Knowledge Base

Email Policy📧

Gates Hudson provides team members with email accounts to support efficient, professional communication across the organization. Clear expectations ensure that emails are used appropriately, inboxes remain manageable, and business records are stored in the correct systems. Proper use of both personal and property-level email accounts helps maintain operational consistency, compliance, and continuity of service for residents, prospects, vendors, and internal teams.

What’s Expected

Team members must observe proper etiquette and follow established guidelines when using their Gates Hudson email accounts.

Email use expectations include:

• Team members must use email professionally and follow formal business-writing standards.
  
• For property teams, personal emails must only be used for internal communication.
  
• Corporate team members may use their personal @gateshudson.com emails for both internal and external communications, as position-based role emails are not used at the corporate level.
  
• Leasing teams do not receive property position-based emails, as all prospect and resident communication must take place in CRM for compliance and proper record retention.
  
• Position-based emails at the property level must be used exclusively for property-related business according to their designated purpose.
  
• Property position-based emails for specialty positions (e.g., concierge) may be assigned on a case-by-case basis depending on operational needs.
  
• Inbox capacity must be monitored and managed daily to prevent storage limits from blocking incoming or outgoing messages.
  
• Emails must be reviewed and responded to regularly throughout the day to keep business operations moving.
  
• Email inboxes must not be used to store files; documents such as contracts, invoices, and forms must be saved to the appropriate Prop drive folders.
  
• Emails may be viewed by unintended recipients; therefore, confidential information (e.g., personally identifiable information, payment data) must never be included unless required and transmitted through secure channels.
  

Email Account Types & Proper Use

Personal @gateshudson.com Email

• Assigned to every team member.
  
• Used for internal communication across all teams.
  
• At the corporate level, may also be used for external communication since position-based emails are not assigned.
  
• At the property level, used for internal communication only.
  

Property Manager Email

• Used exclusively by the Property Manager for all property-related external communication unless it is a single team member property.
  

General Property Email

• Used by the Assistant Property Manager for general property business.
  
• May be used by the leasing team for property-related items not involving resident or prospect communication.
  
• Used as the only email for any single team member properties
  

Maintenance Property Email

• Used by the Maintenance Supervisor and maintenance team to communicate with vendors, contractors, and other partners regarding property operations.
  

APM Commercial Email (Mixed-Use Properties Only)

• Assigned when commercial tenant communication is required.
  
• Used exclusively for commercial-related correspondence.
  

Specialty Property Role Emails (e.g., Concierge, Compliance)

• Assigned based on operational need and approved on a case-by-case basis.
  
• Used exclusively for property-related communication appropriate to the role.
  
• Must follow all standards outlined in this policy.
  

What Not to Use Email For

• Do not use email as a document storage system. Save contracts, invoices, forms, reports, correspondence records, and other files to the Prop drive in their appropriate folders.
  
• Do not allow inboxes to accumulate unread or unfiled messages. Clear, delete, or archive messages daily to prevent reaching system storage limits.
  
• Do not send sensitive or confidential information unless formally approved and transmitted through secure, encrypted methods.
  
• Do not use personal emails for external property-level communication at site offices.
  

Managing Your Inbox

• Review and process emails regularly throughout the day.
  
• Respond promptly to support workflow and timely issue resolution.
  
• Delete unnecessary messages and file important information in the Prop drive.
  
• Monitor storage limits and maintain a clean inbox to avoid delivery failures.
  

General Email Etiquette

When composing an email:

• Include a brief, clear subject line.
  
• Use a friendly, professional salutation.
  
• Keep the message concise and well-structured.
  
• Use classic fonts and standard sizes.
  
• Avoid all caps, excessive bolding, or unnecessary exclamation marks.
  
• Use “Please” and “Thank you” where appropriate.
  
• Ensure all emails include Gates Hudson’s standard email signature block.
  
• Use Reply instead of starting a new message when continuing a conversation.
  
• Use Reply All only when everyone on the chain needs to be informed.
  
• When sending messages to multiple external recipients, use Bcc: to protect privacy.
  

Before Sending Your Message

• Review the entire message for clarity.
  
• Double-check the recipient’s email address.
  
• Confirm details and attachments are accurate and included.
  
• Ensure your tone is appropriate and professional.
  
• Proofread for grammar, spelling, and punctuation.