Seasonal Schedules - Peak and Off-Season Availability

Most rental businesses have different availability throughout the year—longer hours in summer, shorter hours or weekends-only in off-season, or complete closure during winter months. RecSystems handles this through seasonal timeslot settings.

How Seasonal Scheduling Works

Each timeslot has Valid From and Valid Through dates:

• Valid From — When this schedule becomes active
• Valid Through — When this schedule ends

Outside this range, the timeslot doesn't appear to customers.

Setting Up Seasons

Basic Seasonal Configuration

For each timeslot, configure:

This timeslot is only active May 1 through September 30.

Creating Multiple Season Timeslots

Create separate timeslots for each season:

Summer Timeslot - Valid: May 1 - September 30 - Hours: 8 AM - 7 PM - Days: Daily

Fall/Spring Timeslot - Valid: April 1 - April 30 & October 1 - October 31 - Hours: 9 AM - 5 PM - Days: Friday, Saturday, Sunday

Winter: No timeslot (closed)

Example Configurations

Lake Boat Rental

Peak Season (Summer) @@FENCE0@@

Shoulder Season (Spring/Fall) @@FENCE1@@

Winter: Closed (no timeslots valid)

Year-Round Business with Variable Hours

Summer @@FENCE2@@

Standard Season @@FENCE3@@

Winter @@FENCE4@@

Seasons That Cross Year Boundaries

Some seasons span across the calendar year (like winter: November - March).

How to Configure

RecSystems handles this automatically:

Example: Ski Season @@FENCE5@@

The system understands this means November 15 → March 15 of the following year.

Behind the Scenes

For a booking on February 1, 2026, the system checks: - Is February 1 between November 15 (2025) and March 15 (2026)? ✓ Yes

Transitioning Between Seasons

Automatic Transitions

When a season ends: 1. That timeslot stops appearing 2. The next season's timeslot (if valid) appears 3. No action needed from you

Planning Transitions

Consider these dates carefully: - When do you actually want to change hours? - Allow overlap or gap? - Communicate changes to customers

Overlapping Seasons

If seasons overlap (both valid on the same date): - Both timeslots appear as options - Customers choose which fits their needs - Can be intentional (e.g., different duration options)

Connecting Units to Seasonal Timeslots

All Seasons

Connect units to all relevant seasonal timeslots: - Summer timeslot → $350/day - Fall/Spring timeslot → $275/day

The right one appears based on the booking date.

Season-Specific Units

Some units might only be available certain seasons: - Jet skis → Summer only - Fishing boats → Year-round

Connect each unit only to appropriate timeslots.

Pricing by Season

Different seasons often have different prices. Set pricing when connecting units to each timeslot:

Pontoon Boat: - Summer Timeslot: $400/day (peak season premium) - Fall Timeslot: $300/day (off-season discount)

See Dynamic Pricing Rules for more pricing strategies.

Common Seasonal Strategies

Maximize Peak Season

Summer settings: - Daily availability - Extended hours - Lower minimum durations - Premium pricing

Minimize Off-Season Costs

Off-season settings: - Weekends only - Shorter hours - Higher minimum durations - Discounted pricing

Maintenance Period

Between seasons: - Short gap with no timeslots valid - Time for annual maintenance - Fleet inspections and repairs

Best Practices

Start Early

- Set up seasonal timeslots before the season

- Allows advance bookings

- Avoid scrambling at season start

Communicate Changes

- Update website with seasonal info

- Notify repeat customers

- Post seasonal hours prominently

Review Annually

- Did the dates work well?

- Should hours be adjusted?

- Update pricing for new season

Monitor Transitions

- Watch for booking issues at season changes

- Ensure timeslots hand off smoothly

- Be ready to adjust if needed

Troubleshooting

Timeslot not appearing

- Check Valid From/Through dates

- Verify current date is within range

- Ensure timeslot is connected to units

Wrong season showing

- Review date ranges for overlap

- Check if multiple timeslots are valid

- Verify year handling for cross-year seasons

Can't book end-of-season dates

- Multi-day rentals might extend past valid range

- Consider extending Valid Through slightly

- Or use blackout dates instead of season end

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Related Articles: - Setting Rental Schedules - Understanding Availability - Dynamic Pricing Rules