If you’re in real estate or property management, your mailbox is still a critical part of daily operations. Between rent checks, lease applications, maintenance requests, insurance paperwork, and legal notices, the volume of incoming mail can be overwhelming, especially across multiple properties or office locations.
Many real estate and property management companies are switching to a digital mailroom: a secure, streamlined solution that transforms physical mail into searchable, digital documents your team can access from anywhere.
Whether you manage a portfolio of residential properties, commercial spaces, or HOA communities, this FAQ covers the most important questions real estate professionals ask about digital mailroom solutions.
What is a digital mailroom?
A digital mailroom is a service that receives your incoming mail at a secure facility, opens and scans it, and delivers digital versions of the documents to your team electronically. You get your mail faster, more securely, and without manual sorting or scanning in-house.
Why should real estate and property management companies consider a digital mailroom?
Because managing paper manually takes up time, space, and staff attention, especially if you’re dealing with:
- Rent checks that need to be deposited quickly
- Time-sensitive legal notices
- Multiple leasing offices or remote team members
- Disorganized paper trails for leases, repairs, or vendors
- Delays caused by staff having to be physically on-site to access mail
A digital mailroom for real estate/property management can help you:
- Centralize mail for multiple properties
- Speed up rent processing and maintenance response times
- Eliminate mailroom staffing needs at each location
- Ensure compliance and organized digital records
- Support remote work and hybrid property teams
What types of documents can a digital mailroom process for property managers?
We can scan and route just about anything you receive by mail, including:
- Lease applications
- Renewal letters and tenant notices
- Rent checks and payment stubs
- Maintenance requests and vendor invoices
- Utility bills and statements
- Eviction notices and court documents
- Insurance paperwork (proof of insurance, claims, etc.)
- Certified mail receipts
- HOA communications
- Property tax bills and assessments
- Bank correspondence and loan servicing documents
How are rent checks handled?
You can choose from two options:
- Scan-only: Checks are scanned front and back for digital recordkeeping and then returned or shredded.
- Integrated with a lockbox or banking system: Scanned checks can be processed for electronic deposit, with deposit files sent directly to your accounting team or bank.
Metadata such as tenant name, unit number, and property ID can be added to each check scan to match your payment systems.
What happens with lease applications and tenant documents?
These documents are:
- Scanned and tagged with tenant and property information
- Routed to your leasing or property management system
- Indexed by applicant name, property address, or unit number
- Accessible via secure cloud or delivered into your existing document management tool
Digital workflows can even kick off automated approval or background check steps once the application is received.
Can you handle legal notices like eviction filings or court summonses?
Yes! These are processed as follows:
- Scanned upon arrival
- Immediately routed to the appropriate property manager or legal team
- Stored with digital copies for proof of receipt and compliance tracking
- Optionally, the original documents can be returned or stored securely as needed
How does mail get to the digital mailroom?
Typically, your mail is redirected/forwarded to a centralized P.O. box managed by your digital mailroom partner. This ensures all property and tenant mail goes through a secure, trackable process, no matter where it originates.
How is mail routed once scanned?
Digital mail can be automatically sorted and delivered by:
- Property address or unit number
- Document type (e.g., invoice, lease, check)
- Team or department (leasing, maintenance, accounting, legal)
- Specific recipients or shared inboxes
- Integration with your property management software or cloud storage system
Routing rules are fully customizable to match how your team operates.
Can this integrate with our property management or accounting software?
Yes. Digital mailroom files can be delivered into or alongside tools like:
- Yardi, AppFolio, Buildium, MRI Software
- Document management systems (DMS)
- Cloud storage (Google Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox)
- Accounting platforms (QuickBooks, Sage, etc.)
We can also create custom file naming conventions and metadata to make importing simple.
Is a digital mailroom secure for tenant data and payment information?
Absolutely. Security and compliance are built in:
- SSAE-18 SOC audited facilities
- Encrypted file transfer and access controls
- Background-checked staff with confidentiality agreements
- Full chain-of-custody tracking
- Secure storage or certified destruction of originals as needed
Tenant PII (personally identifiable information) is handled with care and in compliance with privacy regulations.
What happens to physical documents after scanning?
You choose:
- Secure shredding after 30–90 days
- Return of originals for documents like lease agreements or legal notices
- On-site or off-site storage for long-term retention
Our team can follow your document retention policy to the letter.
How fast will I receive my digital mail?
Most clients receive their scanned documents within the next business day.
Is this scalable across multiple properties?
Yes! That’s one of the biggest advantages. Whether you manage 5 buildings or 500, a digital mailroom allows you to:
- Centralize mail processing
- Standardize how documents are handled across locations
- Reduce in-office admin workload
- Keep all teams connected to critical documents in real time
In property management and real estate, paper never seems to stop. But that doesn’t mean you have to stay buried in it. A digital mailroom gives you back control, speeding up operations, cutting costs, and giving your teams instant access to the information they need.
Ready to make the switch?
Contact Recordsforce today to learn how we help real estate and property management companies streamline incoming mail, simplify tenant communications, and stay organized across every property you manage.