By: William Jones
ResProof launches FilterSync, an AI-verified, computer vision, HVAC filter compliance web-based app designed for property management workflows. FilterSync is entering the market to address the persistent challenge of tenant compliance regarding HVAC filter maintenance. Created by longtime broker and property manager Michael Marelli, FilterSync was developed after years of encountering the same issue across rental units.
Marelli has spent more than 15 years in real estate and has at least five managed properties in a high-temperature region. “I was seeing that most of the work orders we received were related to HVAC,” he says. “And the vast majority of those could be traced back to a tenant not changing the filter.” He explains that what appears to be a small oversight can lead to costly system repairs, frustrated residents, and strained relationships with owners.
FilterSync is structured as a subscription-based web app for property managers. The manager sets each tenant on a recurring schedule, typically every 30, 60, 90, or 120 days, depending on local requirements or climate. On the scheduled date, the tenant receives a text message with a link that opens the camera function. The platform prevents access to a photo gallery or browser while in use, requiring a real-time picture of the newly installed filter.
Once an image is captured, an AI model checks for indicators that the filter was replaced. “The goal was to create something that doesn’t require human review or follow-ups by being proactive instead of reactive,” says Marelli. “If the system verifies that the filter is new, it stores the photo automatically. If not, it gives the tenant a brief window to try again before escalating.” If no acceptable photo is provided, the platform notifies the property manager and triggers a technician visit. In those instances, the cost is passed on to the tenant under existing lease provisions.
Marelli notes that tenants are not left out of the equation when it comes to upside. “When filters are changed on time, their energy bills can be lower, they don’t get surprise repair fees, and they are not facing issues with poor airflow and the chance of the system going down on the hottest day of the year,” he says. Some property managers he spoke with early on were accustomed to charging tenants after the fact, but he believes a proactive approach can reduce disputes and put excess strain on the system while increasing the lifespan of the asset. “There’s a financial impact on everyone involved when something avoidable goes wrong. I wanted to give managers and residents a process that prevents that before it starts, which is how we’ve been operating for decades.”
FilterSync also tracks compliance rates and upcoming deadlines and alerts property managers only when intervention is needed. Marelli says his intent was not to create a broad, feature-loaded platform but to solve one recurring problem efficiently. “It’s focused on one function, so people don’t need training or extra steps,” he says.
Although he has kept outreach limited during testing, Marelli says early feedback has helped shape the current version. Some managers voiced concerns about the possibility of photo tampering or staged submissions, and he responded by incorporating metadata analysis, timestamps, geolocation checks, and detection of common editing attempts.
Looking ahead, Marelli sees potential in expanding the same image-verification concept to other frequent sources of conflict during leases. “Things like yard maintenance, smoke detector batteries, or winterizing hose bibs are small tasks that create outsized problems when they are ignored,” he says. “The aim is to eventually offer tools that document or automate these responsibilities in the same streamlined fashion.”
While the platform is still in its rollout phase, Marelli believes it offers a different way to address the tenant compliance gap without relying on back-and-forth communication or reactive billing. “I spent years trying to solve it with reminders, paperwork, and in-person visits. Nothing stuck. This was a way to separate the property manager from the chase and give tenants a straightforward process.”
