI triage and risk assessment
- ⭐ Vendor directory and management
- ⭐ Find Local Vendors near your property
- ⭐ Photo and document attachments
- ⭐ SMS dispatch to vendors
- ⭐ AI cost estimates and vendor recommendations
- ⭐ Analytics dashboard
- ⭐ Auto-escalation for emergencies
Review the incoming request
When a tenant submits a maintenance request, you receive an email notification. Open Repairs in the sidebar to see all requests. Each card shows the category, priority, property, unit, and submission date.
With Maintenance Pro, you also see an AI-generated risk assessment card with risk level, habitability flag, confidence score, and recommended response time.
Assign a vendor or handle it yourself
Open the request detail. Under Assignee, choose Vendor or Manual.
- Vendor — Select an existing vendor from the dropdown and click Assign. The request status changes to ASSIGNED and the tenant is notified.
- Manual — Enter a name (yourself, a handyman, etc.) and click Assign. Useful when you don’t need a formal vendor workflow.
With Maintenance Pro, you can also click Find Local Vendors to search Google for top-rated service providers near the property, then select one directly.
Wait for the vendor quote
After assignment, the vendor receives an email with the work order details. They can acknowledge the assignment and submit a cost estimate through their vendor portal.
You receive a notification when the quote arrives. The request detail shows a quote card with the amount and any notes from the vendor.
Approve or reject the quote
Review the quote card on the request detail page. You have two options:
- Approve Quote — Authorizes the vendor to start work. The status moves to IN_PROGRESS.
- Reject Quote — Declines with a reason. You can reassign to a different vendor.
Track costs and monitor progress
Use the Cost Tracking section to record the estimated and actual cost of the repair. The vendor updates the status to In Progress and then Completed as work proceeds. Both you and the tenant receive notifications at each step.
The Activity timeline records every event in chronological order: submission, assignment, acknowledgment, quote, approval, progress updates, and completion.
Record vendor payment and close
After the vendor completes the work and you verify it, record the payment in the Vendor Payment section. Select the payment method (bank transfer, check, cash, Venmo, Zelle), enter an optional reference number, and click Record Payment.
Recording the payment automatically closes the work order. The tenant is notified that their maintenance request has been resolved.
Common questions
What’s included in basic maintenance vs. Maintenance Pro?
Every LeaseBase account includes work order management, vendor assignment, quote approval, cost tracking, and vendor payments. Maintenance Pro adds AI triage, vendor directory with local vendor discovery, photo attachments, SMS dispatch, cost estimates, analytics, and auto-escalation for emergencies. See the full comparison above.
Can I assign a vendor who isn’t in the system?
Yes. Use the Manual tab to assign anyone by name without them having a LeaseBase account. They won’t get portal access, but the assignment and full timeline are tracked.
What happens if the vendor doesn’t respond?
You can reassign the work order to a different vendor at any time from the request detail page. With Maintenance Pro, stale assignments are automatically flagged and emergency requests are auto-escalated.
How do I handle an emergency request?
Emergency requests are flagged with URGENT priority and a habitability risk assessment. With Maintenance Pro, emergencies trigger auto-escalation alerts every 30 minutes until acknowledged. Without Pro, you still see the priority and can act immediately. Learn more about emergency handling →
Can I track how much I’m spending on maintenance?
Yes. Every work order has estimated and actual cost fields. You can record costs at any time. Vendor payments are also tracked per work order with method and reference number. With Maintenance Pro, you get an analytics dashboard showing total spend, average cost per category, and response times.
Do vendors need a LeaseBase account?
No. Vendors receive work orders via email and can accept, submit quotes, and update status through a secure magic link — no account or app required. With Maintenance Pro, you can also dispatch jobs via SMS.
How do I find a good vendor?
With Maintenance Pro, click “Find Local Vendors” on any work order to search Google for top-rated service providers near the property. Results include ratings, reviews, phone numbers, and websites. Select one to add them to your vendor directory and assign them in one click.