By Megan Foster, property-management communications specialist with 9 years of resident notification and portal-support experience
Last reviewed: July 26, 2026
DoorLoop is property management software used for leasing, rent collection, accounting, maintenance, reporting, and communication. Property managers can send announcements through email, text, voice message, and the Tenant Portal, while DoorLoop’s Communications Log helps them check whether those messages were processed.
This independent guide is not affiliated with or operated by DoorLoop.
A missing message does not always mean DoorLoop failed to send it. The tenant may be using another email address, the property may have a notification override, the communication may have been posted only to the portal, or the message may still show an incomplete delivery status in the Communications Log.
What DoorLoop communications include
DoorLoop’s resident-facing features include online rent payments, payment history, proof-of-insurance uploads, maintenance requests, and announcements. Which tools appear depends on the company, property, and lease settings selected by management.
DoorLoop provides two related communication areas.
Announcements are outbound messages that management can send to all tenants, selected groups, or one tenant. Delivery options can include email, SMS, voice message, and a Tenant Portal post.
Communications Center is a broader messaging workspace for conversations involving tenants, owners, vendors, and prospects. DoorLoop describes it as a centralized place for managing messages without relying entirely on outside communication channels.
These tools are not identical. A portal announcement may be visible without creating an SMS conversation, while a Communications Center message may appear in an inbox-style thread.
DoorLoop login comes before portal announcements
Tenant Portal access starts with an invitation from the property manager. DoorLoop says invitations allow tenants to access online payments, maintenance requests, and announcements. The tenant must accept the invitation and establish the account before ordinary portal login works.
An expired invitation often means the tenant already accepted it. DoorLoop advises using the normal login or password-recovery process instead of reopening the original activation link.
Do account identity first.
A tenant who uses a different email address may enter another profile or fail to receive the intended activation and notification messages. Management should verify the email and phone number stored on the tenant record before repeatedly resending communications.
DoorLoop lets management confirm that a replacement portal invitation was generated by reviewing Communications > Communications Log. Its reinvitation guidance also notes that special characters in company-level invitation settings can interfere with the invitation link.
Check the log and invitation configuration. Skip creating a duplicate tenant profile merely because one email did not arrive.
Sending an announcement to tenants
DoorLoop’s announcement workflow can target all tenants, selected properties, selected units, or specific tenants. Management can choose one or more delivery methods depending on the message and available contact information.
Typical announcement uses include:
- Planned maintenance
- Office closures
- Inspection notices
- Community updates
- Payment reminders
- Weather-related information
- Changes to property procedures
A single tenant can also be selected when management wants to keep a record of an individual communication inside DoorLoop. DoorLoop notes that Announcements can target tenants, but not owners.
Use the correct audience first. Skip sending a property-wide announcement when the issue concerns only one resident’s account or lease.
Messages involving owners, vendors, or prospects may require the Communications Center or another appropriate DoorLoop workflow rather than the tenant-focused Announcements feature.
Email, portal, text and voice are different channels
Selecting several announcement channels does not guarantee that the tenant receives them in the same place or at the same time.
Email: Delivered to the email address stored for the recipient.
Tenant Portal: Posted inside the renter-facing portal.
SMS: Sent to the tenant’s eligible mobile number after messaging has been configured.
Voice message: Sent through DoorLoop’s voice-announcement option where available.
DoorLoop says emails and Tenant Portal posts are free, while SMS and voice announcements consume communication credits. One credit currently costs $0.02.
A management company that runs out of credits may therefore encounter a different problem from a tenant whose email address is incorrect.
Check the selected delivery channel and available credits. Skip assuming that a message posted in the portal was also sent by text.
DoorLoop’s current feature page says accounts receive 100 communication credits to try the feature and may be replenished in blocks of 500 credits for $10 after those credits are used. Pricing can change, so the current account screen should be checked before relying on an older amount.
Using the Communications Log
DoorLoop’s Communications Log shows sent announcements and their communication status. It is the best starting point when a tenant says no message arrived.
Management should review:
- The recipient
- The message date
- The selected channel
- The address or phone number used
- The current delivery status
- Whether the communication was sent to the correct property or tenant group
The log proves what DoorLoop attempted to send. It does not prove that the tenant read the message.
For example, an email may be delivered but filtered by the tenant’s email provider. A portal announcement may be available but unseen because the tenant has not logged in. An SMS may fail because the stored number is not capable of receiving text messages.
Do status first. Skip sending the same notice repeatedly before determining which channel failed.
The Communications Log is also useful after a tenant portal invitation is resent because management can verify that the invitation communication appears in the account history.
Communications Center conversations
DoorLoop’s Communications Center displays messages involving tenants, prospects, vendors, and owners in an inbox-style interface. The messages commonly appear as chat-like SMS conversations after Communications Center settings have been configured.
This feature helps property managers centralize message history rather than searching through several employees’ personal phones.
A staff member who cannot see a conversation should first check:
- Whether Communications Center setup is complete
- Whether the staff role includes the required communication permissions
- Whether the conversation appears under My Messages or All Messages
- Whether the contact has a valid phone number
- Whether another user owns or is assigned to the conversation
DoorLoop also offers an AI writing assistant inside Communications Center messages. The documented route begins under Communications, where a user opens My Messages or All Messages, selects a conversation, and uses Help Me Write in the message field.
