The 9 PM text, handled.
Tenants text or email FixLine about a repair. FixLine checks for danger first, works out the trade and urgency, gets a quote from a vendor that passed your checks, and approves the job only if it fits the limits you set. Every message and dollar is recorded for tax time.
AI reads and summarizes messy messages, but it never decides money. Spending, vendor eligibility, and when to alert you are decided by a separate set of fixed rules, using limits you choose.
Want to click through a repair? Try the demo — a browser-only prototype with sample data, not a live FixLine account or sign-up.
One repair, start to finish
- "Kitchen sink is leaking."Tenant texts the FixLine number.
- Safety screen, then triageNot life-safety. Plumbing, routine.
- Quote from a vetted plumberLicense, insurance, W-9, and rating checked.
- Rules decideUnder your auto-approve limit: approved. Above it: one tap from you.
- Anything unusual freezesOver a limit, unsure, or odd? FixLine stops and asks you.
- Scheduled and recordedVisit window booked; receipt filed for taxes.
Illustration of the flow, not a real ticket.
From a tenant's text to a scheduled, logged repair
Each step is short and specific. The first message to anyone says FixLine is an automated assistant acting for the owner.
Intake by text or email
Tenants write to the FixLine number or email. The sender is matched to a tenant and property on your roster.
Safety screen
Gas, fire, CO, flooding, sparking and other life-safety signs skip straight to the emergency path.
Triage by trade and urgency
A quick "try this first" check (breaker, GFCI, thermostat batteries), then trade, urgency, and a short summary.
Vetted vendors
Only vendors that pass every check are contacted, ranked by quality, speed, price, and reliability.
Quotes
FixLine collects the quote, and a second one from a different vendor when the job is large enough.
Approvals
Small jobs auto-approve. Mid-size jobs get your one-tap OK. Anything over a limit freezes for you.
Scheduling
Visit windows are offered to the tenant and vendor, with reminders and quiet hours respected.
Tax-ready ledger
Each job is logged per home with a suggested Schedule E category, the receipt, and 1099 tracking per vendor.
Prefer a hands-on walkthrough? Try the click-through demo (prototype only — not a live account).
You set the limits. FixLine stays inside them.
Dollar figures below are example defaults that show how the rules work. They are not recommendations. You, the owner, can adjust each one, and every change is logged.
| Guardrail | Example default | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Auto-approve limit | $300 per ticketEXAMPLE DEFAULT | An eligible vendor's quote at or under this is approved automatically if nothing else freezes it. |
| One-tap owner approval band | $300 to $1,500EXAMPLE DEFAULT | FixLine prepares a recommendation and asks you for a one-tap approval. |
| Second quote required | Above $750EXAMPLE DEFAULT | A quote from a different eligible vendor is required before approval. |
| Hard ceiling per ticket | $1,500 per ticketEXAMPLE DEFAULT | FixLine can never approve above this, even with two quotes. It always freezes for you. |
| Monthly cap per property | $1,000 per monthEXAMPLE DEFAULT | Auto-approvals stop once a home's approved spend for the month would pass the cap. |
| Emergency make-safe allowance | $400 per ticketEXAMPLE DEFAULT | For life-safety tickets, a shut-off or temporary fix while FixLine reaches you. The full repair goes through normal approval. |
| Confidence floor | 90%OWNER RULE | Any classification under 90% confidence freezes and goes to you instead of being acted on. |
Example defaults from the FixLine specification. Each value lives in a versioned config file; changing one is recorded in the audit trail.
Timeouts never become approvals
If you don't answer, FixLine escalates or holds. Silence is never treated as a yes.
Reasons FixLine freezes
- Over the ceiling or monthly cap
- Quotes far apart, or invoice above quote
- Duplicate or repeat repair
- Vendor license or insurance problem
- Unknown sender or a request to change payment details
- Injury, damage, privacy, or payment-dispute report
Only vetted vendors get the job
Use the vendors you already trust. A vendor that fails any check is blocked automatically and is not contacted. Insurance is checked at dispatch and again at approval.
License
Number, agency, and expiration, checked against the state's public lookup for licensed trades.
- HVAC, electrical: TDLR
- Plumbing: TSBPE
- Pest: Texas Dept. of Agriculture
- Locksmith: Texas DPS
General liability insurance
$1M / $2MAt or above $1M per occurrence and $2M aggregate EXAMPLE DEFAULT. Required for every job, emergencies included.
W-9 on file
No W-9 means no payment approval. Year-to-date totals are tracked per vendor for 1099 time.
Rating 3.5 or higher
An internal 1 to 5 rating from owner and tenant feedback. Under 3.5 after 3 or more rated jobs EXAMPLE DEFAULT is blocked.
Auto-block: a missing or expired license, missing or expired insurance, coverage below the minimum, or a rating under 3.5 blocks the vendor automatically, on the expiry day itself. No W-9 blocks payment. Set your coverage minimums with your insurance agent. FixLine is a coordinator, not a contractor: it describes the problem and the access window, never how to do the work.
Safety instructions first. Always.
These skip troubleshooting entirely. The tenant gets safety instructions, and you are alerted immediately.
- Gas smell
- Fire or smoke
- Carbon monoxide alarm
- Active flooding or burst pipe
- Sparking or burning smell
- Sewage backup
- No heat in freezing weather
- Extreme heat with a vulnerable occupant
Tenant safety
The first reply is a safety instruction, not a question. FixLine never waits for the landlord before giving it.
