COVID-19 Communication Protocol Templates for Property Managers

Whether or not you are an Aptly user, you can use the below communication templates as a starting point to establish communication protocol with your tenants, homeowners, and vendors amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

The below templates use merge fields formatted for Aptly composer boxes. Aptly users can copy and paste these by adding the text to their existing templates via the Communication settings page. We also recommend Aptly users use the bulk messaging feature on the Contacts page to mass email or text contacts using the contact type filters for targeted messaging:

Non-Aptly users can simply change the merge fields and manually enter names or change them to a generic greeting using your normal communication tool.

Vendors, Suppliers, Service Providers, Sales:

Subject: Help us help others: Communication during the COVID-19 crisis

Hi {{firstname}},

In light of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, we politely ask you cease any non-essential communication with our team so we can give our full attention on what has become an overwhelming amount of communication from our own customer base. 

You can help us help others by halting all emails, phone calls, and text messages for the time being unless explicitly asked for contact. 

This will allow critical communication from our customers to get attended to quickly by our team. As you can imagine, our inboxes and voicemails are filling up with customers concerned about their living situations; this cadence will only increase over time. 

Thank you in advance for your understanding,{{firstname}}. You’re playing a small role in helping our team and customers and for that, we’re truly appreciative. 

Thank you,

{{activeUserName}}

Homeowners:

Subject: Maintaining care of your property amid the COVID-19 crisis

Hi {{firstname}},

You are no doubt curious how the COVID-19 may affect your rental income considering your tenants may be exposed to the virus and face subsequent quarantine and loss of income. 

In severe cases, your tenants may need extended medical treatment or face layoffs amid potential future economic challenges.

Our team is currently working to connect with tenants to set a standard for communication underlining that it is absolutely critical to share any information that may prevent them from paying rent by the standard due date. Should we receive any such notification from your tenant(s), {{firstname}}, trust that you will be notified ASAP. 

We will also supply your tenants with information regarding economic relief for those affected by COVID-19. If your tenant(s) contacts our staff expressing economic troubles that may delay rent payment, we will ensure to make known all resources available to them and exhaust every effort to inform your tenant(s) of the available resources. 

Any additional feedback, questions, or concerns are welcome at any time. Please feel free to contact our office but do note, we are experiencing an unusually high volume of communication and will be slower to respond to your email or phone. 

Thank you for your understanding as we work together to maintain a level of both normalcy and compassion, {{firstname}}.

Thank you, 

{{activeUserName}}

Residents/Tenants:

Subject: Communication during the COVID-19 pandemic 

If you’ve recently emailed or called our office you may have noticed a longer than average response time. 

Delays in response may continue in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, our offices may be closed due to limited staffing and/or proactive self-quarantine. 

In efforts to attend to the most critical needs, COVID-19 related and otherwise, we politely ask you to be mindful of communication sent to our office. Responses and action will be prioritized based on urgency.

We urge you to communicate expected challenges paying rent amid this crisis. A member of our team will provide information on the most current resources that may be available to ease financial burdens. 

Please also be prepared to experience delays in non-critical maintenance repairs and parts on order. Many of these delays will be out of our control. 

We will continue to update you with important information as the COVID-19 pandemic — and it’s medical and economic impact — continues to evolve. 

Thank you, 

{{activeUserName}}

Other Communication Tools for Aptly Users

• Bulk text messaging can help relay critical information and alerts
• Public task management boards (Aptlets) can help your team collaborate on tasks, remote working or otherwise
• Contact alerts might help your team identify high-need tenants, tenants on payment arrangements, or other contact or location-specific items

Not using Aptly?

Aptly is a task management tool specifically designed for property teams. We integrate task boards with your inbox, phone, and property management software (PMS) giving teams a single place to collaborate and manage all work.

Contact us to get a free 30 day trial of Aptly and learn more about the future of work for property teams.