The WhatsApp Problem: Why HMO Maintenance Always Slips Through the Cracks

“Tenant A from Flat B: Facebook Messenger — ‘When do the bins go out again?’
Tenant C from House A: SMS — ‘Can I get a rent reduction?’
Builder at House C: WhatsApp — ‘Just finishing the new shower.’
Tenant B from House C: WhatsApp group — ‘When’s the shower going to be fixed? I’m desperate!’

One landlord.
One phone.
Dozens of messages.
How are you supposed to manage it all?

Why WhatsApp (and every other app) fails landlords

When you’re running a single HMO, it might just about be manageable. But the moment you reach 2, 3, 4 properties? The messages multiply.

The problem is bigger than WhatsApp:

• Tenants each use different platforms (WhatsApp, Messenger, SMS, email).
• Contractors send updates whenever they feel like it.
• Group chats bury important maintenance issues.
• Your personal and business inboxes blur together.

The result:

• Missed jobs
• Repeated callouts
• Frustrated tenants
• A landlord permanently glued to their phone

It’s not just chaotic — it’s unsustainable.

Why landlords can’t carry everything in their heads

You’re one person. You can’t possibly juggle:

• Every tenant’s contract and situation
• Every rent query
• Every open maintenance job
• Every compliance deadline
• Every inventory item

…across multiple properties and multiple apps. This is why HMO maintenance always slips through the cracks.

How Netmo solves the WhatsApp problem

Netmo isn’t a magic wand — you still need to enforce usage. But with the right setup, it completely transforms how you run HMOs.

Here’s how:

1. Make it the default communication channel
   • Add Netmo into your tenancy agreements as the required way to report issues and communicate.
   • This gives you the authority to redirect tenants who try to SMS, email, or WhatsApp.
2. Break old habits, build new ones
   • If a tenant messages you outside Netmo, reply once: “Please raise this through Netmo so it’s logged properly.”
   • Very quickly, tenants see the benefit: they don’t need to repeat who they are, what property they’re in, or what the issue is — it’s all there automatically.
3. Bring in your whole team
   • Tenants, cleaners, builders, even investors can be added.
   • Everyone gets the right updates automatically.
   • No more sending manual updates or chasing progress — Netmo does it for you.
4. Enable safe, communal tenant chat
   • Netmo includes a communal chat feature for each property.
   • Tenants can communicate with each other (e.g. “when do bins go out?”) without breaching GDPR or exposing personal details.
   • Landlords are no longer dragged into every minor misunderstanding — tenants can sort things directly, while their privacy stays protected.

How Netmo fixes communication inefficiency

Most landlords assume efficiency comes from reducing communication. In reality, you solve inefficiency by:

• Opening up contextual channels (tenant-to-tenant, tenant-to-cleaner, etc.).
• Automating information provision (reminders, updates, progress).
• Streamlining actions that result from communication (one-click job assignment, tracked progress).

The result: smoother communication, less back-and-forth, and fewer things falling through the cracks.

FAQ