What is a reservation?
A reservation is a way for a customer to hold a storage unit for a future date. It’s a great way to help people planning a move or to fill your facility during busy times.
While you can charge a one-time fee to hold the unit, the customer won't be charged monthly rent until they actually move in and finish the rental process. If they did pay a reservation fee, that money will be applied toward their first month's rent and security deposit once they officially start their lease.
How do I set up or change the reservation fee?
You can manage these fees by going to the Units tab and selecting Unit Types. From there, look for the orange Edit link on the right side of the page. Even if you don't charge a fee, the system will still ask the customer for their payment information to keep on file.
Do customers need to sign a lease to make a reservation?
Not yet. When someone reserves a unit online, they will create an account, but they don't have to sign a lease immediately. You will collect their signature later through a digital agreement once the rental is finalized and they are ready to move in.
(See Also: Storage Agreement FAQ).
What is a reservation receipt?
This is an automatic email the system sends to the customer if the template is enabled. It confirms details such as which unit they selected, their planned move-in date, and how much they have paid so far. It also gives them your contact information in case they have questions. You can turn this feature on or off in your email settings.
(See Also: Enable Automatic Messaging)
When do reservations expire?
Reservations don't have an expiration date. A unit will stay reserved until you either complete the rental or cancel it. Because of this, it is a good idea to regularly check your Reservations Report (found under the Customers tab). This helps you clear out any old reservations so those units can be rented to other people.
Can I limit which units can be reserved?
Yes, you can allow reservations for all your units, just a few specific types, or none at all. You can change these settings whenever you want to fit your business needs.
Is there a way to limit how far in advance people can reserve?
You can set a time limit to prevent customers from reserving a unit too far in the future. To do this, go to Setup, then Settings, and look under the Other section. If you check the Reservation Limit box, you can enter a specific number of days. For example, if you enter "30," customers can only pick a move-in date that is within the next 30 days.
How do I cancel or move-in a reservation?
Reservations must be approved before you can complete or cancel a pending reservation. First, go to the customer's profile and, in the "Reservations" section of the screen, click the Approve button in the right-hand column for the reservation. After the page refreshes, you will see that the button has been replaced with the options to Complete, which will take you through the rental process, or Cancel, which will cancel the reservation.
If you charged a reservation fee and your tenant paid it, you may need to adjust the billing to refund the fee or add a credit to transfer it to a different unit.
(See also: Approving and Completing Reservations)
How do I transfer a reservation to a different unit?
If your customer accidentally reserved the wrong unit or desires to move into a different space, you can cancel the reservation following the steps in the answer above. Once the reservation for the incorrect unit has been cancelled, reserve the correct unit and reinvoice the reservation fee in the new space. Once you have reserved the unit and the fee is added to the billing history for the new space, you can go back to the tenant's profile and manually add a credit without payment equal to the amount of the reservation fee they initially paid. This will transfer the payment to the invoice associated with the new unit. When you are ready to complete the reservation, the system will treat it like a normal reservation and apply their reservation fee to the move-in charges of the correct unit.