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TIDY Automates Cleaning and Maintenance

Use AI to save time and improve quality of your cleaning and maintenance services.

How to Manage Single-Family Rentals with Codex CLI + TIDY

April 2, 2026·Austin Reid
Last updated: April 2, 2026

OpenAI's Codex CLI is a terminal-based AI assistant with kernel-level sandboxing and built-in MCP support. Connect it to TIDY and you get a property management command center that tracks maintenance, coordinates vendors, handles emergencies, and manages tenant transitions — all from your terminal.

This guide covers setup and the workflows that matter for single-family rental owners: maintenance tracking, move-out coordination, inspections, lease renewals, preventive scheduling, emergency response, vacancy prep, storm readiness, vendor management, cost tracking, and automated check-ins.

Setup (5 Minutes)

You need a TIDY account (free) and Codex CLI installed.

# Install Codex CLI
npm install -g @openai/codex

# Get your TIDY API token
curl -X POST https://api.tidy.com/v1/customer/login \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"email": "you@example.com", "password": "your-password"}'

# Save it and connect TIDY
export TIDY_API_TOKEN=your-token-here
codex mcp add tidy -- npx @tidyapp/mcp-server

Test it: "Use TIDY to list my properties."

Adding Properties

You: Add 142 Maple Dr. 3bed/2bath, 1,800 sqft.
     Lockbox back door, code 7734.
     Tenant: Sarah, large dog.
     Water shutoff in basement, left wall.

Codex: ✓ Property created: 142 Maple Dr
       Access, tenant info, and utility notes saved.
       Pros will see relevant details with every job.

Tenant Maintenance

You: Tenant at Maple Dr says garbage disposal jammed
     and exhaust fan is loud.

Codex: ✓ 2 issues at 142 Maple Dr.
       1. Garbage disposal — Normal
       2. Exhaust fan noise — Normal
       Handyman (Jake M.) notified.

You: Make disposal urgent. Family visiting this weekend.

Codex: ✓ Disposal upgraded to Urgent.
       Jake notified of priority change.
"What maintenance is open across all properties?"

Emergency Maintenance

You: Emergency at Maple Dr. Water pouring from
     the kitchen ceiling.

Codex: URGENT — Likely burst pipe at 142 Maple Dr.

       1. Texted Sarah: shut off main water valve
          (basement, left wall)
       2. Called Mike's Plumbing — 45 min ETA
       3. Told Sarah to move electronics, use towels

       Authorize Mike up to $500 without calling you?

You: Yes. Call me if more.

Codex: ✓ $500 auth set. Will update on diagnosis.

Move-Out Coordination

You: Birch St tenant moves out April 15.
     New tenant April 22. Deep clean, carpet
     shampoo, paint touch-ups needed.

Codex: Turnover plan for 308 Birch St:
       Apr 16 — Paint + patch (4 hrs)
       Apr 17 — Carpet shampoo (3 hrs)
       Apr 18 — Deep clean (5 hrs)
       3 days buffer before move-in. Book it?

You: Yes. Add walkthrough April 21.

Codex: ✓ 3 jobs booked. Walkthrough noted Apr 21.
       Pros notified with access details.

Lease Renewals

You: When are my leases up?

Codex: ⚠ Maple Dr (Sarah): Ends May 31.
         60-day deadline: Mar 31.
         Rent: $1,450. Comps: $1,525–$1,600.

       Oak Ln (James): Ends Aug 15. Deadline Jun 15.
       Cedar Ct (Maria): Ends Oct 1. Deadline Aug 1.

       Sarah's is first. Draft a renewal offer?

You: Offer $1,525, 12-month term.

Codex: ✓ Renewal letter sent to Sarah.
       14-day response window. I'll check day 7.
       If she declines, I'll start vacancy prep.

Inspections

You: Annual inspections at all units. 48hr notice.

Codex: Week of April 7:
       Mon — Maple Dr / Tue — Oak Ln
       Wed — Cedar Ct / Thu — Elm St
       Each at 10am. Sending tenant notices now.

After inspecting:

You: Maple Dr: caulk deteriorating, HVAC filter dirty,
     drywall crack in hall, smoke detector chirping.

Codex: ✓ Inspection logged.
       1. Re-caulk tub — schedule Jake ($80-120)
       2. HVAC filter — tenant responsibility, sending reminder
       3. Drywall crack — cosmetic, flag Q3 re-check
       4. Smoke detector — battery replacement

       Book Jake for 1 + 4, send Sarah filter reminder?

