LeaseDirector

LeaseDirector is the culmination of my efforts during the past several months: a completely integrated leasing system.

LeaseDirector's features include:

* Accurate
* Low lag
* Supports partial payments when lease is active
* Supports multiple managers (owner plus many managers)
* Allows lease to be initiated or extended on behalf of a leasor
* Allows early termination with a fee
* Customizes door locks, teleporters
* Updates 'Availability Board'

I am using the full system at Digital Nirvana's Heavenly Condos, which are 85% occupied at the moment.

When someone leases a condo, the lease system gives the leasor a notecard that includes all kinds of helpful information in addition to the rules (someone can request the notecard simply by touching the lease box). The system also updates the condo's locking door by adding the leasor as an administrator of the door (the leasor can add and remove their own guests at that point), and it updates the 'Availability Board' that is in the rental office. The Availability Board shows what condos are available for lease to make it easier for someone to find one to make their home.

My approach to design encapsulates functionality in things that look like they should do a specific job. I don't join the functionality of a teleporter and rental system like the Lestats Rental system does. As a result, the Availability Board indicates the status of each unit (rented or available) and potential leasors must use the teleporter to go to an available condo.

A lease has three key events: start, end, and extend. The LeaseDirector system notifies owners and managers when each of these events occurs. The leasor's experience is a little different - LeaseDirector sends reminders to the leasor at 3 days, 1 day, and 1 hour before the lease expires.

The customizable locking door is activated on lease start and is reset on lease expiration.

The teleporter - about 2% of Cubey Terra's Mark III teleporter and 98% mine - is secure in that the leasor can allow only their guests to teleport to their condo. The teleporter works just like the customizable locking door, in terms of setup and reset.

The final cool feature is for owners and managers. A manager can start, extend, and terminate a lease on behalf of a leasor without having to pay the system. Managers can access the teleporters and locking doors, regardless of their lock or security settings - making management a lot easier.

I am presently working on correcting some small issues, but this system has helped Lillia and I a great deal. Our leasors are happier since setup is immediate, and leasors can help themselves, payments are a breeze now and we have time to do other things (other than locking and unlocking doors).

The system also gives us a competitive edge since we are secure from the moment the lease starts and all customizations are free, of course. You have to wait or pay for extra features, or even both, at many other places. Other places often require a minimum commitment of a month or more to gain access to security features.

Some other great features are already in use now too - features that set us apart from many other condo and apartment rentals. Heavenly Condos is already far ahead of the competition - this just makes the gap larger and provides even more value to my guests :)