We know that a well-maintained home is essential to your comfort, and we’re here to help! This guide provides clear, step-by-step information on a variety of maintenance topics—from troubleshooting common issues to understanding the repair process. 

Overview

Maintenance Request Guides

Latchel

How to Approve or Deny a Duplicate Work Order

Emergency Outbound Communication Process

**On-call** is designed to provide a top-tier maintenance intake experience for multi-family customers.

How to Set-up an On-Call Rotation

A **Latchel Contracted Network Service (LCN)** Provider can be assigned to a work order if all Preferred Service Providers are unavailable, or if they have to reject the job for some reason, and all of them have been exhausted.

How to Opt-In to the Latchel Contractor Network

Opting out of the Latchel Contracted Network allows you to focus on assigning work orders exclusively to your Preferred Service Provider list. Here's how you can do this.

How to Opt-Out of Latchel Contractor Network

_**If the work order status is Waiting for PM**_, you will have the option of changing the status to **Cancel the Work Order**, **Mark it as Completed**, and or **Confirm a New Work Date**.

How to Update Status of Work Orders on Waiting for PM

When managing work orders, particularly when residents report various issues, it's essential to distinguish between two specific types of work orders: duplicates and recalls. Let's explore the differences between these two types of work orders in this guide!

Duplicate vs. Recall Work Order: Know their Difference

From your dashboard click **People** and select **Residents**.

How to Access and View a Resident Public Dashboard

You can provide an escalation path through your defined contacts in the event that an emergency request needs to be escalated. You can add multiple contacts to this field, in the order in which you want the contacts to be called. We will call each contact 3 times and leave a voicemail before sending a final email.

How to Update Your Escalation Contacts

To gain a comprehensive understanding of Latchel's integrations, feel free to explore the different help guides provided below based on your property management software: 

Comprehensive Integration Guides

This help guide will provide you with the basic steps to set up your **Yardi Voyager interface with Latchel**. As an approved Yardi standard interfaces vendor, Latchel ensures that your property and resident data are always up-to-date, making your service requests seamless and organized. To learn more about how Latchel's interface works, visit our overview page for **[how Latchel keeps your data in sync](/s/topic/0TO5e000000h9wqGAA/How-Latchel-Integration-Works)**.

Yardi Voyager Standard Interfaces Setup

This help guide aims to establish a systematic and equitable refund and service process that will make the decision making process transparent and fair for both Latchel and the Property Manager.

Latchel Guarantee and Refund Request Policy

This help guide will walk you through the simple steps on how you can add and remove/disable company users in your Latchel Account Settings. Let's get started!

How to Add and Remove Company User

The purpose of this guide is to help users navigate the different choices accessible in the **Latchel Data Sync Extension**.

Navigating the Latchel Data Sync Extension

It's important to follow these steps in sequence:

How to Download and Activate the Latchel Data Sync

This guide is designed to clarify when a Latchel Associate will escalate issues to the property management company’s emergency contacts.

Emergency Escalations: Property Damaging and Extreme Habitability Situations

This help guide will provide general information on different actions you can take as a property manager once an invoice is in **Needs Approval** status. Let's check out.

Taking Action on Needs Approval Invoices

This guide offers insights into the **Invoice Auto-Approval Threshold** and its applicability. Let's explore this feature!

Understanding the Invoice Auto-Approval Threshold

This help guide will walk you through updating the schedule of a work order that is in a **Waiting for Materials** status. Additionally, it will show you how to send a reminder to the service provider if you are uncertain of the service provider's availability.

Updating Work Order on Waiting For Materials Status (New Experience)

Finding invoices in the Latchel Dashboard is a breeze. You can quickly **search and filter** to locate the exact invoice you need, making your financial management simpler and more efficient!

Methods of Searching Invoices

Typically, emergency work orders are issues that could potentially cause property damage or pose an extreme habitability issue for the resident or the property; otherwise, it will be tagged as non-emergency. As a Property Manager, you can configure job severity and responsibility settings from your Latchel portal.

Overview of Work Order Life Cycle

Rent Manager Integration Reference Guide

Managing the Invoice Auto-Approval Threshold

Comprehensive Work Order Guide (New Experience)

To select the desired work order, from the dashboard, click on the **Maintenance tab**, and open the work order by either searching and/or clicking the specific order number.

