Who handles maintenance when you're away?
Away Mode puts Guardian's team on your tenants' maintenance requests while you're traveling, off the grid, or simply done for the week.
With Away Mode, Guardian Landlord's team handles new maintenance requests while you're away. They review each request, talk to your tenant, coordinate follow-up and close it out, and you get a full audit trail when you return. It costs $79.99 per request handled, with no monthly fee, on the Starter and Growth plans.
Away Periods can be scheduled during your free trial and activate once you're on an eligible paid plan.
How Away Mode works
Schedule your dates
In Settings, add an Away Period with a start and end date and an optional note. You can schedule several in advance, for a vacation, a busy season or one hectic week.
Tenants submit requests as usual
Same tenant portal, no app download. Nothing changes for them.
Guardian's team steps in
New requests submitted during the period are routed to Guardian's team, who are notified right away. They review each one, communicate with your tenant, coordinate follow-up and close it out properly. You can watch it all in your dashboard.
Come back to a full record
Every request has notes, status updates and an activity log, so nothing is a surprise when you return.
What's included, and what to know
Included
- Real people review every new request during the period
- Tenant communication through the portal
- Coordinating follow-up and closing the request out
- Internal notes, status updates and a full activity log
- Take any request back at any time, at no charge
Good to know
- Only new requests submitted during the Away Period are routed to Guardian. Requests you were already handling stay with you.
- The cost of repairs themselves is separate from the Away Mode fee.
- Not available on the Solo plan.
- It is not property management: no leasing, rent collection or screening, and you stay the landlord.
What Away Mode costs
You only pay when Guardian's team actually steps in. If you're away for two weeks and two requests come in, that's 2 × $79.99 = $159.98, plus the cost of the repairs. If nothing comes in, you pay nothing extra. Away Mode is available on Starter ($19 a month) and Growth ($34 a month), and every plan starts with 3 months free.
Away Mode vs. a full-service property manager
| Away Mode | Full-service property manager | |
|---|---|---|
| Scope | Maintenance requests while you are away | Leasing, rent, tenants, maintenance and compliance |
| How you pay | Flat $79.99 per request handled | Commonly 8–12% of monthly rent, plus leasing fees |
| When it applies | Only during the dates you choose | Ongoing |
| Control | You stay the landlord and can take back any request | Varies by contract |
If you want the full picture, see how much a property manager costs for one rental and the five alternatives to a full-service manager.
What your tenants see
Tenants keep using the same portal, with the same status updates, messages and notifications. Requests handled by Guardian's team show a small "Guardian Handling" badge, visible to both of you, so it's clear who is working on the request.
Illustration of the Away Mode request list.
Who Away Mode is for
Landlords who self-manage 1–10 doors and don't want every tenant message to be their problem while they travel, work long shifts, or take a week off. It works best alongside a short list of your own vendors and preferences, so the team knows how you like things handled.
Frequently asked questions
What is Away Mode?
Away Mode lets Guardian Landlord's team handle new tenant maintenance requests while you are traveling or unavailable. You schedule the dates in advance. The team reviews each request, communicates with your tenant, coordinates follow-up and closes it out, and you get a full activity log when you return.
How much does Away Mode cost?
Away Mode costs $79.99 per request handled, with no monthly fee for having it available. You only pay when Guardian's team actually steps in on a request. The cost of any repair itself is separate. If no requests come in during your Away Period, you pay nothing extra.
Which plans include Away Mode?
Away Mode is available on the Starter ($19 a month, up to 5 doors) and Growth ($34 a month, up to 10 doors) plans. It is not available on Solo. You can schedule future Away Periods during your free trial, and they activate once your account is on an eligible paid plan.
Is Away Mode the same as hiring a property manager?
No. Guardian Landlord is maintenance coordination software, not a licensed property management company. Away Mode covers new maintenance requests during the dates you choose. Leasing, rent collection and tenant screening are not part of it, and you stay the landlord and make the final decisions.
Can I handle a request myself while Away Mode is on?
Yes. You can take back any request at any time from its detail page, and the Guardian team is notified automatically. If you take a request back and handle it yourself, no Guardian service fee is charged for it.
What do my tenants see during Away Mode?
Tenants use the same portal, with normal status updates, messages and notifications. Requests handled by Guardian's team show a small "Guardian Handling" badge, visible to you and your tenant, so everyone knows who is working on the request.
Take the next trip off the clock
Start free for 3 months, no credit card required. Schedule an Away Period whenever you're ready.
Start free: 3 months