Check-in with checklist, documents and guardian
A resident checks in only when the checklist is done, the documents are verified and a guardian is on record where the category needs one. A manager can let them in anyway, and the reason stays on the stay.
PLANSEvery plan
Why it matters
A resident who moves in before the ID is verified is a risk the PG carries for months. It is the first thing the police ask for. In most PGs the check is a register at the desk, and it is skipped on a busy evening. In SmartMy Stay the Check In button lists what is still missing and refuses to go on. Only a hostel manager can let the resident in anyway, and must write why. The open items and the reason are kept on the stay for the owner to read later.
The problem it solves
- A resident moves in late on a Sunday and the ID copy is promised for Monday.
- House rules are explained to some residents and not others.
- The signed agreement is still to come months after move-in.
- When something goes wrong, nobody can say who let the resident in without papers.
How it works
- Set the check-in checklist once under Stay > Configuration > Rooms and Residents > Checklists. Three items come ready: house rules explained and accepted, room and assets handed over, keys or access card issued.
- Each booking copies the items that apply to its hostel and category. The front desk ticks Mark done on each one as it is done; the system notes who and when.
- The front desk verifies the documents in the stay's Documents tab, and adds a guardian if the category needs one (Student, to start with).
- On the day, open the stay (filter Arriving Today) and click Check In. If everything is in order, the stay is Checked In, the bed turns Occupied and the resident gets a welcome message.
- If something is open, a box says Not done yet and lists each item. Staff other than managers cannot go on.
- A hostel manager can write the reason and click Confirm to check in anyway. The reason, the open items, the date and the manager's name go into the stay's Overrides and history.
Everything it does
What stops check-in
- A mandatory checklist item not done
- A mandatory document missing, not verified or past its expiry date
- No guardian, for a category with Guardian Required (Student, to start with; Working Professional, Staff and Short Stay / Guest need none)
- A room for the other gender
- With Growth: the security deposit not paid, when the property asks for it before check-in; and the signed rental agreement, where the property uses agreements
- With Scale: police verification not submitted, when the hostel asks for it before check-in
- With Scale: a bed held for a booking site, until the guest is entered through Channel Booking
The checklist
- Items per stage (Check-in or Check-out), mandatory or not, for some hostels or categories, with a description
- Ready to use for check-in: House rules explained and accepted; Room and assets handed over (condition noted); Keys / access card issued (not mandatory)
- On the stay: one row per item with Mark done and Undo, done by, done at and a note
- Required before check-in is shown under each mandatory row not yet done
Checking in
- Only a booked stay can check in; a bed must be chosen
- An early arrival can check in when the bed is free; the move-in date moves to today
- Checked In At and Checked In By are recorded
- With billing (Growth), rent starts from the check-in
- With Scale police verification set to track after check-in, the Submit By date starts
The override
- For hostel managers only, from the web and the staff app
- A reason is required
- Kept on the stay under Overrides: the date, Check-in, the manager, the open items and the reason
- Also posted in the stay's history with the manager's name
- The same works at check-out for its own checklist
Who uses it
Front deskTicks the checklist, verifies the documents and checks the resident in.
Warden / caretakerTicks checklist items, such as handing over the room and the house rules.
Hostel managerCan check in anyway, with a reason.
Owner / administratorSets the checklist and reads the overrides.
ResidentSends documents before arrival and gets the welcome message, with any guardian.
Where you use it
- Web: the stay's Check-in and Documents tabs, and the Check In button; Stay > Configuration > Rooms and Residents > Checklists
- Web: in SmartMy Stay the app menu is named Stay and Hostels is named Properties; forms, fields and messages still say Hostel
- The SmartMy Stay Staff app: this week's arrivals with the checklist, Verify for documents, and Check in anyway for managers. Built and in testing, not in the app stores yet
- Resident portal and app: the documents still needed before check-in
- Not a signature on screen: the house rules are ticked as explained and accepted by the desk
What you control
Settings
- Checklist items: per stage, Mandatory on to start with, for some hostels and categories
- Guardian Required: per resident category, on for Student only
- Document types: Mandatory, Has an Expiry Date, Categories
- Deposit Paid Before Check-in: per hostel (Growth)
- Police verification before check-in or tracked after: per hostel (Scale)
Notifications
- Hostel Check-in: the welcome message to the resident and any guardians, in the app and by email. WhatsApp and SMS use your message credits. App push comes once the apps are in the stores
- Each of these goes out at once; a person can switch off email for themselves, never the event, and in-app notices always arrive
Works with
SmartMy FeastThe resident's mess plan starts at check-in.
Questions
Can the front desk skip a step when the manager is away?
No. Only a hostel manager can check in with items open, and must give a reason. The manager can do it from the staff app.Where do we see who was let in without papers?
On each stay, under Overrides, with the date, the manager, what was open and why. The same line is in the stay's history.Can we add our own checklist items?
Yes. Add items under Configuration > Checklists, for every hostel or some, for every category or some, mandatory or not.What if the resident arrives a day early?
Check them in when the bed is free. The move-in date moves to today.Can check-in wait for the deposit?
Yes, with Growth. Tick Deposit Paid Before Check-in on the property. A manager can still check in anyway with a reason.Can we check in from the phone?
Yes. The staff app has the arrivals of the week, the checklist, Verify for documents and Check in. It is built and in testing, not in the app stores yet.Related features
RESIDENT CATEGORIES, POLICIES, DOCUMENTSResident documents and verificationEach stay lists the documents your property asks for, such as ID proof and a photo. The desk or the resident adds them, the desk verifies them, and a changed document must be verified again.AGREEMENTS AND POLICE VERIFICATIONRental agreements from templatesWrite your agreement once as a template. The desk makes each resident's agreement as a PDF in one click, with the name, bed, rent, deposit, notice and dates filled in. The PDF is kept on the stay, and check-in waits for the signed copy.STAYSBed booking without double bookingSearch the free beds for any dates, room type and gender, and book one in a few clicks. The system refuses a second booking of the same bed for the same days and names who holds it.CHECK-OUT AND SETTLEMENTCheck-out checklist: inspection, assets and keysA resident leaves through a checklist: room inspected, assets returned, keys and cards given back. Check-out waits for every mandatory item, and only a hostel manager can go on without one, with the reason kept on the stay.ENQUIRIES, BOOKINGS, WAITLISTDeposit and booking fee at bookingBooking a bed charges the security deposit and the booking fee of the rent plan at once, with a link to pay online. A booking not paid within your hold hours is cancelled and the bed is free again, and check-in can wait until the deposit is paid.PORTAL AND APPSThe staff app for wardens and the deskSmartMy Stay Staff puts the front desk's and the caretaker's day on a phone. The desk searches residents, books beds, checks residents in and out, and takes rent with a receipt number. Wardens and caretakers approve leave, mark residents out and back, and take a roll call even without signal, where the property keeps one. Any of them can press SOS to call the other staff for help.
See it with your own beds and rent plan.
Tell us how many beds and properties you run. We will show you a booking, a month of rent and a move-out, set up the way your PG works.