How to View Resident Work Order Links (New Experience)

When a Work Order is created and there is no severity setting for that problem/location combination, the work order will default to **Needs PM Approval** and a severity setting will need to be applied for this to not recur in the future. To set this up, follow the instructions below: 

How to Add a New Problem/Location Setting From the Work Order Page (New Experience)

From your **Dashboard**, click the **Maintenance** dropdown and select **Work Orders**.

How to Change the User Notification Group via Work Order (New Experience)

To add a file to a work order, follow these steps:

How to Upload Files to a Work Order for Property Manager (New Experience)

Previously, Property managers have to contact Latchel to adjust the severity settings of a work order, but with the latest improvement, Property managers are now empowered to do it at their own convenience.

How to Change the Severity Settings on a Work Order

A work order can be placed on hold for several reasons and can go in almost any direction once the next update is provided. Latchel provides the following options once you’re ready to get the work order moving again.

How to Take Action When a Work Order Is Pending (New Experience)

To access the work order page, click the **Maintenance** drop-down from your dashboard and hit **Work Order**.

How to Reopen a Work Order (New Experience)

Work Order Status Definitions (Maintenance Page Overview) (New Experience)

How to Submit a New Work Order

Latchel creates tasks when an action is required to move a job forward. Alternatively, tasks can be created by you and are for you and your team to manage action items.

How to Defer a Task (New Experience)

Tasks are essentially the **To Do** items for a work order. They should be used to describe future actions that will be taken by your internal team, owners, preferred vendors, or residents to progress the work order. Both existing and newly created tasks will automatically appear on the Task Page.

How to Create a Task (New Experience)

At the center of your Latchel Dashboard, you will find the **Action Required** bin/bank which contains the open task.

How to Complete a Task (New Experience)

How to Assign and Reassign Service Providers on Work Order (New Experience)

Unlike our integrations for other platforms, the **Chrome Plugin** doesn’t have the concept of an initial sync. Therefore every sync can be considered a subsequent sync, which will look for any data that was created or updated within the last 72 hours.

Latchel Data Sync Extension Reference Guide

Once the integration is active, it will allow groupings of properties. Latchel supports enterprise accounts as long as all the properties the property manager wants to sync with Latchel are in a single location. Latchel does not currently support syncing across multiple locations.

Propertyware Integration Reference Guide

Invoicing and Handling Payments for Service Providers

On your Latchel dashboard, click the **initial icon** located at the right corner of the page, and then select **Account Settings** from the dropdown.

How to Turn on Preferred Service Provider Payments

Here are the steps to install the **Latchel Data Extension**. Please make sure you are using a **Chrome browser** before executing the steps listed in this guide.

How to Install the Latchel Data Sync Extension

The **Latchel Vendor Network** is composed of extensive service provider companies from across the nation, many of which have only recently joined forces with Latchel to handle work orders for residents and property managers/owners.

Enabling Latchel Vendor Network Via Work Order

Navigating Your Preferred Service Provider's Profile

Managing Your Portfolios

Property managers and owners may opt for Latchel Contracted Network Service Providers to handle their maintenance jobs.

Setting Up Latchel Contracted Network (LCN) Preferences

As a Property Manager, you can provide instructions for the Latchel team to follow before dispatching a service provider occurs.

Setting Up Pre-Dispatch Instructions with Latchel

Keep track of pictures, invoices, receipts, and other files from a work order. Here's how you can download or manage files from a work order.

How to Download or Manage Files from Work Orders (New Experience)

How to Change the Service Provider on a Work Order (New Experience)

The approved budget on the work order is visible to the assigned Service Provider. Changes to this budget will be seen by the Service Provider and logged on the work order for verifying budget changes.

How to Update the Approved Budget on an Active Work Order (New Experience)

From your Dashboard, click the **Maintenance** dropdown and select **Work Orders**.

How to Provide Permission for Service Provider to Access Property for a Work Order (New Experience)

From your Dashboard, click the **Maintenance** dropdown and select **Work Orders**. Now to select the desired work order, use the Search Bar, then click on the Work Order ID on the Work Order page. You can also use the Filter option for easy searching.

How to Enable Service Provider Locked-In on a Work Order (New Experience)

Latchel SMS provides several advantages for you if you wish to improve customer relations and communication flow. These SMS messages are sent from your **Latchel Communication Phone Number**. This number can be found on your account under **Maintenance Communication Settings**.

