How does owner repair approval work?
Costs above the owner's threshold need owner approval before work proceeds; emergencies may proceed with prompt notice.
Purpose
Owners want control over large repair spends on their property. Rentivue enforces this with a per-owner repair-approval threshold and a portal approval flow, while keeping a safety valve for emergencies.
Answer
Each owner profile has a REPAIR APPROVAL THRESHOLD (a dollar amount). Repairs estimated at or below the threshold proceed without asking; repairs above it need the owner's approval first.
Steps
- 1Set the threshold on the owner's profile (for example 500.00). No threshold means you decide case by case per your agreement.
- 2When a maintenance ticket's estimated cost exceeds the threshold, request approval from the ticket.
- 3The owner sees the approval request in their partner portal (maintenance section), with the description, photos, and estimated cost.
- 4The owner approves or declines, optionally with a comment. The decision and timestamp are recorded on the ticket.
- 5On approval, schedule and complete the work as normal; the approval reference stays attached to the ticket and the audit trail.
- 6If the owner declines, record the outcome and discuss alternatives — the ticket documents the decision either way.
Important notes
- EMERGENCY RULE: for genuine emergencies (burst pipe, no heat, safety hazards), your team may proceed immediately to prevent damage, then notify the owner promptly with costs and evidence. Emergency tickets are flagged and acknowledged, so the audit trail shows why approval was after the fact. Confirm this matches your management agreement.
- Approvals are recorded permanently: who approved, when, and at what estimated cost.
- If actual cost ends up materially above the approved estimate, communicate before invoicing — good practice, and some agreements require re-approval.
Common mistakes
- Leaving the threshold empty and assuming a default exists — set it explicitly per owner.
- Requesting approval without photos or a cost estimate; owners approve faster with evidence.
FAQ
- Can an owner approve by email instead of the portal?
- The portal is the tracked path. If an owner approves by email or phone, record it on the ticket so the trail is complete.