Vendor Management in Requests

Vendors are external contractors or service companies (plumbers, electricians, pest control, landscapers) that you assign to handle service requests. Unlike internal staff, vendors don't have Propty logins — all coordination happens through Propty's request timeline.

What you'll need

• Access to the Requests section of your property
• Permission to manage request settings (Admin or Manager role)
• Vendor contact information (company name, contact person, phone, email, category)

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Vendors vs. Staff

It's important to understand the difference:

	Vendor	Staff
Who they are	External contractor or service company	Internal team member
Propty Access	No login — not a Propty user	Full Propty account with login
Assignment	You assign them to specific requests	You assign them to requests or ongoing responsibilities
Communication	Through request timeline notes; you relay information	Direct access to Propty; can see requests themselves
Examples	Plumber, electrician, pest control, landscaper, tree surgeon	Property manager, maintenance coordinator, board member

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Adding Vendors

1. Go to Request Settings

From your property dashboard, click Requests in the left sidebar. Then click the Settings tab (or the gear icon).

2. Click the "Vendors" tab

On the Settings page, click the Vendors tab.

3. Click "Add Vendor"

Click the Add Vendor button. A form will appear.

4. Enter vendor details

Fill in the following fields:

1. Company Name (required) — The legal name of the vendor's business (for example, "ABC Plumbing" or "Professional Landscaping Services").

2. Contact Name (required) — The primary contact person's name (for example, "John Smith").

3. Phone (required) — The phone number to reach the vendor.

4. Email (optional) — Email address for sending request details or invoices.

5. Category (required) — Select the type of vendor:

   • Plumbing
   • Electrical
   • Pest Control
   • Landscaping
   • Painting
   • HVAC
   • Roofing
   • Cleaning
   • Other

6. Address (optional) — Business address

7. License/Reference Number (optional) — Professional license or business number

8. Notes (optional) — Any special instructions or details (for example, "Requires 48-hour notice" or "Only available weekdays")

5. Save the vendor

Click Save. The vendor is added to your vendor list and is now available for request assignment.

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Assigning a Vendor to a Request

1. Open a service request

From Requests, click on any request to open it.

2. Find the Vendor field

On the request detail page, look for the Vendor field (usually in the request metadata or header section).

3. Click and select a vendor

Click the Vendor field and select a vendor from your list.

4. Save the assignment

Click Save or the assignment updates automatically. The vendor is now assigned to this request.

astuce

You can also assign a vendor when creating a new request. Fill in the vendor field before saving the request.

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Tracking Vendor Work

Propty doesn't provide a "vendor dashboard," but you can track all their work through the request timeline:

1. Open a request with a vendor assigned

Click on the request from your list.

2. View the request timeline

Scroll to the Timeline or Activity section. This shows all notes and updates related to the request.

3. Add internal notes about vendor work

As the vendor completes work, record what happened:

• Click Add Note (or Add Timeline Entry).
• Describe the vendor visit, work completed, quotes, issues, etc.
• Save the note.

Example notes:

• "Vendor visited on 3/15 — assessed the leaking roof. Provided quote of $2,500 for repairs. Awaiting owner approval."
• "Vendor completed plumbing work. Invoiced for $450. Resident satisfied."
• "Vendor requested follow-up visit for final inspection."

4. Track vendor communication

Use the timeline to document:

• When you called/emailed the vendor
• When they're scheduled to visit
• What they charged
• Completion status
• Any issues or concerns

This creates a complete record of the vendor's work and your interactions.

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Managing Vendor List

Editing a vendor

1. Go to Requests → Settings → Vendors.
2. Click on the vendor name.
3. Update their details (phone, email, address, notes).
4. Click Save.

Removing a vendor

1. Go to Requests → Settings → Vendors.
2. Find the vendor in the list.
3. Click Remove or the delete icon.
4. Confirm.

Note: Removing a vendor doesn't affect requests they've already been assigned to — the vendor name stays on the request history for record-keeping.

Marking a vendor as inactive

Some systems allow you to mark a vendor as "Inactive" instead of deleting them:

1. Open the vendor's details.
2. Toggle the Active switch to Off.
3. Save.

This vendor won't appear in the dropdown when assigning new requests, but their historical assignments remain visible.

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Vendor Categories

Choose the most relevant category when adding a vendor:

Category	Examples
Plumbing	Plumbers, pipe repair, water heater services
Electrical	Electricians, panel repairs, wiring
Pest Control	Pest control companies, termite inspection, rodent removal
Landscaping	Landscape companies, tree services, lawn care, mulch
Painting	Interior and exterior painters, staining
HVAC	Heating, ventilation, air conditioning, furnace repair
Roofing	Roofing contractors, gutter repair, leak repair
Cleaning	Carpet cleaning, pressure washing, janitorial services
Other	Anything that doesn't fit above (glass repair, concrete, etc.)

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Best Practices

• Keep vendor contact info current. Update phone numbers and emails when vendors change their information.
• Document all vendor interactions in the request timeline. This creates accountability and a record if disputes arise.
• Get quotes before authorizing work. Add vendor quotes as notes in the request for board review.
• Define your vendor vetting process. How do you select vendors? Do they need licenses? Insurance? Document this.
• Track vendor performance. Add notes about whether the vendor was professional, responsive, and did quality work. This helps you make future decisions.
• Require insurance certificates. For high-risk vendors (roofers, electricians), request proof of insurance before assigning them work.
• Use consistent vendor categories. This helps you filter and report on vendor types.

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Scenarios

Here are common vendor workflows:

Scenario	How to handle
Resident submits request for a leaking ceiling	Create the request, assign it to your facilities staff. Staff contacts a roofer (vendor) to assess. Facilities adds notes to the request about the roofer's findings and quote. Board approves. Facilities assigns the roofer (vendor) to the request. Roofer does work; facilities documents completion in the timeline.
You receive a pest control invoice	Open the related service request, add a note with the invoice details and amount. Staff can easily see what was charged and for what.
A vendor is no longer available	Edit the vendor and change their status to Inactive. This prevents new requests being assigned to them, but old requests still show their name in history.
You want to compare vendor quotes	Create a single request and assign multiple vendors one at a time, adding their quotes as notes in the timeline. Board can review all quotes in one place.

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Troubleshooting

A vendor I need isn't in the list

• Go to Requests → Settings → Vendors → Add Vendor.
• Enter their details and select the appropriate category.
• Save and return to your request to assign them.

I assigned a vendor but I'm not tracking their work effectively

• Use the Add Note feature in the request timeline to document:
  • When you contacted them
  • Their quoted price
  • Work dates
  • Completion status
  • Cost (if invoiced)
• This keeps everything in one place and creates a complete audit trail.

A vendor's contact info changed and I have old requests with their outdated number

• Update the vendor's information in Request Settings → Vendors.
• The old requests will still show the vendor's name (for history).
• For future requests, the updated contact info will be used.

I want to track which vendors are most expensive or responsive

• Propty doesn't have built-in vendor performance reports yet.
• Manually review your request timeline notes to see vendor costs and feedback.
• You can also export request data to analyze vendor patterns over time.

Can residents see which vendor is assigned?

• Residents can see the request status and general updates through their portal.
• They cannot see vendor names or contact info — this is internal only.
• You control what information you share with residents through request status updates.