How To Send SMS Messages From Latchel

As a property manager, you can add move-in and move-out dates for each resident. To do this, you will first need to add property and resident data to your Latchel portal.

How to Add Resident's Move-In/Move-Out Dates

User Groups define a group that will receive emails when a job alert is triggered. You can create one or multiple groups wherein each group may have members belonging to another group.

How to Create User Groups

This guide will provide you with the steps on how to copy the Service Provider prioritization of the company or the portfolio.

How to Copy Company or Portfolio Service Provider Prioritization

To find the work order from which you need to download the invoices, there are 2 possible ways:

How to Download a Work Order Invoice (New Experience)

This field updates in real-time so the Service Provider will see this information the next time they view the job details.

How to Add or Update Service Provider Instructions on a Work Order (New Experience)

The description of a work order is crucial for Service Providers to understand the problem that needs to be addressed. It provides a summary of the responses to the diagnostic flow completed during the work order creation. Moreover, a **Special Note** will provide other additional information on how a work order must be treated or considered.

How to Add a Special Note to a Work Order (New Experience)

To select the desired work order, from your Latchel dashboard, go to the **Maintenance tab** and click on **Work Orders.**  Search and select the work order that you want to work on. Use the Search Bar then click on the Work Order ID.

How to Set a Work Order as Mandatory (New Experience)

How to Update the Skill Required on a Work Order (New Experience)

If the work order status is Scheduling with Service Provider, then you will have the option to **Schedule Now** or **Remind Service Provider**.

How to Update the Work Order Status (i.e. to Scheduling, Pending, Completed, Canceled) - (New Experience)

How to Change a Work Order Number (New Experience)

This help guide aims to provide an informative and customizable maintenance awareness to Property Managers and Admin users.

How to Use the Filter Options in the Work Order Tab Page

From the dashboard, click on **Maintenance**, open the work order by either **searching and/or clicking the specific order number**.

How to Update a Work Order Title (New Experience)

To upload an invoice on a work order, follow these simple steps.

How to Add Invoices (New Experience)

From the dashboard, click on**Maintenance**, and open the work order by either **searching and/or clicking the specific order number**. You can also use the **Filter** and **Clear Filters** option for a more refined search. To learn more about how to use the **Filter**, check out this help guide: **[How to Use the Filter Options in the Work Order Tab Page.](/s/topic/0TO5e000000h9wqGAA/How-to-Use-the-Filter-Options-in-the-Work-Order-Tab-Page)**

How to Access & Read Call Logs (New Experience)

How to Cancel a Work Order (New Experience)

In line with our continuing dedication to accelerating and simplifying navigation within the Latchel dashboard, we've enhanced the work order search functionality.

Quick Search Box for Work Orders

The property on a Work Order is used to reflect what address Latchel is coordinating the request on. 

How to Change the Property on a Work Order (New Experience)

Similar to phone calls, a video can be tagged to a work order too.

How to Tag Video Calls to a Work Order (New Experience)

As an owner, staying informed about maintenance and managing property approvals brings an added layer of excitement to your responsibilities!

A Property Owner's Guide in Managing Work Orders

Property managers or administrators may have their preferences when it comes to viewing or checking on work orders. Here is an overview of how to navigate the work order page.

The Work Order Page

Latchel has recently entered into a strategic partnership with RentCheck, aiming to enhance and streamline operational workflows. This collaboration emphasizes the identification and efficient handling of maintenance issues that come up during RentCheck inspections.

RentCheck Integration

**Latchel's Starter** feature is a **self-service option** designed for property companies and managers. It offers a firsthand experience of how Latchel operates, particularly valuable for managers overseeing properties with fewer than 50 units. Having had this enriching experience, you are then ideally placed to make an informed decision about signing up completely with Latchel.

Self-Signup - Latchel Standard

Handling an emergency work order is a high-priority task where all parties involved - be it a resident, a Latchel Admin, or a Property Manager - receive priority service. This guide will outline how to handle a resident-initiated emergency work order.

Emergency Process Quick Guide

These communication channels will help ensure you have the fastest response from our Latchel team.

