How to Forward Calls to Any Number: A Property Manager's Guide

Call forwarding is one of the simplest, most underused tools in a property manager's toolkit. It lets you redirect incoming calls from one number to another (your cell, an office line, a team member, or a service) without the caller knowing anything changed on their end.

For property managers, this matters more than it does for most businesses. Your phone number is on every lease, every maintenance portal, every "For Rent" sign. Tenants call it at all hours. You can't just turn it off, but you can control where those calls go.

This guide covers exactly how to set up call forwarding on any phone or carrier, the specific scenarios where property managers benefit most, and the gotchas you should know about before flipping the switch.

How Call Forwarding Works

When you activate call forwarding, your carrier intercepts incoming calls before your phone rings and sends them to a different number. The caller dials your number like normal. They hear ringing, then someone (or something) picks up at the forwarded destination.

There are two main types:

Unconditional forwarding sends every call immediately. Your phone never rings. This is what most people mean when they say "call forwarding."

Conditional forwarding only kicks in under specific circumstances: when you don't answer after a set number of rings, when your line is busy, or when your phone is off or out of range. This is more flexible, but not every device makes it easy to configure.

iPhone: How to Forward Calls

Setting up call forwarding on an iPhone takes about 30 seconds.

A small phone icon with an arrow appears in your status bar when forwarding is active. To turn it off, toggle it back.

Important Notes for iPhone Users

• This is unconditional forwarding, so every call goes to the new number. Your iPhone won't ring at all.
• You need to be on your carrier's network to enable or disable it. You can't toggle it from airplane mode or while out of coverage.
• iPhones don't offer built-in conditional forwarding through Settings. If you only want to forward calls you miss (not all calls), you'll need to use carrier dial codes instead.
• Some carriers and some prepaid plans don't show the Call Forwarding option in Settings at all. If you don't see it, use the dial codes in the carrier section below.

iPhone Conditional Forwarding (Dial Codes)

To forward only under certain conditions, open your Phone app and dial:

• Forward when unanswered: *61*[number]# then tap Call
• Forward when busy: *67*[number]# then tap Call
• Forward when unreachable: *62*[number]# then tap Call
• Check status: *#61#, *#67#, or *#62#

Replace [number] with the full 10-digit destination number. These codes work on most GSM carriers but confirm with yours.

Android: How to Forward Calls

Android gives you more built-in control than iPhone, including conditional options right in the settings.

To disable, go back to the same setting and tap Turn Off or clear the number.

Carrier-Specific Instructions

If your phone's settings don't offer call forwarding, or you want to use dial codes directly, here's what each major carrier supports:

Verizon

AT&T

T-Mobile

Landline / Office Phone

Landline forwarding codes can vary by provider. CenturyLink, Brightspeed, and regional carriers may have their own. Contact your provider if *72 doesn't work.

When Property Managers Should Use Call Forwarding

Call forwarding isn't just for emergencies. Here are the scenarios where it earns its keep:

Going on Vacation

You're taking a week off and you don't want to be the person answering maintenance calls from the beach. Forward your property line to a team member, an answering service, or an AI call handling service for the duration. Turn it off when you're back.

After-Hours Coverage

Your office number rings during business hours and you or your team answers. After 5 PM, forward it to a number that handles after-hours calls differently, whether that's a personal cell, an on-call team member, or a dedicated service.

Transitioning Phone Numbers

You're switching from your personal cell to a business number, or you've set up a new office line. Forward the old number to the new one during the transition so you don't miss calls from tenants who haven't updated their contacts yet.

Showing Properties

You're at a showing and can't answer the office phone. Forward it to your cell or to someone who can pick up leasing inquiries while you're occupied.

Personal Boundaries

Your cell number is on every lease because that's what you started with. You can't change it, but you can forward it somewhere else during the hours you're not working, so dinner doesn't get interrupted by a dishwasher question.

Office Closure or Holiday

Close the office for a holiday weekend but don't want every call hitting voicemail. Forward to a service or team member's cell for the duration.

Gotchas and Things to Watch For

Call forwarding is straightforward, but there are a few things that trip people up, especially property managers who rely on their phone number being reachable 24/7.

Your voicemail changes

When you forward all calls unconditionally, callers who don't get an answer will hit the destination number's voicemail, not yours. If you're forwarding to a cell phone that has a personal greeting, that's what your tenants hear. Make sure the destination is set up appropriately.

You might get charged per forwarded call

Most major carrier plans include call forwarding at no extra cost. But some prepaid plans, older plans, and landline providers charge per forwarded minute, sometimes at the same rate as an outgoing call. Check your plan before setting it up on a high-volume line.

It doesn't forward texts

You have to remember to turn it off

There's no built-in timer or schedule. If you forward calls for a vacation and forget to disable it when you return, calls keep going to the forwarded number indefinitely. Set a calendar reminder.

Conditional forwarding is harder on iPhone

Android makes it easy to set "forward when unanswered" right in settings. iPhones only offer all-or-nothing through the Settings app. For conditional forwarding on iPhone, you need to use carrier dial codes, which are less intuitive and harder to verify.

International forwarding usually doesn't work

If you're traveling internationally and want to forward calls to a local number abroad, most carriers block this. Call forwarding typically only works with domestic numbers.

Some carriers require network access to toggle

On both iPhone and Android, you usually need to be on your carrier's network (not just Wi-Fi) to enable or disable forwarding. If you're already out of range, you can't set it up remotely. You'd need to call your carrier's customer service.

Call Forwarding + Doorkeep

If you're a Doorkeep customer, call forwarding is one of the simplest ways to start using the service.

When you sign up, you get a dedicated Doorkeep phone number. You can use it as your primary property line, or you can keep your existing number and forward calls to Doorkeep when you want coverage.

Common setups property managers use:

After-hours forwarding. Your existing office or cell number rings normally during the day. After business hours, forward it to your Doorkeep number. Doorkeep handles the calls, resolves routine questions, detects emergencies, and contacts you only when something needs your immediate attention.

Full-time forwarding. Forward your property line to Doorkeep 24/7. Every call gets answered immediately by name, handled intelligently, and documented. You review summaries and step in only when needed.

Vacation mode. Going off-grid for a week? Forward to Doorkeep before you leave. Your tenants still get a professional experience. You get peace of mind and a morning summary of anything that happened.

Number transition. You want to move to a dedicated business number but tenants have your cell. Forward the cell to Doorkeep as your new property line. Over time, update your signage and leases to the Doorkeep number directly.

The setup process takes about two minutes: activate call forwarding using the instructions above, enter your Doorkeep number as the destination, and you're live.

Quick Reference

Have questions about setting up call forwarding with Doorkeep? Email Andy directly or call the demo line to hear Doorkeep in action.