Overview
Lula is an award-winning platform focusing on rental property maintenance. They troubleshoot with the tenant for you and then, if needed, will send out a vetted Pro to do the work.
It’s like having a Property Manager for Maintenance but at a fraction of the cost.
Service Areas and Eligibility
Lula is available in select markets across the country, typically in higher-population metro areas. Please see this article to check your eligibility now.
How It Works
You sign up for TurboTenant’s Maintenance Plus Plan.
You or your tenant submit a maintenance request in TurboTenant. Depending on your settings, the request will either be automatically sent to Lula, or you will be able to choose whether to send it to Lula.
Available 24/7, 365 days a year, US-based Lula maintenance experts reach out to the tenant via text messaging within minutes. Pictures/videos can also be used to speed up communication.
Experts may suggest things like resetting a circuit breaker, restarting a pilot light, reconnecting a flapper chain, etc. There is no separate charge for this, it is included in your subscription.
If a Pro is needed, Lula will schedule the work between the tenant and a Pro.
If needed, a vetted Lula Pro will go to your property to assess and resolve the issue. If the work exceeds your preset spending limit - known as an NTE (Not to Exceed) Amount - Lula will reach out to get approval from a Primary or Secondary Contact. NTE must be >$300. The NTE can be thought of as a "don't call me unless" your service is over that amount.
Once the work is complete, Lula experts review Pro-notes and photos for quality and fairness in pricing. If it’s not right they will preemptively ask the pro to make adjustments themselves or send someone else out there.
Along the way, detailed activities (like appointment details, notes, and statuses) are shared in the Maintenance Request where you and your tenant can follow the process.
After the work is done, before & after photos, Pro-notes, and the invoice will be saved for you in TurboTenant.
You will be charged by TurboTenant for the labor and parts for any work done.
Cost
Maintenance Plus
Maintenance Plus covers the troubleshooting service provided by Lula's experts, the coordination with the tenant, and access to a vetted Pro network.
At this time, it’s the same price whether you have 1 or 100+ rentals or Maintenance Requests.
Cost of Maintenance Jobs
You will also be charged when a highly vetted Pro goes out to perform work.
If the work exceeds your preset spending limit (known as an NTE (Not to Exceed) Amount, Lula will reach out to get approval from a primary or backup contact.
If the work order is less than your NTE, then you’ll be automatically charged to your payment method on file.
Currently, Lula offers flat-rate pricing for the major replacement costs of appliances or home mechanical systems. Click here to learn more about flat-rate pricing.*
*Important: A $75-$99 service/diagnostic charge may be added for certain maintenance calls if the work order is rejected by the landlord or if the appointment is missed (no-show). If the order is accepted, the fee will be waived with the work order cost.
Settings
Note: All settings are on the account level and not per property at this time.
Not to Exceed (NTE) - Preset Spending Limit
Think of it as a “Don’t bother me if less than $X”.
By default, this amount is $300 (minimum amount), although you may change this to something higher if you like. The average is closer to $500. You set this number when you sign up for your Maintenance Plus subscription. Any quote above your NTE amount will prompt Lula to reach out to your Approvers.
Approvers
In case a Pro determines that the work will exceed your preset NTE, Lula will reach out to the primary approver and if unreachable, the backup approver. Lula can call, text or email the approvers so work can proceed.
These approver contacts do not have to be you, and you can add an additional contact in your Maintenence Plus settings. If unable, they will have the Pro create a quote that can be approved via a link in the original Maintenance Request.
Autosend or Manual Send
During set-up, you can choose to either automatically send maintenance requests to Lula for troubleshooting, or, if you want to be involved first, select which requests are sent to Lula.
Keep in mind that maintenance requests could be logged by you or your tenants. Many landlords find that “Autosend” gives them the peace of mind they are looking for with maintenance, and it prevents middle-of-the-night phone calls.
Payment Method
During the setup process, you will be prompted to add a credit card to keep on file.
Once the setup is complete, your card will be charged for the Maintenance Plus subscription fee. Additionally, When maintenance work is done by a Pro and an invoice is generated, TurboTenant will automatically charge the card on file.
*The card added will be the main billing card for the whole account. You can update this at any time in your Account>Settings>Billing.
Managing and Monitoring Requests
Sending Requests to Lula
Autosend: If you have selected autosend, all maintenance requests submitted by your tenants will be automatically sent to Lula for troubleshooting. You don't need to take any additional action.
Manual Send: If you have selected manual sending, you can initiate Lula's troubleshooting process when a maintenance request is submitted.
Simply look for the "Send to Lula" button on the maintenance request page. By clicking this button, the request will be sent to Lula for troubleshooting.