How to Contact Latchel

As a Property Manager, you have the valuable feature of reviewing the price estimates and bids submitted by Service Providers. You have the flexibility to thoroughly assess and decide whether to approve the budget based on the specific requirements of the work order.

How to Approve or Deny an Estimate or a Bid

As a property manager you can either grant the service provider access to the property if the resident is not available, send a reminder of the work order, or add another schedule for the resident.

How to Update the Resident's Availability

Right now, our platform doesn't have a direct feature for property managers to resend emails of work order details to service providers.

How to Resend the Work Order Details to the Service Provider

How to Filter SMS by Portfolio

There are situations where a resident might just respond with **Thank you** and **doesn't require a response** from the Property Manager.

End SMS Conversation Without Assigning It to Property Managers

Managing Severity and Responsibility Settings

From your Latchel Dashboard, click the **initials of your account** located at the top right corner. And on the dropdown, select **Account Settings**.

How to Edit Existing Severity and Responsibility Preset

On your dashboard you will notice that there is a new **Tools** menu, nested in this menu you will find the section for **Invoices**, **Reports**, and **Skill Categories**.

Navigating the New Tool Tab in the Latchel Dashboard

Property managers can now receive webhook data when a **job**, **portfolio**, **property**, **resident**, **invoice**, **file**, and **owner** is either created or updated.

The Webhook Subscription

Maintenance Automation: Emergency vs. Non-Emergency

Prior to this update, the process for Property Managers to ask Service Providers for bids was very cumbersome and manual but worry no more, this update will allow Property Managers to create and manage bid requests in a streamlined way to help them feel confident that they are choosing the best Service Provider and price for the job.

How to Create and View a Bid Request for a Property

If the Service Provider is set as VIP it can accept a job without scheduling an arrival time.

How to Set Service Provider as a VIP Preferred Service Provider

From the Latchel dashboard home page, click on the user profile and choose **Help Center** from the drop-down.

How to Access the Help Center Through Your Latchel Dashboard

Portal Settings are Latchel account settings where you can customize your company logo and color, and most importantly, this is where you can add your maintenance URL and Resident Review URL.

Configuring Portal Settings

From the work order page, find the **Summary** from the **Quick View**. To open summary information, click on the **arrow down**.

How to Update the Work Order Summary

We at Latchel have the ability to synchronize data between the Latchel platform to many third-party Property management software, and this help guide will focus more on how **Latchel Integration** works as well as its functionalities.

How Latchel Integration Works

Through this Help Guide, property managers will learn how to delete portfolios that are no longer needed.

How to Delete a Portfolio

You can now view a transcript of all SMS conversations that have been tagged to a work order.

SMS Transcripts

To remove a service provider from your priority list of a skill category, follow the steps below!

How to Remove a Preferred Service Provider (Priority List)

An **LCN (Latchel Contracted Network) Service Provider** can be assigned to a work order if all Preferred Service Providers are unavailable, or if they have to reject the job for some reason, and all of them have been exhausted.

How to Assign a Latchel Contracted Network Service Provider (New Experience)

To change your password, click the **arrow down** beside your user icon at the top right corner of your dashboard. Then, select **Account Settings**.

How to Change/Reset the Password of a Latchel User's Login

After you logged in to Latchel, click the **arrow down** beside your user icon at the top right corner of your dashboard. Then, click **Account Settings**.

How to Update a Company User's Contact Information

We're here to make managing your home as smooth as possible. Whether you need help submitting a work request, understanding maintenance processes, or learning about our services, you're in the right place.  Explore our resident help articles category below to quickly find answers, or use the search bar to locate specific topics.

Resident Help Guides

Latchel is here to help with the coordination and scheduling of service requests. And you can do this as a resident by accessing your dashboard.

Resident Dashboard Overview

To help you understand Latchel better, please refer to these guides:

Comprehensive Resident Help Guides

How to Reject a Work Order (Service Provider)

This help guide consists of different lists of guidelines meant to help you as a service provider.

Comprehensive Service Provider Guides

Exciting news for Service Providers! With the Latchel portal, you can easily access and view all jobs, providing updates to keep things moving smoothly.

Accessing Your Latchel Portal (Service Providers)

As a Service Provider, when you access your dashboard, you'll be taken to the public dashboard where you can see four columns showing the **Action Required**, **Awaiting Work Date**, **In Progress**, and **Done** status.