How does a housing company booking system work?
Our expert Ulla Nurmi answers the most frequently asked questions about a housing company booking system and explains how a digital booking system works in practice.
Frequently asked questions about a housing company booking system
1. What can be booked with a booking system?
Practically anything. The most common bookings include saunas, laundry rooms, clubrooms, and other shared facilities, as well as shared items such as tools, household appliances, and shared vehicles. We’ve even seen rowing boats booked through the system. In other words, a digital booking calendar is highly flexible and adapts to a wide range of needs.
2. How many booking calendars are needed?
Different housing companies use different approaches, and the number of calendars depends on how equipment and facilities are managed. For example, you can book the entire laundry room through one calendar, or you can create a separate booking calendar for each machine. When each device has its own calendar, you can maximize usage capacity and improve efficiency.
3. Can access control be connected to the booking system?
Yes. Access control linked to bookings is ideal when you want to ensure that only the person who made the reservation can enter the space. This improves security and reduces misuse, as administrators can always see who has had access to a facility.
Our booking system supports the following locking solutions:
4. Can bookings be paid for within the booking system?
Yes. Payment service is recommended if you want to save time and administrative resources. You no longer need to invoice residents or handle collections manually, as everything is automated. Payment reports are also easily available through the service.
5. How do paid bookings work in practice?
When the payment service is enabled, a resident can only make a booking if there are sufficient funds available. At the time of booking, an authorization hold is placed on the account, while the actual charge can be scheduled for a later time.
All payment transactions take place directly between the customer and Paytrail, and card details are never transferred to One4all.
6. What other automation features can be connected to bookings?
With relay control, you can automate sauna heating as well as electricity or water supply for devices such as washing machines. This significantly improves energy efficiency.
For example, the sauna heater can turn on automatically at a predefined time before the first booking begins and switch off if no subsequent booking exists. This ensures that energy is not consumed unnecessarily when facilities are not in use.
7. How is a digital booking system implemented in a housing company?
The implementation begins with an initial assessment, where we review your needs together and determine the best possible solution. We identify which facilities or shared items will be bookable and whether there are access routes between spaces.
At the same time, we assess whether access control is required and whether any of the bookable spaces are subject to fees.
8. Is the booking system easy to use?
Yes. The One4all Manager system is clear and easy to manage for both administrators and residents. As part of the implementation, our support team provides a free training session of approximately one hour for system administrators.
We strongly recommend participating in the training to ensure you get the most out of the service. During the session, booking rules and restrictions are configured together to support fair access and efficient use of shared facilities.
We also provide clear written instructions for both administrators and residents. Resident instructions are sent automatically when the service is launched, so administrators do not need to distribute them individually.
9. How much does a housing company booking system cost?
The price consists of a one-time activation fee and a fixed monthly fee. The total cost depends on factors such as the number of booking calendars and any additional services.
Request a quote for your property, and we will design a solution tailored to your needs.
This article is an ai-generated translation of the original article in Finnish.