May 5, 2025
The following are the Latchel updates for the week of May 5, 2025.
New Features
- Projects Now Live for Everyone!
Latchel Projects Video Tutorial: Start from Here!
We’ve rolled out the Projects feature to all Autopilot customers! Easily group & track related work orders together in Latchel. Perfect for Unit Turns, Renovations and more!
What are Available in Projects:
- Create Work Orders from Projects: No need to jump around—create work orders directly within a Project.
- Optional Property Assignment: Link a property to pre-fill details and speed up work order creation.
- Visual Alerts: Overdue or over-budget Projects are now flagged in red.
- Completed Projects Filter: Quickly sort between active and completed Projects.
- Custom Categories: Create and reuse your own categories for better organization.
- Add Project to Work Order: Quickly tag a Project from the work order page.
To know more about Latchel Projects, read:
Managing Latchel Projects
The Projects feature is designed to help you manage multi-step maintenance efforts. Let’s go over with this help guide to get you started!
- File Thumbnails for Work Orders
Preview images at a glance with file thumbnails, now live on all Work Order file uploads and file tabs.
No more guessing filenames—just scan the thumbnails to quickly find what you need, from photos and estimates to QR codes and receipts.
- Owner Denial Notifications for Property Managers
Property Managers will now receive a notification when an owner denies a work order or budget increase request.
Previously, these denials could go unnoticed, leading to canceled work orders and delays. Now, the work order will be flagged so PMs can take the necessary next steps and ensure nothing falls through the cracks.
Make sure you have task notifications turned on to receive these notifications! Here’s how to check:
- Go to your Account Settings.
- Click the Users tab.
- Click the specific user to check on the notification settings.
- Once on that user profile page, review the Contact Settings and confirm the Task notifications toggle is turned ON.
This update helps keep operations smooth and issues addressed without delay.
- Buildium Integration: 2-Way Work Order Sync!
Latchel users with Buildium Premium subscriptions or access to Buildium’s API can now have properties, residents and work orders fully sync between Latchel and Buildium!
For more information about Buildium Integration, check:
Buildium Integration Reference Guide
Overview of the Buildium integration and how it supports your maintenance and communication workflows.
Interested in activating the Buildium Integration? Mail success@latchel.com.
Resolved Bugs
AppFolio Work Orders Landing in the Wrong Stage
We’ve resolved an issue that affected how some AppFolio work orders synced into Latchel.
The Issue:
Some work orders were incorrectly starting in “Finding Service Provider” instead of “Diagnosing Issue.” Residents weren’t prompted to answer diagnostic questions, and a maintenance problem wasn’t assigned, preventing the system from matching the job to the right vendor.
The Fix:
Work orders will now only start in “Finding Service Provider” if the synced AppFolio job is marked as vacant. For properties with residents, work orders will correctly start in “Diagnosing Issue” so we can collect all needed details upfront and ensure a smooth, efficient workflow.
Key Process Changes
- Updated Troubleshooting for Clogged Drains
We’ve added a new step to the Clogged Sink Drain troubleshooting questions. If the trap was removed with the resident’s permission, Latchel now provides clear guidance on reattaching it safely, helping prevent leaks and property damage. This ensures safer, more reliable fixes.
- Property Enablement Process Update
We’ve updated how we handle property activation requests to reduce delays and keep your operations running smoothly.
What’s new:
If the request comes from an unlisted Property Manager, we’ll escalate it to the Success Team to confirm authorization before proceeding. (This ensures accuracy since billing is per property unit.)
Suggested Action:
Ensure all property management points of contact are listed as users in Latchel so we know they are authorized to add or activate units in Latchel.
Need to re-enable a previously disabled property? You don’t have to wait on us—you can do it yourself! Here’s how → How to Re-Enable a Property
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