Should Landlords Give Tenants Their Personal Number? (US and Canada)

You don't have to hand tenants your personal cell, but in many places the lease must list a working contact number: California requires the manager's phone number on the lease, and British Columbia requires an emergency contact number. The simple fix is a separate phone number for tenants on the phone you already carry, listed on the lease and repair notice, and kept for every tenancy.

The short version

• California: phone number required on the lease.
• Ontario: phone optional on the standard lease.
• BC: emergency contact number required, and if two calls go unanswered, the tenant can arrange the repair.
• Everywhere: a separate property number keeps tenants off your personal cell.
• Keep the same number across tenancies.

This guide is for landlords in the US and Canada who rent long term. Renting in the UK? See the UK guide. Hosting short stays instead? See our Airbnb host phone number guide.

Do landlords have to give tenants a phone number?

Often, yes, but not your personal cell. Here is what three rule sets say, as of 30 Oct 2026.

California. Civil Code 1962 says the rental agreement must disclose "the name, telephone number, and usual street address at which personal service may be effected" of the person authorized to manage the premises and of the owner or the owner's agent for notices. It also covers whoever receives rent, and the details "shall be kept current". The state's California Tenants guide puts it plainly: the notice contact must be "written in the rental agreement or posted conspicuously in the rental unit or building."

Ontario. Section 3 of the standard form of lease requires an address for giving notices to the landlord. A phone number is a Yes or No box: "The landlord is providing phone and/or email contact information for emergencies or day-to-day communications." So phone is optional.

British Columbia. The province's repairs and maintenance page says: "Landlords must give the tenant an emergency contact name and phone number." You can give it to each tenant in writing or post it in a common area.

Other states and provinces set their own rules, so check your local rules in your official state or provincial landlord and tenant guide. This is general information, not legal advice.

Why not just give tenants your personal cell?

Because a lease number travels further than you think. Once it is on the lease, it goes to:

• Tenants, who may call at 11 pm about a question that could wait until morning.
• Former tenants, including the one still unhappy about a deposit.
• Applicants from every listing you have ever posted.
• Contractors and their crews, who save it and share it.

Requesting repair quotes online spreads your number too; see how to stop contractor calls after a quote request.

Your number also outlives the tenancy and even the sale. A personal cell is hard to take back once it is on paper.

The FTC's rental listing scam guide warns that if other ads come up for the same address "with a different owner or rental company name, that's a sign of a scam." The FTC also notes scammers copy real listings and "replace the agent's contact information with their own". Using one stable property number on every listing makes your genuine ads consistent and easier for careful renters to trust.

What does the emergency number have to do?

In practice, it has to ring, and someone has to answer or call back. That is what BC's two call rule means for you. The tenant must "make two attempts to phone them at the emergency contact number given" and allow a reasonable amount of time. After that, BC says the tenant "can arrange to have the repairs done at a reasonable cost." The BC standard tenancy agreement sets out the same steps and lets the tenant claim reimbursement.

BC counts urgent health or safety repairs to major leaks, blocked water or sewer pipes, the primary heating system, door locks and the electrical systems as emergencies.

So split your line in two:

• Routine requests: a dripping faucet, an appliance question, a rent question. These can go to voicemail and get a reply the next day. BC says tenants must request routine repairs in writing, and a text counts.
• Emergencies: a major leak, no heat, a broken lock or an electrical fault. These need a call now, and you need to pick up or call back fast.

A gas smell is a call to 911 or the gas utility first, then to you.

BC recommends telling tenants in writing what you consider a routine repair. A one page "routine or emergency" note with the move in sheet covers it.

If your property line is an app number, remember one thing: calls need data or Wi-Fi. Inovo's FAQ says incoming calls ring in the app "wherever you have an internet connection." For a BC emergency number, keep data on, or list a second emergency contact who can answer when you can't.

How do you set up a separate phone number for tenants?

You don't need a second phone. A second number app or carrier eSIM adds a property line to the phone you have. Our guide to a business phone line without a second phone compares the options. Then:

1. Pick a local number. Choose a US or Canadian number, ideally with an area code near the property, from the numbers available.
2. Put it everywhere tenants look: the lease, the listing, the move in sheet and the repair notice.
3. Save contacts. Add each tenant and contractor by name and unit, so you know who is calling before you answer.
4. Set a voicemail greeting with emergency instructions, if your line lets you record one, for example: "For emergencies like a leak or no heat, call twice and I will call back within the hour."
5. Test it. Call and text the number from another phone before the lease is signed.

