Multi-Family Property Maintenance: Better Transparency with Digital Twins

Happy tenants are your key to running a high-performing multi-family property portfolio. 

While multi-family property marketing brings new tenants to your building, maintenance is what keeps them around for the years to come. And with a single tenant turnover costing up to $4,000 per unit, you can’t afford to ignore maintenance.  

That said, maintaining a building and its units is no easy task. Most managers start with spreadsheets, color-coded filing systems, and the faint hope they will “remember everything”. 

That strategy sets you up to fail, especially at scale.

You need a smarter way to document conditions, coordinate teams, and prevent small issues from becoming expensive emergencies.

This guide will introduce you to the concept of digital twin technology and how it can help you effortlessly stay on top of maintenance, whether you’re managing 5 units or 500. 

We’ll unpack practical methods to:

• Centralize and standardize your maintenance information and schedules

• Foolproof your team and contractor coordination

• Shift from reactive repairs to proactive maintenance

Why maintaining a multi-family property is more complex than it seems

In fact, 76% of multi-family property maintenance professionals say operational efficiency is their biggest challenge.

And there's a good reason for that. 

The core problem is that a humble property manager is expected to be a jack of all trades, collecting rent, sending in-house teams to do minor repairs, managing contractors, communicating with tenants, and unit owners. On top of that long list of responsibilities, they also need to be an expert in negotiation when it comes to issues that span shared walls and common utilities. 

The difficulty is that your tasks are both internal and tenant-facing:

It’s a lot to juggle. Whether you’re working from a single, overstuffed spreadsheet or juggling ten of them, it’s never going to feel like enough. 

The truth is, traditional tools and processes just can’t keep up with the demands of modern property maintenance.

That’s why maintenance management needs to evolve from a reactive scramble every time something breaks, to a visual, centralized, and data-driven system that keeps you ahead of the curve.

The most efficient multi-family maintenance strategy

Smarter maintenance with visual documentation

When you think of document management, you’re probably imagining fancy folder structures that get so complex, you have to give new hires a training session before they can find a single record. 

These days, property documentation has gotten a whole lot more visual. 

Imagine this: You have a digital twin (a 3D replica) of your entire building, including every unit, from the furniture to the HVAC system. This isn’t something used for a Hollywood movie set; it’s just like an easy-to-navigate 3D game. 

The space is photorealistic, and you’ve got a few key features that’ll help you manage a multi-family property from the comfort of your desk: 

• Draw attention to systems you’re managing with Tags (e.g., tag the refrigerator).

• Add media and files (e.g,. attach that refrigerator’s service history and warranty files). 

• Write notes (e.g., “small scratch on right side of door noted by tenant on intro inspection).

• Send video walkthroughs to tenants and contractors alike to reduce communication errors.

• Measure spaces remotely when asked niche questions about repairs. 

Instead of scattered maintenance data across multiple systems, a digital twin platform centralizes information in visual formats accessible to your entire team.

Check out this video for a full explanation of how digital twins work:

Document property conditions with photorealistic digital twins

Just like a photo, digital twins are captured using a camera: 

• For larger multi-family properties, the Matterport Pro 3 camera will help you quickly capture the space in detail. 

• If you want to just try out the tech in one or two areas, you can also download the Matterport app and use your smartphone camera to build your first twin. 

Your digital twin is a visual record that persists beyond staff changes, protecting institutional knowledge. You are also not limited to just one version of the space. Every time a tenant enters or exits an agreement, you can capture before and after versions of the space that record and time-stamp damage, as well as reduce disputes. 

Build interactive asset records

Once your digital twin is captured, it’s time to start adding tags. These tags function as visual maintenance logbooks and can be used to record anything you or your team find relevant. 

For example, you can tag water heaters with "Water heater replaced - Rheem 40-gallon, installed 2024" or mark cabinet damage with "Cabinet damage reported - pending repair Q3 2025." These interactive records link to work order systems and vendor contacts. Any notes you add are automatically time-stamped. 

Visual documentation creates accessible maintenance histories that persist beyond staff turnover. New team members quickly understand property maintenance stories by exploring digital twins rather than digging through filing cabinets or scattered digital files.

Obtain precise measurements for repairs without site visits

Digital twins provide accurate measurement capabilities. Using Matterport’s Measurement Mode, you can select surfaces, record dimensions, and export data directly to contractors.

