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Managing a Check-out & Deposit Refund

Prerequisites

Before managing a check-out, ensure:

  • The booking is not canceled and is in an active occupancy/checkout window for your configured status date basis
  • You know your deposit refund deadline (configured in Settings > Payments)

Step 1 — Review upcoming departures (7 days before). Open Operations > Check-in & Check-out and identify all departures in the coming week. Note any same-day turnovers (a check-out and a new check-in on the same day) — these require extra coordination.

Step 2 — Prepare the turnover. Create a cleaning and inspection ticket for the unit (or verify an automatic ticket was created if you configured it in the property's Maintenances tab). Assign it with a deadline before the next check-in.

Step 3 — Conduct the inspection (day of check-out). Inspect the unit for damages, missing items, or cleaning issues. Compare its condition against the check-in record. Document any issues with photos.

Step 4 — Handle damages and deductions (if any). For each damage found:

  1. Open the booking and click Add Charge (see Adding Extra Charges)
  2. Select "Damages" as the category
  3. Enter the amount and a description (e.g., "Broken window replacement — €150")
  4. Set the due date
  5. Inform the tenant in writing of the deductions before processing the deposit

Step 5 — Process the deposit refund. Navigate to Finance > Deposits and find this booking's deposit entry.

  • No deductions: Set status to Returned and record the refund date.
  • Partial deductions: Set status to Partially Returned, enter the deduction amount and reason, and record the net amount refunded.
  • Full retention (e.g., unpaid rent, major damages): Set status to Retained with a clear reason.
Business Rule

Vivin records the deposit decision — the actual bank transfer to the tenant happens outside the platform. Transfer the refund amount via bank transfer after updating the status.

Step 6 — Verify all charges are settled. In the booking's Payment Plan tab, confirm there are no unpaid charges beyond the agreed deductions. Escalate any outstanding balance before marking the booking as ended. See Handling a Late Payment if needed.

Step 7 — Verify the booking has ended. After the relevant end date passes (check-out date or contract end date, based on your status date basis setting), confirm the booking status is Ended (ended). This status is computed automatically.