Review response templates for property managers

The maintenance-response complaint

"Three weeks with a broken AC." Readers are prospective tenants judging what happens after they sign. Answer with your actual maintenance process and timelines, not apologies alone.

Hi [REVIEWER_NAME], a [ISSUE, e.g. "broken AC"] waiting [DURATION] is not acceptable, and I'm sorry - our standard is [STANDARD, e.g. "24-hour response for urgent items, 72 hours for routine"], and we missed it here because [HONEST_REASON, e.g. "a parts delay we should have communicated"]. We've [CHANGE, e.g. "added status updates at every step of a work order"]. If anything is still open, call me directly: [PHONE]. - [YOUR_NAME], [ROLE]

Hi [REVIEWER_NAME], thank you for flagging this. Every request at [COMPANY_NAME] gets a work-order number the day it's submitted, and if yours didn't get tracked follow-ups, something broke in our process - I'm looking into it. Please send your unit and the request dates to [EMAIL], and I'll take the open items personally. - [YOUR_NAME], [ROLE]

The security-deposit dispute

The highest-emotion review in the industry. Deposit accounting is regulated and specific to the tenancy - point to the itemized statement and the dispute process rather than arguing charges in public.

Hi [REVIEWER_NAME], deposit deductions are documented in the itemized statement sent within [STATUTORY_WINDOW, e.g. "21 days"] of move-out, with photos, as [STATE] law requires. We don't discuss the specifics of any tenancy in public, but every deduction can be disputed: email [EMAIL] with your move-out address and we'll review the file together, item by item. - [YOUR_NAME], [ROLE]

Hi [REVIEWER_NAME], thanks for the feedback. Move-out charges at [COMPANY_NAME] come from the same checklist used at move-in, with photo documentation on both ends - that's what protects tenants as much as owners. If you believe a charge doesn't match the documentation, we want to see it too: [EMAIL], and we'll pull both inspection files.

The application-denial review

The riskiest response in the industry. Explaining why this applicant was denied can create fair-housing exposure; describe the uniform criteria, never the individual decision.

Hi [REVIEWER_NAME], thank you for the feedback. Every application at [COMPANY_NAME] is evaluated against the same written criteria - [CRITERIA_CATEGORIES, e.g. "income ratio, rental history, and screening results"] - published with each listing and applied in the order received. We don't discuss individual application decisions publicly, but applicants are entitled to [WHAT_THEY_GET, e.g. "an adverse-action notice explaining the category of the decision"]; if yours didn't arrive, contact [EMAIL].

Hi [REVIEWER_NAME], we take an accusation like this seriously. [COMPANY_NAME]'s screening uses identical written criteria for every applicant, in compliance with the Fair Housing Act, and our decisions are documented against those criteria. We can't discuss any individual application here, but we will review this one: please contact [CONTACT_NAME] at [PHONE] or [EMAIL] so it gets proper attention.

Full templates for these situations

• Responding to unfair reviews
• Apologizing without admitting fault
• Late response recovery