Generated language should still be reviewed before sending. Property-specific promises, legal notices, payment terms, and emergency instructions should not be sent without human verification.
SMS messaging and tenant consent
DoorLoop recommends obtaining consent before using SMS messaging for tenant updates and rent reminders. Its support documentation provides a consent addendum template for communications through email, phone, and text.
A software setting does not replace legal consent requirements.
Property managers should verify applicable federal and state laws, the lease language, the recipient’s consent status, and any opt-out request before sending automated or promotional text messages. Regulations governing calls and texts can be fact-specific, so legal guidance may be appropriate for large or automated campaigns.
Do consent first. Skip assuming that a phone number entered on an application automatically authorizes every type of future message.
Tenant contact records should also be kept current. A reassigned phone number could send private lease or payment information to the wrong person.
Avoid placing full bank details, passwords, authentication codes, or highly sensitive personal information in ordinary SMS messages.
Rent and payment notifications
DoorLoop lets management configure rent and payment notifications under Settings > Rent & Payment Notification. Options include upcoming rent reminders and payment-related notices. DoorLoop notes that upcoming-rent reminders apply to recurring rent charges rather than manually posted charges of other types.
This distinction explains why a tenant may receive a reminder for monthly rent but no advance notice for a separately entered utility charge or one-time fee.
Property-level settings can override company defaults. The property path begins under Rentals > Properties, followed by the property’s Settings tab and Rent & Payment Notifications. Management can keep company defaults or specify separate settings for that property.
Check notification scope first.
A company may enable reminders globally while one property uses different timing or has the notification disabled. Lease-level settings may create additional differences between tenants.
Skip blaming the email provider until company, property, and applicable lease settings have been compared.
Payment receipts and missing emails
DoorLoop can automatically send tenants a receipt after an online payment. Management enables this under Rent & Payment Notification by turning on the option to notify the tenant when an online payment is made.
A missing receipt email does not prove that the payment failed.
Management should inspect the tenant’s lease transaction and online payment status first. When the transaction exists, the receipt or account statement can be sent again through the proper DoorLoop workflow.
The tenant should also compare:
- Payment date
- Amount
- Lease or unit
- Payment status
- Bank activity
- Receipt or confirmation number
Do the ledger check first. Skip submitting another rent payment solely because the receipt email is absent.
Maintenance request notifications
DoorLoop can notify assigned staff members when a tenant or maintenance request is received. Management configures these options under Tenant Request settings and can also enable push notifications from DoorLoop’s Notifications panel.
Tenant-facing requests must first be enabled under Tenant Portal permissions. The named setting is Allow tenants to submit online requests. Management may also permit tenants to view open and closed requests and can automatically notify the tenant when a request is received.
This creates several independent controls:
- Whether the tenant can submit a request
- Whether the tenant receives confirmation
- Whether a staff member is assigned
- Whether the assignee receives email notification
- Whether push notifications are enabled
- Whether the tenant can view the request’s later status
A missing staff alert does not necessarily mean the tenant failed to submit the request.
Check the request record itself. Skip asking the tenant to create a duplicate maintenance ticket until management confirms that the first one is absent.
Urgent safety or habitability problems should follow the property’s emergency contact procedure rather than relying only on an electronic notification.
Announcements cannot replace formal notices automatically
DoorLoop announcements are useful for routine property communication, but sending a portal post or SMS does not necessarily satisfy every legal notice requirement.
Lease renewals, entry notices, rent increases, payment demands, and termination notices may be subject to specific delivery methods, timing, wording, or proof-of-service rules under state or local law.
DoorLoop can preserve a communication record and show its status. Management must still determine whether the chosen delivery method satisfies the lease and governing law.
Use the required legal process first. Skip assuming that a delivered SMS is equivalent to certified mail, personal service, or another legally required method.
Frequently asked questions
Can DoorLoop send announcements by text?
Yes. DoorLoop supports announcements through SMS, email, voice message, and Tenant Portal posts.
Can management message only one tenant?
Yes. The Announcements feature can be used to send a targeted message to one tenant while preserving a communication record.
Can announcements be sent to owners?
DoorLoop says the Announcements feature is tenant-focused and cannot be used to send announcements to owners. Owner communication may use the Communications Center or Owner Portal tools.
How can management check whether a message was sent?
Open the Communications Log and review the message, recipient, channel, and status.
Are DoorLoop text messages free?
DoorLoop currently charges one communication credit, listed as $0.02, for each SMS or voice message. Email and Tenant Portal announcements are listed as free.
Why did one property receive rent reminders but another did not?
Property-level Rent & Payment Notification settings can override the company defaults.
Why did I not receive a payment receipt?
Automatic payment-receipt notifications may be disabled, or the stored email may be wrong. Management should confirm the payment on the lease before sending another receipt.
Why did maintenance staff not receive an alert?
Automatic assignment, email notification, or push notification may be disabled. Management should inspect Tenant Request settings and the Notifications panel.