Statuses, Activities, and Notes
You can view the status and notes of the maintenance request in that request's activity log.
To add a note, click the "Add Note" button on the top right. You can also attach documents, images or videos to the note if needed.
Quotes
To view a quote for a maintenance request, please follow these steps:
If the maintenance work is expected to exceed your preset spending limit, known as the NTE (Not to Exceed) amount, you will receive a quote for the work. Lula will reach out via email or phone to obtain approval from a designated primary or backup contact.
When a quote is ready for your review, the status of the maintenance request on the maintenance request will change to "Quote Needs Review."
To access and review the quote, click on the specific maintenance request details. You will see a prominent "Approval Required" banner.
Click on the "View Details" button to view the quote on Lula's platform, where you can review all the relevant details and information.
Lula Communication
With Tenants - A main benefit of Lula is that they will work directly with your tenant to troubleshoot maintenance issues and schedule a pro visit via text message. During this process, you can trust Lula to handle the communication and resolution with your tenant.
With Landlords - Lula will contact you or your approvers if a maintenance quote exceeds your NTE amount. In such cases, Lula will reach out via phone or email to obtain approval from either a designated primary or backup contact.
Contacting Lula - If, at any point, you need to speak directly to a Lula representative, you can call Lula at 913-303-7781.
FAQs
What is covered in the Maintenance Plus plan?
The subscription plan covers troubleshooting, scheduling coordination, reviewing the work done, and maintaining a high-quality network of Pros. Please note that the cost of work carried out by a Pro is billed separately.
Is my property in the Maintenance Plus coverage area?
Before utilizing the Maintenance Plus Plan, ensure your property falls within Lula's service coverage area. Check out our Maintenance Plus Coverage guide to verify service availability and maximize the benefits of the Maintenance Plus Plan with Lula.
How is this different from a home warranty?
A Home warranty is an insurance you pay for upfront, and you get parts for free based on the warranty/insurance policy.
Lula is an end-to-end service that fixes your maintenance issues. With Lula, you don't have to spend the time and effort sourcing, researching, and vetting pros to ensure they are compliant. Lula has already done that for you.
When a maintenance request is made, Lula immediately triages with the tenant within minutes. If the issue can't be de-escalated, Lula will coordinate and schedule a fully vetted Pro at the tenant's convenience. Lula ensures quality work and tenant satisfaction throughout the entire process.
Who are the Lula experts who review the maintenance work before it’s dispatched and after it’s complete?
Lula Experts are seasoned professionals from the Lula operations team, with backgrounds in property management, handyman & contractor services, project management, and/or customer support.
They also have access to Lula’s knowledge bases and follow standard operating procedures. This ensures every maintenance task is thoroughly reviewed and meets Lula’s high standards.
What is Lula’s Pro vetting process?
When applying for Lula’s Pro-network, Pros are required to complete competency tests, provide detailed work experience histories, and specify pricing parameters. Lula interviews all applicants before accepting them into the Pro network, and comprehensive criminal background checks are mandatory.
To ensure compliance, Lula verifies insurance levels and ensures that Pros' professional licenses are active. Upon joining, Pros go through an onboarding period during which Lula limits their workload and provides hands-on support for their initial assignments to ensure they meet high standards.
Lula constantly evaluates Pros and can deactivate them at any time if they have problems with service delivery, communication, quality, etc.
What categories does Lula cover?
Lula offers a wide range of maintenance categories, including
heating and cooling system maintenance
general house and carpet cleaning
plumbing
electrical work
lawn care
pest control
junk removal
painting
flooring
drywall repair
power washing
masonry services
and more.
The most common category that is not covered is pools. Please see the full list here.
When might the NTE (not to exceed) limit be exceeded without authorization?
Normally, Lula contacts primary/backup contacts before surpassing the NTE. In rare emergencies, if immediate action prevents higher repair costs (e.g., stopping a burst pipe), Lula may proceed in good faith if contacts are unreachable, aiming to limit further damage.
Can Landlords have control over which pro to dispatch?
At this time, Landlords do not have direct control over selecting a specific Pro for dispatch. Lula will find the best-suited Pro based on your tenant's availability and the details of the maintenance request. After the work is completed, you will have the opportunity to review the work results.
What is the tenant's experience with Lula for Maintenance Requests?
Gain insights into the tenant’s interaction with the maintenance request process by visiting our guide: Maintenance Requests with Lula. This guide offers landlords an understanding of the tenant flow, enabling you to better support and respond to your tenants' needs, and ensuring a smooth and efficient maintenance management experience.