# Managing maintenance requests and vendor work orders for small landlords

By James Grokman, CEO, TapeAndFloat · 2026-10-25 · Canonical: https://pm.tapeandfloat.com/guides/maintenance-requests-work-orders.html

**A maintenance work order is a written instruction to a vendor: which unit, what problem, who to contact, a price limit and a due date. Logging every request matters because in Texas a landlord must make a diligent effort to repair conditions that materially affect health or safety after the tenant gives notice (Property Code [§ 92.052](https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/PR/htm/PR.92.htm)).**
**Not legal advice.** General information for small-office staff, current as of October 25, 2026. Texas statutes are cited as examples; your state and your contracts control the details.

## 1. One intake, every channel

Requests arrive by text, email, voicemail and the hallway. Log each one with date received, unit, tenant, problem, photos and urgency (emergency, 24-48 hours, routine).

## 2. Turn it into a work order

```
WO-118 | Unit 4B | Leak under kitchen sink
Tenant: J. Smith, (555) 010-0000, OK to enter with notice
Not-to-exceed: $300 without a call | Due: within 2 days
Vendor: ABC Plumbing | Send photos before/after with invoice
```

## 3. Follow up until closed

- Vendor confirmed a time?
- Tenant told the time?
- Work done and photos in?
- Invoice matches the work order?
- Tenant confirmed it is fixed?

## 4. Review weekly

Sort open work orders by age. Anything open longer than its due date gets a call today.

## Where an assistant helps

TapeAndFloat turns forwarded requests into rows in your Sheet, drafts work orders and vendor follow-ups, and lists everything open past due each morning.

**Free 60-day pilot:** forward your job emails to the assistant, keep working in your own Sheet, and get a short daily list of what is slipping. No new app, no card. [Request a pilot spot](../#pilot).

## Frequently asked questions

### What should a maintenance work order include?

Unit, problem description, tenant contact and entry permission, a not-to-exceed amount, a due date and what the vendor must send back (photos, invoice).

### How fast must a Texas landlord make repairs?

Property Code § 92.056 presumes 7 days is a reasonable time in many cases after proper notice, but it depends on the condition. Emergencies need same-day action.

### Do I need maintenance software?

Not for a small portfolio; a log in a Sheet works if it is kept current.

### Can TapeAndFloat dispatch vendors?

It drafts the work order and messages; you approve and send.