5 Leasing Questions Your AI Should Handle

When property managers first explore AI for leasing, they usually ask us the wrong question: "Can AI handle ALL tenant inquiries?"

The honest answer is no. AI can't replace the judgment call on a borderline applicant, the negotiation on a lease renewal, or the empathy needed for a genuinely distressed tenant. Those moments require a human.

But here's the better question: "Which inquiries should AI handle first?"

After analyzing over 50,000 tenant conversations across our customer base, we've identified the five question types that consume the most leasing team time while being perfectly suited for AI handling. Start here, and you'll reclaim 10-15 hours per week before you even tackle the complex stuff.

1. Availability and Pricing Checks

What it sounds like: "Do you have any 2-bedrooms available?" / "What's the rent for the corner unit?" / "Are there any move-in specials?"

Why it eats time: This is the most common inquiry type—roughly 35% of all inbound messages. Each one requires pulling up current inventory, checking promotional calendars, and composing a response. Takes 3-5 minutes per inquiry. Multiply by 20+ inquiries daily, and you've lost an hour just answering "What's available?"

Why AI excels: AI connects directly to your property management system in real-time. It knows exactly what's available, current pricing, and active promotions—no lookup required. Response time drops from minutes to seconds. Accuracy improves because there's no manual checking that might miss an update.

Impact: We see an average of 12 hours/week saved just on availability inquiries alone.

2. Amenity and Feature Questions

What it sounds like: "Is there in-unit laundry?" / "Do you have covered parking?" / "What floor is unit 204 on?" / "Is there a gym?"

Why it eats time: These questions seem trivial, but they add up. Each requires memory recall or a quick lookup. Worse, different team members might give slightly different answers ("I think that unit has a patio... let me check"). Inconsistency erodes trust.

Why AI excels: Every property detail is loaded into the AI's knowledge base once. From that point forward, every answer is consistent, accurate, and instant. The AI can also proactively mention related amenities: "Yes, unit 204 has in-unit laundry, and as a second-floor unit, you'd have patio access."

Impact: Tenants who get quick, detailed answers are 2.3x more likely to schedule a tour than those who wait for human responses.

3. Pet Policy Inquiries

What it sounds like: "Are you pet-friendly?" / "Is there a breed restriction?" / "What's the pet deposit?" / "Can I have three cats?"

Why it eats time: Pet policies are complex. Weight limits, breed restrictions, pet rent, deposits, documentation requirements for assistance animals—answering thoroughly takes careful thought. Answering wrong creates liability. Many leasing agents either over-explain (wasting time) or under-explain (creating problems later).

Why AI excels: AI delivers complete, policy-accurate responses every time. It knows to ask clarifying questions ("Is your pet a registered emotional support animal?") and provides the right information path based on the answer. It won't accidentally promise something that violates insurance terms.

Impact: Pet inquiries that used to take 5-7 minutes now resolve in under 60 seconds, with zero compliance incidents.

4. Application Process Questions

What it sounds like: "How do I apply?" / "What documents do you need?" / "Do you accept co-signers?" / "What credit score is required?"

Why it eats time: Every applicant has the same basic questions, but explaining the process from scratch each time is tedious. It's also high-stakes: if someone misunderstands requirements, they'll submit an incomplete application, wasting everyone's time.

Why AI excels: AI provides step-by-step application instructions, links directly to application portals, and answers follow-up questions about requirements. It can even pre-qualify prospects by asking income and credit questions before they waste time on an application they'll never pass.

Impact: Properties using AI for application guidance see 28% fewer incomplete applications and 40% faster time-to-submit.

5. Tour Scheduling

What it sounds like: "Can I see the unit?" / "Are you showing apartments this Saturday?" / "I'm available tomorrow at 2pm."

Why it eats time: Scheduling is a back-and-forth nightmare. "Can you do Tuesday?" "No, I'm free Thursday." "What time Thursday?" "Maybe afternoon?" Four messages later, you've finally locked in a tour. Now multiply by 10 tour requests per week.

Why AI excels: AI integrates with your calendar, knows exactly when units are showable, and completes scheduling in a single interaction. "I'd love to show you unit 305! I have availability tomorrow at 10am, 2pm, and 4pm, or Wednesday morning. Which works best?"

Impact: Tour booking conversion increases 45% when AI handles scheduling, because the response is immediate and definitive instead of starting a negotiation.

The Compounding Effect

Here's what makes these five question types so powerful to automate: they represent roughly 70% of all leasing inquiries by volume. Handle them with AI, and your human team suddenly has time for the work that actually requires humans—the complex negotiations, the VIP tours, the problem-resolution calls.

Start with these five. Get them running smoothly. Then you can think about expanding to edge cases.

The goal isn't to eliminate human interaction. It's to make sure humans are spending their time on interactions that actually need them.