It’s also possible to do more advanced projects, like recording flythroughs of the space for contractors, or “defurnishing” an area to make the dimensions behind furniture clear. 

This eliminates frustrating cycles of incorrect quantity takeoffs, material orders, measurement discoveries, and return trips. Contractors arrive better prepared with exact specifications and visual context, reducing material waste and labor costs.

How to shift multi-family property maintenance from reactive to proactive 

Proactive maintenance prevents issues before they happen through scheduled inspections and predictive repairs.

The payoff is real: digitizing maintenance requests alone can save up to 10 minutes per ticket. In a 300-unit property, that could easily add up to 20 technician hours every month.

Step 1: Identify maintenance priorities with visual documentation

Start by building a clear picture of your property’s current condition. Visual records help you spot wear patterns, track high-risk zones, and plan work without disrupting tenants.

How to identify maintenance priorities:

• Capture a digital twin to see every unit and common area in detail.

• Distinguish critical systems like HVAC, plumbing, and electrical from cosmetic fixes.

• Review historical imagery to anticipate seasonal issues before they happen.

• Create a priority map so teams focus on the most urgent, high-impact work first.

Step 2: Coordinate maintenance teams with collaboration tools

Poor communication slows maintenance down and increases tenant frustration. By centralizing instructions and updates, you keep teams aligned and reduce wasted trips.

How to collaborate effectively:

• Assign tasks directly on the 3D model so techs know exactly what needs to be done and where.

• Share real-time updates with photos and status changes visible to all team members. Integrate with your current work order platform to avoid duplicating processes.

• Enable mobile access so field teams can update progress on-site.

Step 3: Schedule seasonal and preventive tasks

Seasonal changes bring predictable maintenance needs. Planning ahead keeps you from scrambling when temperatures drop or storms roll in.

How to schedule preventive maintenance:

• Virtually inspect rooftops, mechanical rooms, and high-use areas ahead of each season.

• Add recurring tasks for weather-related prep like winterizing HVAC or checking drainage.

• Set automated triggers in your system so tasks are scheduled before breakdowns occur.

• Use last year’s data to refine your checklist and improve results each season.

Step 4: Monitor recurring issues across units or properties

Recurring problems waste time, drain budgets, and frustrate tenants. Tracking them visually helps you address the root cause instead of applying temporary fixes.

How to monitor long-term issues:

• Use Digital Tags to log persistent issues across units or properties.

• Review tag heatmaps to see where the biggest problems cluster.

• Target root causes with repairs or system upgrades to stop the cycle.

• Leverage trend data to negotiate better vendor terms and plan capital improvements.

Tips for creating a great tenant experience during maintenance activities

There’s nothing quite as frustrating as living through maintenance work from a tenant’s perspective. 

Picture this: You’re halfway through cooking dinner when the gas shuts off without warning… and when you ask your neighbor, they say, “Oh, didn’t you see the notice board?” Or you work from home and are in the middle of your annual salary review call when your doorbell rings because the contractors are (finally, 3 hours late) here to fix your shower.

Even when the work is necessary, these moments feel like an intrusion.

A well-managed experience can turn inconvenience into appreciation. A poorly managed one can turn even your most loyal tenant into someone counting down the days until their lease ends.

Communicate visually about upcoming maintenance projects

Replace vague notices with video walkthroughs and secure access to digital twins to show tenants exactly:

• What work is planned

• Where it will occur

• How it might impact them

For common area projects, you can also use visual tags to explain work timelines, such as "New copper piping installation: Noise expected July 16-18, 9 am – 5 pm”.

This enhances transparency for big projects and makes it easy to keep tenants informed without getting a million and one questions in response. 

Create maintenance protocols that respect tenant privacy

Just because you have a digital twin of the entire property doesn’t mean everyone else should have access to it as well. You can set different viewing permissions and blur sensitive areas to ensure privacy is always upheld. 

If any issues occur with installations or repairs, automatic audit trails will show who accessed information and when. Effortless accountability that protects technicians,  tenants, and property owners.

Streamline your multi-family maintenance strategy with digital twins 

Turn every multi-family property you manage into a well-oiled machine. See issues before they happen, keep your team aligned, and make tenants want to stay. 

Get in touch to get a free demo and discover how Matterport digital twins can transform your maintenance strategy.