Owner alerted immediately
A text and call to you with a one-line summary, even during quiet hours. No acknowledgment in 10 minutes EXAMPLE DEFAULT: FixLine calls again.
Make-safe only
The top-ranked eligible, insured vendor can be sent for make-safe work up to the emergency allowance. The full repair goes through normal approval. No insured vendor means no dispatch.
What tenants are told first
- Gas smell
- Leave the home now. Do not use switches or flames. Call 911 and the gas utility from outside.
- Fire or smoke
- Get out and call 911.
- CO alarm
- Get everyone outside to fresh air and call 911.
- Flooding
- Shut off the main water if it is safe to do so. Avoid water near outlets.
- Sparking
- Stay away. Shut off the breaker only if it is safe to reach. Call 911 if there is smoke or fire.
- Anyone hurt or sick
- Call 911 for any medical emergency.
- Never says a situation is safe
- Never discourages a 911 or utility call
- Never dispatches an uninsured vendor
FixLine reads only what's sent to FixLine
No monitoring, no data sales, and no more data than a repair needs. Tenants get a plain-language privacy note with their SMS consent form.
What FixLine collects and processes
- Messages tenants send to the FixLine number or email
- Repair messages the landlord deliberately forwards to FixLine
- Only what the job needs: name, phone, email, property, repair messages and photos, access notes
What FixLine never does
- Monitor tenants' phones, social media, other numbers, or other email accounts
- Collect Social Security numbers, bank or card details, income, or immigration status
- Sell data or share it for advertising
Retention limits
Tenant contact details: lease term plus 12 months. Repair messages and photos: 12 months after move-out, unless tied to an open incident or dispute. Access notes: deleted when the ticket closes. Tax records: per your CPA. All are example defaults EXAMPLE DEFAULT.
SMS consent, STOP and HELP
Tenants and vendors give written consent before any automated text. Text STOP at any time to stop texts, or HELP for help. Tenants who opt out can still request repairs by email or phone, and their requests are never deprioritized.
Vendors see only what they need
The job description, address, and access window. A tenant's phone number is shared only after scheduling and only with the tenant's agreement.
Read the full privacy page (draft pending attorney review).
Simple monthly plans by number of doors
Every plan is month-to-month. No per-ticket fee and no markup on vendor work: you pay your vendors directly, at the price they quote.
1 to 4 doors
$29/month
- Month-to-month
- No per-ticket fee
- No vendor markup
5 to 10 doors
$59/month
- Month-to-month
- No per-ticket fee
- No vendor markup
11 to 20 doors
$99/month
- Month-to-month
- No per-ticket fee
- No vendor markup
Every plan includes the same FixLine: text and email intake, triage by trade and urgency, vetted vendors, quotes, approvals inside your limits, scheduling, and a tax-ready log. FixLine isn't open for sign-up yet, so nothing is charged today. Join the waitlist to hear when it opens.
Questions landlords ask
Can FixLine spend my money without asking?
Only inside the limits you set. Small jobs from an eligible vendor can auto-approve (example default: $300). Above that you get a one-tap approval request, and above your hard ceiling FixLine always freezes. A timeout never turns into an approval.
Does FixLine pay vendors?
No. In the early phases FixLine approves work but doesn't move money. You pay vendors directly, and FixLine records the amount, the approval, and the receipt.
What happens when the AI isn't sure?
If FixLine is less than 90% confident about the trade or urgency, it freezes the ticket and alerts you with its best guess and why it's unsure. You decide.
Can I use my own vendors?
Yes. You add them, and FixLine checks each one for a license where the trade requires it, active general liability insurance at your minimum, a W-9, and an internal rating. Vendors that fail are blocked automatically.
What happens in an emergency?
Life-safety issues like a gas smell, fire, CO alarm, flooding, sparking, sewage backup, no heat in freezing weather, or extreme heat with a vulnerable occupant skip troubleshooting. The tenant gets safety instructions first, you're alerted immediately, and only make-safe work within the emergency allowance can be authorized.
What if a vendor damages something, or someone is hurt?
Any report of damage, injury, or an insurance claim freezes the ticket and alerts you right away, even during quiet hours. FixLine preserves the record and doesn't admit fault or make promises. You decide next steps with your insurer and attorney.
Is FixLine a contractor or property manager?
No. FixLine is a software coordinator and record-keeper. Independent vendors perform and are responsible for the work. You remain responsible for your property and your duties as a landlord.
Do tenants know they're texting software?
Yes. The first message to anyone says FixLine is an automated assistant acting for the owner. Tenants consent to automated texts in writing, and STOP and HELP are honored immediately.
Does this replace my CPA or attorney?
No. FixLine suggests a Schedule E category and flags possible capital improvements for CPA review, but it doesn't give tax or legal advice.
How much does FixLine cost?
Plans are month-to-month: $29/month for 1 to 4 doors, $59/month for 5 to 10 doors, and $99/month for 11 to 20 doors. There is no per-ticket fee and no markup on vendor work. You pay vendors directly. FixLine isn't open for sign-up yet, so join the waitlist to hear when it opens. See pricing.
When can I use it?
FixLine is being built and piloted on two single-family rentals in Georgetown, Texas. Join the waitlist and we'll let you know when it opens to other small landlords.
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