diff --git a/backend/letters/migrations/0008_letter_notified_at.py b/backend/letters/migrations/0008_letter_notified_at.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b1da3b7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/backend/letters/migrations/0008_letter_notified_at.py
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+# Generated by Django 6.0.4 on 2026-04-17 07:43
+
+from django.db import migrations, models
+
+
+class Migration(migrations.Migration):
+    dependencies = [
+        ("letters", "0007_alter_letter_public_id"),
+    ]
+
+    operations = [
+        migrations.AddField(
+            model_name="letter",
+            name="notified_at",
+            field=models.DateTimeField(blank=True, null=True),
+        ),
+    ]
diff --git a/backend/letters/models.py b/backend/letters/models.py
index 83779c5..f276ac8 100644
--- a/backend/letters/models.py
+++ b/backend/letters/models.py
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ class Letter(models.Model):
     sealed_at = models.DateTimeField(null=True, blank=True)
     opened_at = models.DateTimeField(null=True, blank=True)
     burned_at = models.DateTimeField(null=True, blank=True)
+    notified_at = models.DateTimeField(null=True, blank=True)
     encrypted_dek = models.TextField(null=True, blank=True)
 
     def clean(self):
diff --git a/backend/letters/tasks.py b/backend/letters/tasks.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2d233f3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/backend/letters/tasks.py
@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+import logging
+from datetime import UTC, datetime
+
+from django.core.mail import send_mail
+
+from config import settings
+from letters.models import Letter
+
+logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
+
+
+def get_vault_letters_to_notify():
+    """
+    Identifies the vault letters that have been recently unlocked and not notified
+    """
+    letters = Letter.objects.filter(unlock_at__lt=datetime.now(UTC), notified_at=None)
+    return letters
+
+
+def notify_unlocked_letter(letter):
+    """
+    Notifies the author of the letter via email and if successful, updates the notified_at field for the letter.
+    """
+    author = letter.user.get_username()
+    try:
+        send_mail(subject="", message="", from_email=settings.FROM_EMAIL, recipient_list=[author], fail_silently=False)
+        letter.notified_at = datetime.now(UTC)
+        letter.save()
+    except Exception:
+        logger.exception(f"Failed to notify {author} of unlocked letter")
+
+
+def vault_unlock_notification_polling_scheduler():
+    logger.info("Starting vault_unlock_notification_polling_scheduler")
+    letters_to_notify = get_vault_letters_to_notify()
+    print("letters_to_notify", letters_to_notify)
+    for letter in letters_to_notify:
+        notify_unlocked_letter(letter)
diff --git a/backend/letters/tests.py b/backend/letters/tests.py
index 2be80fc..7fa5844 100644
--- a/backend/letters/tests.py
+++ b/backend/letters/tests.py
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
-from datetime import UTC
+from datetime import UTC, datetime, timedelta
+from unittest.mock import ANY, patch
 
+from django.conf import settings
 from django.contrib.auth import get_user_model
 from django.core.files.base import ContentFile
 from django.test import TestCase
@@ -277,3 +279,72 @@ class LetterImageModelTest(TestCase):
         self.assertEqual(LetterImage.objects.count(), 1)
         self.letter.delete()
         self.assertEqual(LetterImage.objects.count(), 0)
+
+
+class LetterTaskTest(TestCase):
+    def setUp(self):
+        self.user = User.objects.create_user(email="task@pi-ku.app", password="password1234")
+
+    def test_get_vault_letters_to_be_notified(self):
+        """
+        Test that the task can successfully retrieve the letters whose unlock date is passed and haven't been notified.
+        """
+        from letters.tasks import get_vault_letters_to_notify
+
+        Letter.objects.create(
+            user=self.user, type="VAULT", status="SEALED", unlock_at=datetime.now(UTC) + timedelta(seconds=1)
+        )
+        Letter.objects.create(user=self.user, type="VAULT", status="SEALED", unlock_at=datetime.now(UTC))
+        Letter.objects.create(
+            user=self.user, type="VAULT", status="SEALED", unlock_at=datetime.now(UTC) - timedelta(seconds=1)
+        )
+        Letter.objects.create(
+            user=self.user,
+            type="VAULT",
+            status="SEALED",
+            unlock_at=datetime.now(UTC) - timedelta(hours=1),
+            notified_at=datetime.now(UTC) - timedelta(minutes=59),
+        )
+        Letter.objects.create(
+            user=self.user, type="VAULT", status="SEALED", unlock_at=datetime.now(UTC) + timedelta(seconds=1)
+        )
+        Letter.objects.create(
+            user=self.user,
+            type="KEPT",
+            status="SEALED",
+        )
+
+        unlocked_letters = get_vault_letters_to_notify()
+
+        self.assertEqual(len(unlocked_letters), 2)
+
+    def test_notify_unlocked_letter(self):
+        """
+        Test that the task successfully notifies the user via email and updates the database field.
+        """
+        from letters.tasks import notify_unlocked_letter
+
+        letter_to_notify1 = Letter.objects.create(
+            user=self.user, type="VAULT", status="SEALED", unlock_at=datetime.now(UTC), notified_at=None
+        )
+        with patch("tasks.send_mail") as mock_send_mail:
+            notify_unlocked_letter(letter_to_notify1)
+
+            mock_send_mail.assert_called_with(
+                subject=ANY,
+                message=ANY,
+                from_email=settings.FROM_EMAIL,
+                recipient_list=[self.user.email],
+                fail_silently=False,
+            )
+            self.assertIsNotNone(letter_to_notify1.notified_at)
+
+        letter_to_notify2 = Letter.objects.create(
+            user=self.user, type="VAULT", status="SEALED", unlock_at=datetime.now(UTC), notified_at=None
+        )
+        with patch("tasks.send_mail") as mock_send_mail:
+            mock_send_mail.side_effect = Exception()
+
+            notify_unlocked_letter(letter_to_notify2)
+
+            self.assertIsNone(letter_to_notify2.notified_at)