AI-powered communications and operations platform askporter has teamed up with Checkatrade to help landlords make repairs and maintenance more efficient.

askporter has integrated its resident communication platform - askporter Housing - with Checkatrade to reduce admin around repairs management, as well as improve maintenance response times and simplify contractor sourcing.

askporter helps landlords, housing providers and facilities management teams automate tenant communication, repairs and maintenance processes. Its technology uses AI agents to triage repair requests, coordinate maintenance, answer tenant queries and streamline property management operations.

Under the initiative, tenants can report maintenance issues through the askporter digital assistant and will self-solve if possible. If this isn’t possible, and the problem is escalated, landlords and property managers receive up to five quotes from the 50,000 vetted tradespeople on Checkatrade’s platform. Where required, additional quotes can be requested. Once a tradesperson accepts the job, they can suggest pricing adjustments although landlords decide whether to approve the revised pricing or repost the work.

Coordinate

Tradespeople and tenants can then coordinate appointments directly through the platform, with works signed off digitally and payments processed securely via Checkatrade Pay.

Till Eichenauer, askporter CEO (pictured above), says repairs and maintenance are one of the biggest headaches for landlords and property managers but that this industry-first collaboration brings issue reporting, contractor sourcing, appointment booking, payments and digital sign-off into one platform, creating a smoother experience for both landlords and tenants.

“The result is a more seamless, hands-off approach with fewer phone calls, fewer delays and a maintenance process that runs itself so landlords can focus on growing their portfolio and not managing their inbox,” he adds.

Landlords will be able to access the Checkatrade integration as a value-added feature within their existing service, without additional bolt-on fees during the first year.

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