Rent reminders: the six decisions

Everything engineering can do is done. What's left is six choices that are yours, not the code's. Pick an option in each — "I'm not sure" is a real answer and tells me what to go find out. Your picks collect at the bottom to copy.

Where it stands right now: Clara already picks the right residents, works out what they owe, and writes the message — then shows it to us instead of sending it. Nobody has been texted.

Twelve residents at Camellia would be getting these messages. Turning it on is one small change that nobody has made.

Before the first message goes out

Do we get a lawyer to check this first?

Chasing rent for your own building is treated differently from being a collections agency. We've assumed we're on the right side of that. Nobody has actually checked whether it still holds when it's us texting on JP-Co's behalf, for the owners. I've written the whole question up so a lawyer could answer it in one sitting.

Yes — before we send anythingSlowest, and the only option where nobody is guessing. The write-up is ready to hand over. Ask our attorney informally firstA quick read to see if they think it's a real question, before paying for a full opinion. Start without itFastest. If the assumption is wrong, the messages we've already sent are the exposure. I'm not sure — what does the risk actually look like?I'll write up the realistic bad outcome in plain terms, no legal wording.

The phone carriers haven't approved this kind of message

Carriers make you register what sort of texts you send, and they quietly block what isn't registered. The approval on file for Camellia's number covers maintenance and work orders — it never mentions rent or money owed. Fixing it means filing an update with them, which is us making a statement to a carrier, so I won't do it without you.

Draft the filings, I'll review and send themI prepare the exact wording; you check it and submit. Nothing goes out under your name unread. Ask them first whether we're already coveredOne question to Twilio. Might mean no filing is needed at all. Treat it as already covered and sendRisk is quiet: carriers can filter messages without telling us, so residents just never get them. I'm not sure — what happens if we get it wrong?I'll lay out what a carrier actually does when traffic doesn't match the registration.

How it should behave

Who should get a reminder?

Today it's anyone a full month or more behind — leaving out residents who are moving out, being evicted, already with a collections agency, or restricted to certified funds. That's 12 people at Camellia right now.

Keep it — a full month behindSimple to explain to a resident or an owner: "we message people a full month behind." Only residents who pay through the portalTheir payment status is live, so we'd never chase someone whose cheque just hasn't been keyed in. Only residents who are late repeatedlyLeaves the one-off late payer alone. Smaller group, gentler, catches less. I'm not sure — show me who the 12 are firstI can pull the list (units and balances, no other detail) so you're deciding on real cases.

How often is too often?

A resident gets up to three rent reminders a month. Clara now counts every message she sends each person across everything — rent, renewals, tours — but she doesn't hold anything back yet. The limits are set at 3 rent reminders a month and 7 messages a week across the board; they just aren't switched on.

Those numbers are right — switch it on3 rent reminders a month, 7 messages a week total. Clara starts refusing to exceed them. Lower themSay what feels right in the box below and I'll set it. Keep counting for now, decide laterWatch what residents would actually have received for a few weeks, then pick. I'm not sure — what does a resident actually get today?I'll show a real month from one resident's side: every message, in order.

Do we tell residents it's automated?

Right now the message says "this is Camellia Apartments" and doesn't mention Clara is automated. If a resident asks, she says so honestly — she just doesn't volunteer it. A Colorado law will require some disclosure from January 2027, so this decides itself eventually; the question is whether we get ahead of it.

Say it up frontGets ahead of the 2027 rule and reads as confident. Costs a little warmth in the first line. Keep it as it isHonest if asked, never volunteered. Matches how Clara behaves everywhere else today. Wait until 2027 requires itNothing changes now; we'd revisit before January 2027. I'm not sure — show me both versionsI'll write the message both ways so you're choosing between two real texts.

When it goes live

What has to be true before we turn it on?

This is the one that actually starts texting people about money they owe. Everything above feeds into it.

Lawyer signed off and carriers sortedThe careful order. Slowest, nothing outstanding when the first message sends. Lawyer first, carrier work alongsideFaster. Accepts that some messages may be filtered until the registration catches up. After I read a week of practice messagesYou see exactly what would have gone out, to whom, before anything is sent. Not yet — leave it in practice modePerfectly fine. It costs nothing to sit here and it keeps proving itself.

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