Landlords and property managers
How do I list a rental without putting my cell number on the ad?
Use a listing number that is not your cell. Rental ads on Kijiji, Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, and Zillow are scraped within hours, and a landlord who posts a cell number keeps hearing from scammers and tire-kickers long after the unit is rented. A TheLocalRing monthly number is free for 14 days and C$14.99 a month after, forwards every text to up to five email addresses, and lets you reply from email. Put it on every listing, and cancel it when you stop renting.
Why rental ads get hit hardest
Rental listings are the category where private posters most often publish a phone number, and they are the category scammers copy most. A rental scam takes your photos and text, reposts the unit at a lower rent with a different phone number, and collects deposits from people who never get keys. Your cell in the original ad becomes the number those victims call when they realize.
Even without a scam, the ad outlives the vacancy. Aggregator sites keep copies of the listing for months, and each copy carries the number.
One number for every listing
- Choose a number in the area code of the property so applicants see a local number.
- Put it on Kijiji, Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, Zillow, Rentals.ca, a sign in the window, and the building notice board. Same number everywhere.
- Forward texts to yourself and to whoever shows the unit. Up to five addresses receive every text, and any of them can reply.
- When the unit rents, leave the number running for the next listing, or cancel and let it go. A monthly pass cancels anytime.
Screening from your inbox
Applicants who ask about the unit, the move-in date, parking, and viewing times get a reply. Texts that offer to pay a deposit before a viewing, ask you to hold the unit for someone arriving from abroad, or push to move to WhatsApp get no reply. Because the texts are in email, you can search them, forward one to a co-owner, and keep the thread after the tenancy starts.
If you manage more than one property
A monthly number works for a landlord with a few units and a steady trickle of listings. If you post in several cities and want a local number in each, that is more than one pass, and it is worth asking us about before you buy. A listing number suits listings; it does not replace an office line for tenants, and it takes no voicemail.
Pay only for the time you need
A listing number costs less than a coffee.
- 1 day
- C$2.99One payment. Never renews.
- 3 days
- C$5.99One payment. Never renews.
- 7 days
- C$7.99One payment. Never renews.
- Monthly
- C$14.99/monthFirst 14 days free. Cancel anytime.
Questions people ask next
Can tenants call the listing number?
On Monthly, calls ring up to five phones you choose and every call is emailed to you, missed ones included. There is no voicemail, so keep your regular number for a tenant emergency line. On a pass, they hear a short spoken message asking them to text instead.
Can more than one person get the texts?
Yes. Up to five email addresses receive every text, and any of them can reply. The applicant sees one listing number.
Does the number change between listings?
No. A monthly pass keeps the same number until you cancel, so the sign, the ad template, and the building notice all stay the same.
Which pass do landlords use?
Monthly, and the first 14 days are free. A 1-day, 3-day, or 7-day pass suits a single open house, but most rentals take longer than three days to fill, and only Monthly rings your phone when an applicant calls.
Is this a phone system for property management?
No. It is a listing number for inbound texts from applicants. It does not handle calls, voicemail, or tenant maintenance requests.
What if my listing gets copied by a scammer?
Report the copy to the platform it appears on. Because your cell was never in the original ad, victims of the copy do not end up calling you, and the listing number can be dropped if it attracts too much noise.
What happens to texts after I cancel?
Forwarding stops at the end of the paid period. The number stays reserved to your account for seven days, and then it is released.
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TheLocalRing is not affiliated with or endorsed by Kijiji, Facebook Marketplace, AutoTrader, Craigslist, or Google. Published 2026-09-08.