Rental Property Maintenance Tracking: Work Orders
Estavo’s maintenance request system is a work order tracker for self-managing landlords. Log any repair or maintenance issue at any unit, assign it to a vendor, track it from Open through In Progress to Completed, attach before/after photos, and link the cost to your expense ledger — all from your phone while you’re at the property.
No separate maintenance app required. Work orders live alongside your financial records, so the repair cost flows directly into your Money ledger and Schedule E reporting.
Creating a Maintenance Request
Go to Work → New request
Or open the property in Portfolio, click a unit, and tap New request from the unit detail.
Fill in the work order
| Field | Notes |
|---|---|
| Unit | Which rental unit needs work |
| Title | Short, specific description: “HVAC not cooling – Unit 2”, “Leaking faucet – master bath”, “Front door lock stuck” |
| Description | What’s wrong, when it started, anything you’ve already tried. More detail helps the vendor understand the scope. |
| Priority | Low · Normal · High · Urgent |
| Photos | Attach from your camera roll or take a photo right now (on mobile) |
Save
The request is created with status Open and is immediately visible to all team members with Work access (Owner, Manager, Maintenance roles).
Priority Levels
Setting the right priority helps you and your team triage across multiple open requests.
| Priority | When to use | Expected response |
|---|---|---|
| Urgent | Affects safety, habitability, or a guest’s immediate experience: no heat in winter, flooding, smoke detector failure, security breach | Within hours |
| High | Needs attention within 24–48 hours: HVAC not working (but weather is mild), broken appliance, plumbing issue with a workaround, lock problem | Within 48 hours |
| Normal | Needs attention within a week: cosmetic damage, minor appliance issue, non-critical repair | Within a week |
| Low | Non-urgent, schedule when convenient: minor cosmetic issue, a wish-list improvement | When convenient |
Status Flow
Every maintenance request has four possible statuses:
Open → In Progress → Completed
↓
Cancelled
↓
Open (reopened)| Status | What it means |
|---|---|
| Open | Logged, not yet assigned or started |
| In Progress | Vendor assigned, work underway |
| Completed | Work finished, cost logged, request closed |
| Cancelled | Decided not to proceed — preserved in history |
Status transitions from the request card’s dropdown:
- Open → In Progress · Cancelled
- In Progress → Completed · Open
- Cancelled → Open (reopen if you change your mind)
- Completed → (closed; no further transitions)
There’s no auto-advancement — status only changes when you change it.
Assigning a Vendor
Once you know who will do the work:
- Open the request
- Click Assign vendor
- Select from your vendor list — or add the vendor first if they’re new
- Optionally note the agreed scope: “Scheduled Thurs 2pm, quoted $250”
The status moves to In Progress when a vendor is assigned.
Completing a Request and Logging the Cost
Open the completed request
Log the expense
Click Log expense to record what the repair actually cost.
| Field | What to enter |
|---|---|
| Amount | What you paid (labor + parts combined) |
| Category | Repairs for most maintenance; or Cleaning and maintenance for cleaning/upkeep work |
| Date | When you paid the invoice |
| Description | Auto-filled from the request title — edit if needed |
Click Save expense. This creates a debit transaction in the Money ledger, linked to this maintenance request. The repair cost now appears in your financial records and Schedule E reporting automatically.
Add completion notes
Optional but recommended: what was done, what was replaced, any warranty on the work, vendor invoice number.
Mark as Completed
Click Mark completed. The request is archived. The linked expense remains in your Money ledger permanently.
Completed requests are never deleted — they build a permanent maintenance history for each unit. This history is valuable when you’re selling a property, disputing a tenant security deposit, or filing an insurance claim.
Photo Attachments: Documenting Repairs
Attach photos at any stage:
| When | What to capture | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| When logging the issue | The damage before any work | Evidence for insurance claims, warranty claims, or security deposit disputes |
| During work | Progress photos for major projects | Confirms scope of work and progress |
| After completion | The finished repair | Before/after documentation; proof work was done |
On mobile: Tap Take photo to use your camera directly. The Estavo PWA supports camera access without any app installation — just install it to your home screen from your browser. See Mobile & PWA.
On desktop: Click Attach photo and upload, or drag and drop.
Photos are stored securely in S3-compatible storage with 15-minute presigned URLs. They’re never publicly accessible.
Reopening a Request
If the fix didn’t hold or the issue returned:
- Open the completed request
- Click Reopen — the status returns to Open
- Add a note explaining why: “HVAC repaired but still not cooling – calling vendor back”
- The original expense stays in Money; log a new expense if additional work is needed
Viewing Maintenance History per Unit
From Portfolio → [property] → [unit] → click the Work tab.
This shows the complete repair history for that unit — every work order ever created, sorted by date. This history is useful:
- When disputing a security deposit: show documented repairs you made
- When selling a property: demonstrate maintenance track record
- When a tenant claims an issue has existed for years: check when it was first logged
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I log a maintenance expense without creating a work order?
Yes — just go to Money → Add transaction → Debit → Repairs and enter the amount. Work orders are optional. They’re valuable for tracking status, attaching photos, and building a maintenance history, but they’re not required to record an expense.
Can tenants submit maintenance requests directly?
Currently, maintenance requests are created by your team (Owner, Manager, or Maintenance role). Tenant-submitted work orders (tenant portal) are on the product roadmap.
What happens to the work order if I change the vendor?
Open the request → click Assign vendor again and select a different vendor. The previous vendor assignment is updated. The new vendor’s work history will include this request.
Can I see all open maintenance requests across all my properties at once?
Yes — the Work view defaults to showing all requests across your portfolio, sorted by priority and date. Filter by Status: Open or Status: In Progress to see only active requests. Filter by property to narrow to a specific location.
What if multiple vendors work on the same request?
A maintenance request has one assigned vendor. If multiple vendors contributed, assign the primary vendor to the request and log separate expense transactions for each vendor’s cost from within the same work order. Each expense appears in Money linked to the request.