Give tenants a separate business number and keep your personal cell private. Options are a second SIM or eSIM, Google Voice, a business texting app, or a landlord SMS line in your software. Before sharing it, set response hours, an emergency rule, and an after-hours reply, and get written consent to text in the lease.
Give your tenants a phone number that belongs to your rental business and keep your personal cell out of the lease. The four common options are a second line on your phone, Google Voice, a business texting app, or a texting line built into landlord software. Whichever you choose, set response hours, an emergency rule, and written consent to text before you hand the number out.
Why your personal cell is a poor rental number
Once a tenant has your personal number, they keep it. Former tenants, their roommates, and whoever they pass it to can reach you for years. If you sell a property, the number goes with you and the new owner's tenants may still end up texting you.
A shared number also mixes records. When a security deposit dispute comes up, the texts you need sit between family group chats and personal photos. Pulling them out is slow, and handing over your whole phone history is not something you want to do.
There is a tax angle too. The IRS instructions for Schedule E (line 17) say you can deduct ordinary and necessary phone calls related to your rental, but the base rate for the first phone line into your home is a personal expense. A separate rental line makes the business share easier to show. Your tax professional can tell you how to treat your specific setup.
Your options for a separate number
| Option | Cost | Works well for | Watch for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Second SIM or eSIM | A second plan from your carrier | Landlords who want a standard mobile number | Still on your personal phone, no tenant records |
| Google Voice | Free, or $10 to $20 a month for Google's paid personal plans | 1 to 5 units with light message volume | Free numbers can be reclaimed if unused |
| Business texting or VoIP app | Varies by app | Landlords who want auto-replies or a desktop inbox | Carrier registration, per-message fees on some plans |
| Landlord SMS line in your software | Included with some landlord software | Landlords who want texts tied to tenants and units | Only as useful as the software around it |
A second SIM or eSIM
Many recent phones can hold two lines, one physical SIM and one eSIM, or two eSIMs. Your carrier gives you a second number that works like any mobile line for calls and texts. Most phones let you label each line and choose which one to text from.
The downside is that everything still lives on your personal phone, and nothing links a message to a tenant, a unit, or a lease. You also pay for a second plan.
Google Voice
Google Voice gives you a second number that rings on your existing phone and computer, with texting and voicemail transcripts. The free version is available to users in the US, and Google sells paid standalone plans at $10 and $20 a month that add call features. It works for a small portfolio, but it has limits for rental use. We cover those in detail in Google Voice for landlords.
Business texting and VoIP apps
Business phone apps give you a number with calls and texts, and many add a desktop inbox, scheduled messages, and auto-replies. Pricing and features vary widely, so compare the plan you would need for your unit count.
One thing to know: in the US, business texts sent through apps on a standard 10-digit number generally go through carrier registration called A2P 10DLC. The provider usually walks you through it, and approval can take several business days, according to Twilio's documentation. Plan for that gap before you announce the new number.
A dedicated landlord SMS line
Some property management software includes a texting number tied to your tenant records. Each conversation is filed under the tenant, unit, and property, so you can find a past exchange without scrolling. The value depends on what sits behind the line: lease details, maintenance tracking, and vendor contacts.
What to set up before you hand out the number
Business hours and response times
Pick hours and put them in writing. For example: "Texts are answered 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Saturday. Routine requests get a reply within one business day." Tenants handle delays better when they know what to expect.
An emergency rule
Define what counts as an emergency and what the tenant should do first. A short list works:
- Fire or a gas smell: leave, then call 911 or the gas utility. Text you after they are safe.
- Active flooding or a sewage backup: shut off the water if they can, then call or text you.
- No heat in freezing weather, a lockout, or a broken exterior lock: call or text you any time.
Make sure emergency messages reach you at night. On most phones you can let one contact or one line bypass Do Not Disturb. Test it before you need it.
An after-hours auto-reply
If your option supports auto-replies, set one for outside your hours:
Thanks for your message. I reply between 8 a.m. and 7 p.m. If this is an emergency (fire, gas smell, flooding, no heat), call 911 or the gas company first if needed, then call this number.
For more ready-made wording, see our landlord text message templates.
A record you can find later
Decide where conversations live. If your option has no search by tenant or address, save important threads (repair approvals, move-out dates, payment arrangements) to the tenant's file as you go.
Consent and texting rules
Texting tenants is generally fine when the messages are about the tenancy and the tenant agreed to be contacted that way. A few basics apply. This is general information, not legal advice.
Get consent in writing. Add a line to your lease or application where the tenant agrees to receive texts about their tenancy at the number they provide. The federal Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) restricts certain calls and texts to cell phones without prior consent, especially those sent with automated systems, and it sets stricter rules for marketing messages. Written consent in the lease is the simplest way to document that the tenant agreed.
Keep texts about the tenancy. Rent, repairs, access, and lease dates are the safe zone. Promotional texts, such as advertising another property you have for rent, fall under stricter consent rules.
Honor opt-outs. Under FCC rules that took effect April 11, 2025, a person can revoke consent by any reasonable means, including replying "STOP", and the request must be honored within a reasonable time of no more than 10 business days. If a tenant opts out, switch to email, mail, or phone calls for that tenant.
Texts may not count as legal notice. Many state laws and leases require written notice for entry, rent increases, lease termination, and deposit deductions, often with specific delivery methods. A text is a useful heads-up, but check whether it satisfies the requirement in your state. Our state landlord guides list notice rules by state.
Check state law. Some states have their own texting and telemarketing laws that go beyond federal rules. If you text tenants in several states, review each one.
How Rentra handles tenant texting
Rentra gives each landlord a dedicated SMS number. You pick an area code, and a card on file is needed to claim the number. Carrier registration is handled for you and can take a little while. STOP, START, and HELP replies work the way US carriers require.
Tenant texts land in a message history you can search by tenant, phone number, or property. With the AI in Autopilot Advanced mode, it answers routine tenant questions from the lease and rent ledger, triages maintenance requests (including photos tenants text in), flags emergencies, and texts your vendors. Repairs aren't booked until you approve them. Details are on the Tenant SMS Concierge page.
Pricing is $5 per unit per month with a $25 minimum, and the 14-day trial needs no card to start. See pricing.
Setup checklist
- Choose your option based on unit count and how much you want texts tied to tenant records.
- Pick a local area code your tenants will recognize.
- Write your hours, response times, and emergency rule.
- Set an after-hours auto-reply if your option supports one.
- Add texting consent to your lease and application.
- Send every current tenant the new number, with a note that your old number will no longer be monitored for rental matters.
- Update your lease template, move-in packet, and listing so new tenants only get the business number.
- Decide where saved conversations go, and keep them there for each tenant.
Once the number is set up, a clear maintenance request system is a good next step, since repair requests will come in through the same number.