Seasonal Schedules#

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)

Name: Summer Daily Rental
Valid: May 15 - September 15
Hours: 8:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Days: All week
Minimum: 2 hours

Shoulder Season (Spring/Fall)

Name: Spring/Fall Weekends
Valid: April 1 - May 14, September 16 - October 31
Hours: 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Days: Friday, Saturday, Sunday
Minimum: 4 hours

Winter: Closed (no timeslots valid)

Year-Round Business with Variable Hours#

Summer

Name: Extended Summer Hours
Valid: June 1 - August 31
Hours: 7:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Days: All week

Standard Season

Name: Regular Hours
Valid: March 1 - May 31, September 1 - November 30
Hours: 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Days: All week

Winter

Name: Winter Weekends
Valid: December 1 - February 28
Hours: 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Days: Saturday, Sunday only

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

Valid From: November 15
Valid Through: March 15

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

Related Articles:

• Setting Rental Schedules
• Understanding Availability
• Dynamic Pricing Rules