Preventive Maintenance

You: All properties: HVAC filters quarterly,
     gutters in November, smoke detectors in January.

Codex: ✓ Seasonal schedule for 5 properties:
       Quarterly — HVAC filters (next: Apr 1)
       Annual — Nov gutters, Jan smoke detectors
       15 jobs/year. Pros assigned as dates approach.

Vacancy Prep and Marketing

You: Sarah at Maple Dr gave 30-day notice. Last day May 31.
     Need make-ready, listing, and showings lined up.

Codex: ✓ Vacancy sequence started for 142 Maple Dr:

       Make-ready (June 1–4):
       • Jun 1 — Patch + paint (Jake, 4 hrs)
       • Jun 2 — Carpet shampoo (CleanPro, 3 hrs)
       • Jun 3 — Deep clean (Maria's team, 5 hrs)
       • Jun 4 — Final walkthrough + photos

       Marketing:
       • Listing drafted: 3bed/2bath, 1,800 sqft, $1,550/mo
         (based on current comps $1,525–$1,600)
       • Photos scheduled Jun 4 afternoon
       • Ready to push to Zillow, Apartments.com, Craigslist

       Showings:
       • Open house slots Jun 7 + Jun 8, 10am–2pm
       • Weekday slots Jun 9–13, 5pm–7pm

       Approve listing price and schedule?

You: Price at $1,575. Skip Craigslist. Add Redfin.

Codex: ✓ Listing updated to $1,575/mo.
       Platforms: Zillow, Apartments.com, Redfin.
       Make-ready pros notified with access details.
       I'll track applications and flag qualified leads.
"How long was Maple Dr vacant last turnover?"

Storm and Emergency Prep

Codex: ⚠ Weather alert: Severe thunderstorms forecast
       Wed–Thu for your area. 60 mph wind gusts,
       possible hail. 5 properties affected.

       Suggested prep:
       1. Maple Dr — Loose gutter bracket (flagged in
          last inspection). Secure before storm.
       2. Oak Ln — Patio furniture unsecured.
          Text James to bring inside.
       3. Cedar Ct — Low-hanging branch over roof.
          Already scheduled for Q2 trim — move up?
       4. All properties — Remind tenants: secure outdoor
          items, check sump pumps, know shutoff locations.

       Want me to proceed with all four?

You: Yes on all. Skip the branch — too late to get
     someone out. Add it to post-storm inspection.

Codex: ✓ Jake notified re: gutter bracket at Maple Dr.
       ✓ Text sent to James re: patio furniture.
       ✓ Storm prep reminders sent to all 5 tenants.
       ✓ Post-storm inspection checklist created
         (includes Cedar Ct branch assessment).
       I'll check in with tenants Thursday morning
       for damage reports.

After the storm, ask "Any damage reports from tenants?" and Codex compiles everything into a single action list with photos if tenants sent any.

Vendor Management

You: Jake can't do the Cedar Ct fence next week.
     Who else can handle it?

Codex: Your handyman options:
       1. Dave R. — 4.8★, 12 jobs with you. $45/hr.
          Available Wed or Thu.
       2. Sam K. — 4.6★, 3 jobs with you. $40/hr.
          Available Mon.
       3. Smart Pro Search — find a new pro in your area
          with fence repair experience.

       Jake's rate was $42/hr for reference.
       Want me to book one of these or search?

You: Book Dave for Wednesday. Also, how do my pros
     compare on pricing?

Codex: Your pro rate comparison:

       Handyman:
       • Jake M. — $42/hr (12 jobs, 4.9★)
       • Dave R. — $45/hr (12 jobs, 4.8★)
       • Sam K. — $40/hr (3 jobs, 4.6★)

       Cleaning:
       • Maria's Cleaning — $140/visit (28 jobs, 5.0★)
       • CleanPro — $160/visit (8 jobs, 4.7★)

       Plumbing:
       • Mike's Plumbing — $95/hr (5 jobs, 4.8★)
       • Rapid Drain Co. — $85/hr (2 jobs, 4.5★)

       All rates are what your pros charge you directly.
       ✓ Dave booked Wed at Cedar Ct. Access details sent.
"Which pros haven't done a job for me in 6+ months?"

Cost Tracking and Budgets

You: Break down my March spending by property
     and category.