Give tenants an Inovo Second Number instead of your personal cell. It's a real US or Canadian number on the iPhone or Android you already have, with its own voicemail. It rings over the internet, like a VoIP number, voicemail is transcribed, and tenants can text you a photo of a leak (MMS is supported). Prices: see in app.

Download on the App Store · Get it on Google Play

Canadian landlords can also see our Canadian business number guide.

Can you use one number for several properties?

Yes. You have two simple options:

• One number for everything. Easiest for a duplex or a few nearby units. Save each tenant with their unit.
• One number per property. Useful if your rentals are far apart or you may sell one. Inovo lets you hold more than one number on a single account, "subject to the limits shown in the app", and each number gets its own label, such as "Maple St".

One number per property also makes a sale cleaner.

What should go on the lease, listing and repair notice?

Keep it short and consistent.

Where it goes

What to write

Lease

Your name or manager's name, the property number, the address for notices. In California, also the owner or agent for notices and who receives rent.

Listing

The property number only, never your personal cell.

Move in sheet

The property number, the routine or emergency note, how to send photos.

Repair notice

The emergency contact name and number. In BC, give it in writing or post it in a common area.

Ontario landlords can add the property number in section 3 of the standard lease by ticking Yes.

What happens to the number when tenants move out or you sell?

When a tenant moves out, keep the number. The next tenant gets a line that already belongs to the property.

When you sell or hire a manager, hand over the contact details in writing. In California, the successor owner or manager must comply "within 15 days of succeeding the previous owner or manager", and the DRE guide says the seller's notice to tenants must include "the name, address, and telephone number of the new landlord." Your personal cell was never on a lease, so it doesn't follow the sale.

Keep the account active. Inovo's FAQ says: "Numbers are tied to active accounts. If your account is closed or your number expires due to inactivity, the number is released back to the carrier pool and cannot be recovered." For more on why a number you keep matters, see how to keep a work phone number after leaving a job.

What can't a second number do for a landlord?

Know the limits before it goes on a lease:

• No mass texting. Inovo is for one to one conversations with your own tenants and contractors: up to 20 outbound messages per day, each composed and sent personally. No automated rent reminders or building wide blasts.
• Calls need data or Wi-Fi. No connection, no ring. Plan for that if it is your emergency number.
• No porting in. "Number porting is not currently supported", so an existing landlord number can't be moved into Inovo.
• Not a property management system. Many units with staff need shared inboxes and rent tools.

FAQ

Do landlords have to give tenants a phone number?

It depends on where the property is. California requires the manager's and owner's or agent's phone number in the lease, or posted in the building. British Columbia requires an emergency contact name and phone number. Ontario's standard lease makes a phone number optional. Check your local rules, and use a separate property number instead of your personal cell.

Is a phone number required on the Ontario standard lease?

No. Section 3 of Ontario's standard form of lease requires an address for giving notices to the landlord, but phone and email for emergencies or day to day communications are a Yes or No option. Most tenants still expect a number, so a separate property line is a sensible choice.

What happens in BC if the landlord doesn't answer the emergency number?

The tenant must make two attempts to phone the emergency contact and allow a reasonable amount of time. After that, BC says the tenant can arrange emergency repairs at a reasonable cost and claim the money back. Keep the emergency number answered, or list a second contact who can respond.

Can I give tenants a second number instead of my personal cell?

Yes. A lease needs a working number, not your personal one. A second number on the phone you already carry can go on the lease, listing and repair notice. App numbers need data or Wi-Fi to ring, so keep the phone connected if it is your emergency contact.

Can I use one phone number for several rental properties?

Yes. One number can cover several properties if you save each tenant with their unit. If you want a line per building, Inovo lets you hold more than one number on one account, subject to the limits shown in the app, and each number can have its own label.

What happens to my landlord number when I sell the property?

Give tenants the new owner's or manager's contact details in writing. In California, the new owner or manager must update the details within 15 days. If you used a separate property number, your personal cell stays private. Keep your account active, because Inovo numbers are tied to active accounts.

Keep your personal cell personal

Tenants need a number that rings, not your personal one. Give tenants an Inovo Second Number instead of your personal cell. It's a real US or Canadian number on the iPhone or Android you already have, with its own voicemail. Start from the Inovo homepage. Prices: see in app.

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