Protocol for answering tenants in a timely and safe manner

[Susan Clark]

I am a fairly new landlord. I have 4 tenants and I had set up a system where if the tenant calls they were to leave a message or text and I would respond within 24hrs. Since this was put into place 2 of my tenants have decided that when they call/text me that they immediately call/text my husbands number which they acquired while he was doing repairs. He has taken to answering them more promptly than myself therefore putting us at the mercy of my tenants. Example 1 this past weekend we were at a marriage retreat and the tenant called me twice in 5 minutes and then called my husband who answered in the middle of the conference. The tenant had misplaced his info for depositing the rent and wanted us to give it to him again. Emergency for tenants maybe but not my emergency. But it took away from our weekend away in a way. Example 2 tenants furnace is intermittently working. Calls me leave a message, no more than 5 minutes go by,I listen to the message and go to text the tenant a response that I would contact the furnace guy and my husband and someone would be out today to check it and would they need an eden pure heater to keep things warm for the day and as I’m typing the tenant texts me and says hubby has it all taken care of he’s coming out now to check on it. I call hubby and tell him he’s just ruined our 24hr call system and he says what do tenants do in an emergency and I feel like emergency...fire call 911, water main break call the town. Anything else can be handled within 24jrs. Let me know what some of you do. Thanks

[Susan Clark]

thanks everyone for your responses. I am on the same page with you all I just need to get m husband there. Like I said before I even have a google voice number and my dear well meaning hubby is training my tenants in some super bad habits. Thanks for the reassurance that I've got the correct mindset. This business haas no room for failure for me so I need to keep learning and going forward. 

Thanks again.