Codex: March spending — 5 properties, $2,180 total:

       By property:
       • Maple Dr — $620 (cleaning $280, maintenance $340)
       • Birch St — $540 (turnover deep clean $320,
         plumbing $220)
       • Cedar Ct — $380 (cleaning $140, fence $240)
       • Oak Ln — $360 (cleaning $280, HVAC filter $80)
       • Elm St — $280 (cleaning $140, smoke detectors $140)

       By category:
       • Cleaning — $840 (38%)
       • Maintenance/repairs — $1,340 (62%)

       TIDY platform fee — $33
       (3.9% on $840 in cleaning booked through TIDY)

       vs. property management company at 8–12% of rent:
       $7,525 gross rent × 10% = $753/mo.
       You're paying $33.

You: How does Q1 compare to Q1 last year?

Codex: Q1 comparison (Jan–Mar):

       2026: $5,840 total
       • Cleaning: $2,520
       • Maintenance: $3,320

       2025: $7,210 total
       • Cleaning: $2,480
       • Maintenance: $4,730

       ↓ 19% decrease year-over-year.
       Maintenance drop mostly from fewer emergency
       calls — preventive schedule is working.
       Cleaning steady (slight increase from new property).
"Project my annual maintenance spend based on the last 12 months."

Automated Weekly Check-Ins

Codex's autonomous mode can run recurring workflows without you initiating them. Set up a Monday morning summary that reviews your entire portfolio automatically.

You: Set up an autonomous Monday check-in.
     Every Monday 7am, review my portfolio and
     send me a summary via Slack.

Codex: ✓ Autonomous weekly check-in configured.
       Every Monday 7:00 AM:

       1. Pull all open maintenance tickets
       2. Check for overdue items (flag anything 5+ days)
       3. List this week's scheduled jobs
       4. Flag upcoming lease deadlines (60-day window)
       5. Summarize last week's spending
       6. Post summary to your #properties Slack channel

       First run: next Monday, Mar 30.
       I'll draft the first one and ask you to approve
       before it goes to Slack. After that, automatic.

You: Add vacancy status if any units are empty.
     And flag anything where a pro hasn't confirmed.

Codex: ✓ Updated. Check-in now includes:
       • Vacancy status + days on market
       • Unconfirmed jobs (pro hasn't responded 24+ hrs)
       Both added to the template.

You can also set up autonomous rules for specific triggers: "If any maintenance ticket hits 7 days without resolution, text me and follow up with the pro."

Codex CLI Advantages for SFR

  • Token efficiency: Up to 4x more efficient than competitors. Longer portfolio management sessions without hitting limits.
  • Autonomous mode: "Review all open maintenance, follow up on anything overdue, and give me a summary." Codex handles the multi-step workflow in the background.
  • AGENTS.md: Store property details, vendor contacts, and lease dates. Codex reads them every session.
  • Plugins: Bundle TIDY with Slack, Gmail, or accounting tools. One install adds everything.
  • Kernel sandboxing: All operations run in an OS-level sandbox for security.

Full Session: Monday Check-In

You: Monday check-in. What's happening?

Codex: Portfolio — Mon Mar 30:

       📋 Open maintenance: 3
       • Maple Dr — Disposal (urgent, Jake tomorrow)
       • Birch St — Slow drain (parts ordered 9 days ago)
       • Cedar Ct — Fence gate (not yet scheduled)

       🧹 This week:
       • Tue — Recurring clean, Maple Dr + Oak Ln
       • Wed — Jake at Cedar Ct (fence)
       • Thu — Deep clean, Birch St (pre-move-in)

       ⚠ Birch St drain overdue (9 days).
       Follow up with plumber?

       💰 March: $2,180 (cleaning $840, maintenance $1,340)

You: Follow up on the drain. Check if Jake can do
     the Birch St walkthrough Friday.

Codex: ✓ Following up with Rapid Drain Co.
       ✓ Checking Jake's Friday. Will update you.

Get Started

TIDY's MCP server is free to connect. You pay 3.9% when you book pros — a fraction of the 8-12% a property management company charges.

  1. Create a TIDY account
  2. Add MCP server: codex mcp add tidy -- npx @tidyapp/mcp-server
  3. Add your properties and report your first maintenance issue

More resources:

  • TIDY MCP Server
  • Codex CLI guide for short-term rentals
  • OpenClaw guide for single-family rentals

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