Learn which AI automations are safe to use in property management after rent-setting bans, and how to maintain compliance while improving efficiency.
Rent-setting bans and AI regulations are changing the property management landscape. But that doesn't mean you have to abandon automation entirely. There are still many safe, compliant ways to use AI in property management. Learn more about what AI leasing assistants can and can't do and see our guide on AI leasing automation benefits.
Recent regulations have focused on AI systems that:
These regulations aim to prevent:
But they don't ban AI in property management entirely. There are many safe use cases.
What it does: AI responds to inquiries, answers questions, and provides information about properties.
Why it's safe:
Best practices:
Example: "Do you have 2-bedroom units available?" AI responds with availability and pricing (set by you), then offers to book a tour.
What it does: AI books tours based on your calendar availability.
Why it's safe:
Best practices:
Example: Prospect asks to book a tour. AI checks your calendar, offers available times, and books the appointment.
What it does: AI asks questions to understand prospect needs and timeline.
Why it's safe:
Best practices:
Example: AI asks about move-in timeline, budget range, and number of occupants to understand needs and match to available units.
What it does: AI sends follow-up messages to prospects who haven't responded or booked tours.
Why it's safe:
Best practices:
Example: Prospect hasn't responded in 3 days. AI sends a follow-up with property highlights and tour booking link.
What it does: AI logs all interactions for compliance and analysis.
Why it's safe:
Best practices:
Example: Every inquiry, response, and interaction is logged with timestamps, showing consistent treatment of all prospects.
Why it's risky: Many jurisdictions have banned or restricted AI systems that set or suggest rental prices.
What to do instead: Set prices manually based on market research and local regulations. Use AI to communicate prices, not to determine them.
Why it's risky: AI screening can introduce bias and may violate fair housing laws if not carefully designed and monitored.
What to do instead: Use AI to collect application information, but have humans review and make decisions. Ensure screening criteria are objective and applied consistently.
Why it's risky: Final decisions should involve human judgment, especially for complex cases or edge scenarios.
What to do instead: Use AI to flag potential issues and route to humans for review. Always have human oversight for final decisions.
Why it's risky: Using AI to filter prospects based on protected characteristics is illegal and unethical.
What to do instead: Provide the same information and access to all prospects. Use objective criteria (unit size, budget, timeline) to match prospects to properties.
Log everything:
This documentation shows consistent treatment and helps with compliance audits.
Ensure all prospects receive:
Consistency is key to demonstrating fair treatment.
Always have humans:
AI supports humans, it doesn't replace them.
Document:
This documentation helps with audits and demonstrates good faith efforts.
Regularly review:
Stay current with regulations and adjust processes as needed.
Regulations will continue to evolve, but the core principle remains: AI should support fair, transparent, and compliant property management practices.
Safe AI use cases will continue to include:
Risky use cases to avoid:
The key is using AI to improve efficiency and consistency while maintaining human oversight and compliance.
If you're considering AI automation for your property management business:
Book a demo to see how Propel handles inquiries, books tours, and maintains compliance with full audit trails and human oversight.
Propel's AI leasing assistant focuses on safe, compliant automations: handling inquiries, booking tours, and logging all interactions. We maintain full audit trails and ensure human oversight for all decisions.
Learn how Propel can help you automate safely and compliantly. See our getting started guide and learn how to automate rental inquiries while maintaining compliance.
See how Propel can help you convert more inquiries and book more tours automatically.
Learn what AI leasing assistants can handle, what they can't, and how to use them effectively in your property management workflow.
Discover how AI-powered leasing assistants are revolutionizing property management by automating inquiries, booking tours, and improving conversion rates.
Use our free calculator to see how faster response times impact your conversion rates and revenue. Model different scenarios and see the ROI of responding within 5 minutes.