Overview

Not every message you send through PropertyBoss is considered marketing. Many everyday property management communications provide information about a resident's account, scheduled events, important alerts, or other operational needs.

Marketing is different. 

Marketing messages promote or advertise something and require specific consent from the tenant.

Understanding the difference helps you select the correct PropertyBoss category and respect each tenant's communication preferences.

What Is a Marketing Message?

A message is generally considered marketing when its purpose is to promote or advertise a product, service, offer, incentive, or other commercial opportunity. Examples may include:

These messages are different from routine communications that provide information about an existing account, event, service, or other operational matter.

What Is Not Typically Marketing?

Many common property management communications are informational rather than promotional.

• Account: ABC Property Management: Your October payment has been received.
• Events: ABC Property Management: This is a reminder that your inspection is scheduled for tomorrow at 2 PM.
• Alerts: ABC Property Management: Our office will be closed tomorrow due to severe weather.
• Other: ABC Property Management: Your maintenance request has been received and assigned for review.

The key difference is the purpose of the message. These examples are providing information rather than promoting an offer, product, or service.

Marketing Requires Specific Consent

Tenants choose their communication preferences by category in PropertyBoss, including whether they consent to receive Marketing communications.

Consent to receive Alerts, Account, Events, or Other communications 

does not automatically mean the tenant has consented to receive Marketing messages.

Before sending a Marketing communication, the tenant must have provided the appropriate consent for Marketing.

If a tenant has not provided that consent, do not move the message into another category simply to reach them by text.

Your Category Descriptions Do Not Change What Is Marketing

PropertyBoss allows your organization to customize the descriptions tenants see for Alerts, Account, Events, Other, and Marketing. These descriptions help explain the types of communications your organization plans to send within each category. However, the description you create does not determine whether a message is considered marketing.

For example, your organization could describe Other as including "community news and updates." That does not mean a promotional offer becomes an Other message simply because you consider it a community update.

If the content and purpose of a message make it Marketing, it should be treated as Marketing 

regardless of how your organization has described its other categories.

The Message Determines the Category

Consider this message: ABC Property Management: Renew your lease by Friday and receive a $250 renewal credit.

The message includes a financial incentive intended to encourage the recipient to take an action. Placing the message under Account, Events, or Other would not change the nature of the communication.

When deciding which category to use, ask: Are we primarily giving the recipient information, or are we promoting an offer, incentive, product, or service? If the purpose is promotional, treat the message as Marketing.

Be Careful With Mixed Messages

Sometimes a message may contain both informational and promotional content. For example: ABC Property Management: Your lease expires December 31. Renew by November 15 and receive a $250 renewal credit.

The first sentence provides information about the tenant's lease. The second adds a promotional incentive.

Do not assume that including account information makes the entire communication nonmarketing.

When possible, keep informational and promotional communications separate. 

This makes it easier to select the correct category and ensures the tenant's Marketing preference is respected.

Tenant Notification Preferences Still Apply

Your responsibility is to select the PropertyBoss category that accurately reflects the purpose of the communication. You do not need to know each tenant's individual notification preferences before creating and sending the communication.

PropertyBoss uses the tenant's preferences for that category to determine how the communication is delivered. For example, one tenant may choose text for Account communications while another chooses email. Their individual preferences may affect how quickly they see or respond to the communication.

The tenant controls their preferred delivery method. 

Your organization controls the content and selects the appropriate category.

Because of this, response and engagement rates may vary based on the tenant's preferences and cannot be controlled by your organization.

A Simple Rule to Remember

Before selecting a category, ask: Are we informing the tenant or promoting something to them?

If you are promoting an offer, incentive, product, service, or other commercial opportunity, treat the communication as Marketing.

Do not use Alerts, Account, Events, or Other simply because the tenant has not consented to Marketing or because another category may result in a different delivery method.

Your Responsibility as the Message Sender

PropertyBoss provides the messaging categories, consent options, and notification preferences used to help manage tenant communications. Your organization is responsible for selecting the category that accurately reflects the purpose and content of the message and for respecting the tenant's consent choices.

These PropertyBoss resources are provided for educational purposes and are not legal advice. Messaging requirements can change and may vary based on your organization, location, recipients, and type of messaging. Your organization is responsible for following applicable laws, regulations, wireless carrier requirements, and Twilio policies.