Can I reuse a property slot easily?

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bblake
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Can I reuse a property slot easily?

Post by bblake » Wed Feb 26, 2014 1:08 am

Several users have asked how to reuse one or more property "slots". This usually happens when a user stops managing one property, and then acquires a new one, and doesn't want to buy a license for additional slots. Considerations include how to archive the data so that it was be retrieved in the case of later queries, for example to comply with tax legislation.

The short answer is that it is quite easy to reuse the slots. Here's what you do:

The process is:

Step 1: Back up everything to do with the old property up. Everything is within the property folder and subfolders for the property. Put this somewhere safe. In addition, take a complete backup with the LetSys Backup Tool, as this will preserve the settings associated with the property. Keep this backup also for the several years needed (see below). I always say you need at least two copies on different disks to be on the safe side!

Step 2: Run off all management reports (lists of bookings, income, expenditure etc. Print these, or convert to PDFs or whatever. This makes it unlikely you will need to refer again to the LetSys data, but just in case, keep the backup from Step 1. These reports will probably be sufficient in the event of queries. If appropriate check with your accountant.

Step 3: Delete the old property. This is done using the configuration program. Go to the Properties tab, select the property, and click "Delete selected property".

Step 4: Create a new property in the slot when needed.

Remember you can drag and drop properties into any order you like and then renumber the properties.

If you are in the UK, then UK Tax regulations require records for a given tax year to be retained for 5 years from 31st Jan of the following year. Trust the tax people to come up with a complex formula!

If you ever have to recreate the property in order to run off reports etc. you can easily do this if you have a spare property slot. Recreate the property, and then just drag the bookings.hls file into the property folder. You can then view the bookings. A more complete recovery can be made if you have access to a spare PC, and install LetSys on that. Then restore from the backup taken with the backup tool. When finished, uninstall from the spare machine. More details on "migrating to a new machine" (which is what this effectively is) are here: http://support.erwwen.com/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=2

I hope this is useful. Brendan Blake.

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