Keeping your multifamily community running smoothly and your residents happy is a top priority. That's where the right work order software comes in, helping community managers and technicians effortlessly handle maintenance requests and vendor bills. Forget sifting through irrelevant software – this guide is specifically designed for owners, operators, and managers of multifamily communities like yours, providing the insights you need to choose the perfect solution in 2025.
Key features to look for in work order software for property management
In 2025, AI-driven automation and mobile maintenance solutions are becoming more popular, and with good reason. Solutions that have these features give maintenance teams an edge. Not every solution will be right for your multifamily community, but in general there are some features your solution should have to maximize the value you get back.
Automated work order tracking
Keeping track of work orders is critical, and in many communities it could be a full-time job. But it doesn’t have to be. Work order software automates work order tracking, eliminating manual data entry, missed work orders and delayed repairs.
Automated tracking prevents work orders from getting lost or forgotten in the pile. When a request comes in, it automatically assigns it to someone and schedules it. As technicians make progress, the software keeps track of updates, so you can see where any project is at any time.
The result is reduced administrative workload and more timely responses to resident requests. And that means fewer worries for property managers and technicians.
Mobile access and field service functionality
Multifamily maintenance technicians work in the field. Even though “the field” may be at a single property, it takes time to move from unit to unit and back to the office. That’s why the best software for managing work orders in field service are mobile.
Mobile maintenance platforms give technicians access to work orders, resident communications, inventory and make-ready boards in the palms of their hands, usually via a mobile app. With their smartphones, technicians receive real-time updates, upload photos and close out work orders without having to come back to the office. Compared to software for print work orders, mobile maintenance platforms allow technicians to respond faster, coordinate better and raise resident satisfaction.
Resident request portals and self-service options
A resident request portal may be an app or website that residents visit to submit a maintenance request. Ideally, the portal also gives them a way to track the status of their request, add photos or details, and communicate with technicians. Residents can submit a request day or night, and staff members don’t have to answer calls or emails.
Residents get transparency, which reduces frustration even when a repair is invasive or takes time. Technicians get better information about the problem when they communicate more directly with residents, so they can come more prepared and work more efficiently.
Some software for work management integrates with smart apartment devices like smart thermostats, smart water sensors and smart locks. These devices detect HVAC failures, leaks, low batteries and malfunctions, alerting your team and automatically creating work orders.
Preventive and predictive maintenance
Work order software solutions help you spend more time on preventative and predictive maintenance instead of always reacting to issues.
Preventative maintenance includes all those tasks your team completes to keep equipment and other assets in good working order. Think regular HVAC inspections, elevator servicing and filter cleaning. Staying on top of preventative maintenance can help you keep your assets in good shape longer.
Predictive maintenance isn’t preventable, but it is foreseeable. Every piece of equipment will fail one day, but predicting when and how it will fail can help you respond more quickly when it does—or even replace it before it fails. The best software for work orders uses AI and past maintenance data to detect potential failures before they happen. Technicians can respond faster and residents get back to normal sooner.
Integration with property management software
Work order solutions that integrate with your PMS help your entire team become more efficient, not just your technicians. They help leasing agents know when vacant units are ready to list, help you manage vendor payments and make resident communications seamless.
Property managers can sync work order systems with rent payment platforms to automatically include maintenance fees. Technicians can access databases to see whether a piece of equipment has a history of needing certain kinds of repairs.
Without these integrations, staff would need to duplicate their work across multiple systems, slowing them down without providing tangible benefits.
Analytics and reporting for maintenance performance
Work order software solutions with reporting tools use work order and maintenance data to help community managers better understand their maintenance teams. For example, tracking completion times, recurring issues and technician performance can help them identify possible inefficiencies and give them a place to begin improving.
You can also keep an eye on costs so you can make data-driven decisions when it’s time to create your maintenance budget or choose a new vendor. Meanwhile, key metrics like average repair time, top maintenance issues and cost per unit give you further insights into ways you can save time and money.
The 8 best work order software solutions for property managers
If you’ve been managing your work orders manually, you know it can be frustrating for you, your technicians and your residents. You’ve probably experienced:
Missed or delayed work orders
Slow repairs that disrupt resident’ lives
High maintenance costs from inefficient scheduling
A lack of oversight on vendor and technician performance
Instead, modern work order software streamlines maintenance processes to impvore efficiency and resident satisfaction. That’s especially true for software designed for multifamily community managers, instead of general solutions designed for all industries.
With the right work order software, you should experience:
Faster response times
Improved repair and cost tracking
Better communication between property managers, residents and technicians
More preventive maintenance and fewer emergency repairs
Modern work order software is critical for staying competitive in the multifamily industry. To help you choose the right solution for your needs, we put together a list of the best ones, based on key features and usability specifically for multifamily communities.
1. SmartRent Work Management
SmartRent is a proptech company with smart IoT, Community WiFi, access control, self-guided tours and other smart technology. SmartRent's Work Management solution is unique because it’s not rolled into a PMS (though it integrates with most PMS on the market), nor is it a standalone maintenance product.
Instead, it works seamlessly with other smart products and devices, including devices that alert technicians to maintenance issues before they happen. It uses AI to predict maintenance issues and automate workflows to boost efficiency and residents satisfaciton. It’s ideal for communities that want to keep their PMS and want to stay ahead of the technology curve.
