How Maintenance Requests Work — An Owner's Guide

When your resident reports a maintenance issue, a lot happens to get it fixed quickly — and at a few key moments, we'll turn to you. This guide walks through the whole journey so you know what to expect, what we handle for you, and exactly when your input is needed.

The short version: most of the process runs on its own, and you're only asked to weigh in when money is involved — approving the work upfront, and approving a quote if a job will cost more than the amount you've okayed.

The journey at a glance

1. Request — Your resident reports the issue online or over the phone.
2. Approval — You authorize the work up to a set spending limit.
3. Dispatch & scheduling — A service professional is assigned and books a visit.
4. Quotes (only if needed) — If a job will cost more than your limit, you approve the extra before anything continues.
5. Completion & close-out — The work is done, you're billed for the actual cost, and the request is closed.

Here's what each step looks like.

1. The request comes in

It starts with your resident. When something needs fixing, they submit a request through LuMi, describing the problem and their availability. During that process, they go through a troubleshooting process to try and deflect some of the most common repairs (ex. resetting a breaker). There's nothing you need to do at this stage — the request is logged automatically and moves straight to you for the next step.

2. You approve the work

Before anyone is sent out, you decide whether the work should go ahead. You'll receive a notification in RentSpree and be asked to authorize the request up to a pre-approved spending limit — a cap on what can be spent without checking back with you.

This is the heart of how you stay in control:

• If the job comes in at or under your limit, it can proceed without any further approvals — no back-and-forth, no delays.
• If the job will cost more than your limit, the work pauses and you're asked to approve the additional cost first (see step 4).

If you'd rather not move forward at all, you can decline — and nothing is dispatched. If a request is left unanswered, it simply won't proceed until you respond.

3. The work is dispatched and scheduled

Once you've approved the request, it's automatically sent to a Pro. They'll schedule a visit that works with your resident's availability, and your resident is kept informed about the appointment. You don't need to coordinate any of this — it's handled for you. 

4. When a job costs more: quotes and approvals

Sometimes a Pro finds that the work will cost more than the NTE limit you approved. When that happens, the job doesn't just proceed and bill you the difference — you're always asked first.

You'll receive a quote showing what the additional work involves and what it will cost. From there, you can:

• Approve it — the work continues (or is rescheduled to finish, if it can't be completed on the same visit).
• Decline it — the extra work isn't done.

You're only billed for work you've approved. Any work beyond your original limit always waits for your okay. If you decline, there may be still be an invoice for incurred costs or a diagnostic for the visit. 

5. Completion and close-out

When the work is finished, the Pro marks the job complete. You're billed for the actual cost of the work performed — not the maximum you approved. If the final cost comes in under what was authorized, you only pay for what was actually done.

Once billing is settled, the request is closed and the whole record — what was requested, what was approved, and what was done — is available for your reference.

Where you come in — a quick recap

Across the entire process, you're only asked to make a decision at two points:

• Upfront: approving the request up to your spending limit.
• If a job runs over that limit: approving (or declining) a quote for the additional cost.

Everything else — scheduling, dispatching, keeping your resident informed, and closing the job out — happens automatically.

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to approve every single repair? You approve the work upfront up to your spending limit. As long as the job stays within that limit, it can be completed without asking you again. You're only asked a second time if the cost would exceed your limit.

What if the work ends up costing less than I approved? You're billed for the actual cost of the work, not the amount you authorized. Your approval is a ceiling, not a fixed charge. If you approved up to $300, and the work ended up being $125, you will only be charged $125. 

What happens if I don't respond to a request or a quote? Nothing moves forward without your approval. A request or quote left unanswered simply waits — no work is done and no cost is incurred until you decide.

How will I know when the work is finished? Once the professional completes the job and billing is settled, the request is closed out and the full history is available for you to review.

Can I decline work? Yes. You can decline a request before it's dispatched, or decline a quote for additional work. In either case, that work won't be performed.