A second phone number for landlords: viewings, tenants and 2 am boilers

A landlord's phone is a public utility. It appears on listings, in tenancy agreements, on the notice by the meter cupboard and in the memory of every past tenant, agent and contractor. It is also, for most private landlords, the same number their children call. A second number puts the property on its own line without buying a second phone.

One number for the property, for years

Choose a local number in the area of the property, name it after the address, and put it everywhere the property is mentioned. Tenants come and go; the number stays. When a tenancy ends, the number does not need changing, and when a new tenancy starts, the new tenants get a number that already has the right voicemail greeting and hours.

If you have several properties, a number per property is possible; Second Phone allows up to ten numbers on one account, each with its own name and settings, so a call tells you which building it is about before you answer.

Hours for the routine, forwarding for the urgent

Most tenant calls are routine: a question about the bins, a form, a light that needs a bulb. Set business hours on the number and those calls go to voicemail overnight, with a greeting that says when you return calls and how to report a genuine emergency. See Set up voicemail and business hours.

For the genuine emergencies, forwarding does the rest. Going away? Forward the property line to your managing agent, a family member or an emergency contractor, and switch it back when you return. Tenants keep dialling the same number. See Forward your calls to another phone.

A record when it matters

Deposits, repairs and notice periods generate disagreements, and the question is usually "when did you tell me?" Everything on the property number is kept together: the call history under Recents, texts under Messages, voicemails with their dates and durations. You can also switch on call recording for the number and record calls where something is being agreed, subject to the recording laws where you are and to telling the tenant.

Viewings without giving out your number

Listing a property for rent or sale puts a number in front of hundreds of strangers. The property line takes those calls; your personal number stays out of the listing entirely. When the property is let, deactivate the number until the next time it is empty, or keep it live for the tenants.

Frequently asked questions

Can tenants text the property number?

Yes, if the number has SMS capability. Texts arrive under that number on the Messages tab and you reply from it, so the conversation stays with the property rather than in your personal messages.

What happens if I sell the property?

Delete the number, or let it expire. Nothing about your personal number changes, and past tenants who still have the property number reach nothing.

Can my partner or an agent also answer the line?

The number belongs to your account and rings in your app. To hand it to someone else, use call forwarding to their phone; all calls to the property number then ring them until you switch it off.