Rental enquiry automation
Rental enquiry automation replies to each enquiry from realestate.com.au, Domain and your own website by email and SMS as it arrives, using only the facts in the listing: rent, inspection times, pets, parking, availability and the application link. In Victoria the application must use the prescribed form required since 31 March 2026.
Leasing consultants answer the same handful of questions about every listing. The AI answers those from the listing record, books the enquirer into an inspection and passes anything else to a person. It does not screen, rank or select applicants.
Where the enquiries come from
The AI works from the enquiry notifications your agency already receives in its enquiry inbox and CRM. It does not claim a direct connection to any listing portal. In practice an agency adds a forwarding rule from the inbox that receives portal leads, so each new enquiry reaches the AI within the same mail flow your team uses now.
Phone and SMS enquiries about a listing go to the same place. A caller who rings about a rental is answered by the AI receptionist, which uses the same listing record and the same booking calendar, so an applicant gets the same answer whether they emailed or rang.
How an enquiry is handled
- Match the listing. The AI reads the enquiry, matches it to the listing by address or listing ID, and notes the questions the enquirer ticked or typed.
- Answer from the record. It replies by email, and by SMS where a mobile number was given, answering each question from the listing data your team maintains.
- Offer inspection times. It lists the next open inspections and, if you allow private viewings, the slots your leasing consultant has opened in their Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace calendar.
- Book and confirm. When the enquirer picks a time, the booking goes into the inspection register and the enquirer receives a confirmation.
- Remind and update. A reminder goes out before the inspection. If the inspection is cancelled or moved, every booked enquirer is told.
- Send the application link. After the inspection, attendees receive your application link and nothing else.
- Hand over the rest. Any question the listing does not answer goes to the leasing consultant with the full thread, flagged for a reply.
What the AI answers, and where each answer comes from
| Enquirer asks | Answer comes from | How the AI answers |
|---|---|---|
| What is the rent? | Advertised rent on the listing | States the advertised rent and nothing else |
| Can I offer more to secure it? | Victorian rental law | In Victoria, says the agency cannot accept rent above the advertised price |
| When can I inspect? | Inspection schedule | Lists times and books a place |
| Are pets allowed? | Listing pet field, plus state rules | Gives the listing answer; in Victoria, explains the pet request process |
| Is there parking, a dishwasher, air conditioning? | Listing features | Answers yes or no from the record |
| When is it available, and for how long? | Listing dates and lease term | States them |
| How do I apply? | Your application process | Sends the application link |
| Will my application be approved? | Not answerable | Says the decision rests with the rental provider and passes the question on |
Pets in Victoria
A Victorian listing that says “no pets” does not end the conversation. Consumer Affairs Victoria says a renter asks for consent with a pet request form, the rental provider has 14 days to decide, and a provider who refuses must apply to VCAT within that time. If the provider does not respond within 14 days, the renter can keep the pet. The AI is set to describe this process accurately instead of repeating “no pets” as a final answer.
Anti-discrimination and the Victorian application rules
The AI writes every reply from listing facts, and every enquirer about the same listing receives the same facts. It does not ask about, record or infer a person’s background, and it never suggests that a property suits or does not suit a particular kind of household.
That matters because the Equal Opportunity Act 2010 makes it unlawful to refuse a renter because of protected attributes. Consumer Affairs Victoria’s page on unlawful discrimination in renting lists them, including age, disability, parental status, race, religious belief, sex and sexual orientation, and says a rental provider generally cannot refuse a renter because a child under 16 will live with them. Other states have their own anti-discrimination laws with similar effect.
Victoria also tightened what can be asked of applicants. Under the Residential Tenancies Act 1997 and the changes listed by Consumer Affairs Victoria:
- From 25 November 2025, rental bidding is banned: agents cannot accept offers above the advertised rent.
- From 31 March 2026, the prescribed application form must be used, and applicants cannot be asked about past disputes with a rental provider, their bond history or daily-transaction bank statements.
- From 13 October 2026, rental providers and agents cannot charge renters for applications.
Because of these rules, the AI never asks a screening question in its replies. Its job ends at sending the application link.
Follow-up messages and the Spam Act
A reply to someone’s own enquiry about a listing is part of handling that enquiry. Sending the same person new listing alerts later is marketing. Under the Spam Act 2003, the ACMA requires consent, identification of the sender and an unsubscribe option honoured within 5 working days. The AI asks enquirers whether they want alerts, records the answer and adds an unsubscribe line to every alert.
What you configure
- The listing data the AI may quote, and who keeps it current.
- Open inspection times and private viewing slots.
- Reply wording and the sender name for email and SMS.
- Which questions always go to a leasing consultant.
- The application link for each state you lease in.
What it does not do
It does not screen applicants, check references, rank applications or tell anyone they are likely to be approved. It does not change the rent, offer incentives or agree lease terms. It does not answer a question the listing does not cover; it says a consultant will reply. It does not replace your condition report, lease signing or bond lodgement.
Cost and next steps
SMS notifications and appointment booking come with the Professional plan at $599 per month a month ex GST. The email side (reading portal enquiries and replying from listing data) is workflow automation, scoped and quoted with the plan because every agency’s inbox and CRM differ. Read the cost guide to size it, and the property management automation guide for where enquiries fit in a rollout. Yes AI’s ai-email.au covers email automation for other businesses.
Send two or three recent portal enquiries through the demo form and we will show the replies the AI would have sent.