SmartRent Work Management includes:
Mobile maintenance app
Resident communications using the resident app
Online maintenance requests
Integration with Answer Automation
Project management
Asset tracking
Maintenance data and optimization
Centralized task management
Automated documentation
2. AppFolio Property Manager
Appfolio is a PMS with solutions for accounting, reporting, staffing, training and leasing. Its maintenance and efficiency product includes AI-driven automated communications and dispatch. Its work order software is included in its PMS product, which integrates with a variety of proptech solutions and vendors. You can’t get it as a standalone product, but it might still integrate with many of your other proptech solutions.
Appfolio work order software includes:
Online maintenance requests
Work orders
Unit turn board
Common area maintenance
Mobile violations and tracking
In-house maintenance
Vendor payments
3. Buildium Work Order Management
Buildium is a RealPage company and PMS with solutions for building optimization, leasing, accounting and marketing. Its maintenance software is included in all three of its PMS packages, but if you’re looking for standalone work order software to integrate with your existing PMS, this isn’t the solution for you.
Buildium work order software includes:
Maintenance task management
An outsourced contact center
Scheduling
Vendor payments
Maintenance tracking
Mobile maintenance app
4. Rent Manager
Rent Manager is a PMS solution that includes accounting, reporting, leasing, operations and maintenance. It has a few full integrations and more than 175 partial integrations, so there’s a good chance it fits into your proptech ecosystem. However, like many providers, Rent Manager doesn’t separate its work order software from its PMS.
Rent Manager work order software includes:
Service issue tracking
Maintenance scheduling
Issue checklists
Service tech map
Work orders
Inspections
Make-ready boards
Metered Utilities
Project management
5. Propertyware Maintenance Work Orders
Propertyware is another RealPage company with a PMS that includes online leasing, accounting, operations, risk management and maintenance. Unlike many other options, you pay per unit, in addition to a base fee. It’s best for large communities with hundreds of units because its base fees are higher than many other providers.
Propertyware work order software includes:
Digital work orders
Standarized maintenance tasks
Inspections
Mobile maintenance app
Outsources contact center
Vendor invoicing
6. Yardi Breeze / Yardi Voyager
Yardi PMS comes in two forms, the simpler Breeze for smaller portfolios and the more complex Voyager for larger portfolios. Its maintenance solution is included in its all-in-one solution for property management, leasing, rent collection, accounting and renters insurance. Pricing for Breeze is based purely on community size (minimum 100 units), while Yardi Voyager is quoted to larger portfolios individually.
Yardi work order software includes:
Online maintenance requests
Maintenance history tracking
Progress notes
Billing and invoices
Work order monitoring
7. UpKeep
Upkeep is a rare stand-alone computerized maintenance management system (CMMS). It offers multiple avenues to integration with other solutions, including Zapier, API, SAP and Webhooks, but few ready-to-use ones. That makes UpKeep best for communities with a dedicated IT team.
UpKeep work order software includes:
Work order management
Asset management
Inventory management
Preventative maintenance
Safety and compliance
Analytics and reporting
8. Fiix CMMS
Fiix is a Rockwell Automation company and stand-alone CMMS with a few AI-powered tools like risk predictions and maintenance forecasting. Its free, pared-back tier makes it a great option for new property managers of small communities who want to get started with work order software without the expense.
Fiix work order software includes:
Asset management
Work order management
Analytics and reporting
Parts and supplies management
Maintenance forecasting
Mobile maintenance app
Risk prediction
How to choose the right work order software for your property
As you can see, there are many options for work order software, and choosing the right one can devlier great efficiency, cost savings and resident satisfaction. But choosing the wrong solution for your community can result in:
Inefficient maintenance processes that create delayed repairs and communication gaps.
Residents frustrated with longer response times and unresolved work orders.
Higher costs when you could be tracking and automating much of your workflow instead.
Difficulty scaling because your solution doesn’t grow with your portfolio or integrate with other tools you’ll choose in the future.
Tips for choosing the right work order software
To avoid inefficiencies and dissatisfied residents, focus on choosing a solution that includes:
Ease of use and mobile accessibility: Choose software for managing work orders in field service, not software for print work orders. It’s easier to track work orders if they’re digital. Your technicians can reference them from anywhere, and your administration and management have less paperwork to handle.
Automation and workflow customization: Every community has different systems in place, and many of those systems work really well. Consider a work order solution you can adapt to your current systems instead of one that makes you conform to a new system.
Resident communication and request submission: Not all of the burden of good maintenance falls on your technicians. Administration staff and community managers often handle communication with residents. Take maintenance requests off their plates while providing more transparency and make it easier for technicians to get the information they need.
Integration with property management software: When staff take on another software solution, make sure you’re not adding to their workload. Instead, choose a solution that integrates with your PMS so you avoid duplicating data entry and other tasks.
Preventive maintenance capabilities: Keeping up with preventive maintenance is critical for reducing costs, being efficient and minimizing disruption to residents. Choose a solution that helps you be more proactive than reactive with your maintenance.
Scalability and pricing: Choose work order software that grows with you, both in price and capabilities. If you can adjust your solution based on changing needs, you’ll get more value from it and avoid asking staff to relearn new software every few years.
Empower your community with the right work management solution
Finding the right work order software is no longer a daunting task, but a critical step towards streamlining property maintenance and elevating resident satisfaction. As you evaluate solutions, remember to prioritize the size of your community, budget, and unique maintenance needs. While many options fall short for multifamily properties, SmartRent is specifically designed to empower community managers like you. Discover how our Work Management solution delivers tangible value and transforms your daily operations. Learn more about SmartRent's Work Management today.