Common questions: individual units (machines, vehicles)

A unit is one physical machine you rent out, such as a single jet ski, bike or trailer. These short answers cover adding and naming units, statuses, QR stickers and scanning, shop location, meter readings, booking history, damage and photos, and selling a unit.

Finding a unit

How do I open one unit's page?

1. Click Fleet in the left sidebar. 2. Click the item's card. This opens the item's Details page. 3. Under Units, click the unit's name or its Details → link.

An item with only one unit skips step 3 and opens that unit's page straight away, where the page title is the item's name instead of "Unit 1". See Tracking one physical unit's condition and history.

Why does my item have no units or no unit page?

Renta only creates unit records when an item is saved as one that tracks units one by one. New items do this by default, and it also happens when you give a unit a nickname or the item has maintenance tracking on. Without unit records, the item's Details page shows only the Value and Rental history cards with no Units list, and the QR label page says "This item has no individually-tracked units yet, so there is nothing to label." To fix it, open the item, click Edit, raise Quantity above 1, make sure Assign per unit is selected and click Save changes. See Item variants: color, size, and other options.

Adding, naming and removing units

How do I add a unit?

1. Open the item and click Edit. 2. On the Identity step, raise Quantity with the plus button. A new row appears under Individual units for each added unit. 3. Optionally type a nickname in the new row's Serial / nickname box. 4. Click Save changes. The new units are created when you save.

See Naming and describing a rental item.

How do I rename a unit or give it a nickname?

In the item editor (Edit), go to the Identity step and type in the unit's Serial / nickname box under Individual units, then click outside the box. A unit that already exists saves right away, and a brand-new row saves when you save the item. Without a nickname a unit is called "Unit" plus its number, for example Unit 2, on its page, in the item's unit list and on its sticker. See Tracking one physical unit's condition and history.

Why can't I see the Individual units list in the editor?

The list only shows when Quantity is above 1 and Assign per unit is selected rather than Bulk. The Assign per unit and Bulk switch itself only appears once Quantity is 2 or more. A row for a unit that has not been saved yet, which means every row on a new item, shows a greyed-out Details → with the tooltip "Available after you save this item". See Item variants: color, size, and other options.

How do I delete a unit?

There is no delete button for one unit: lower Quantity and click Save changes, and Renta removes the units numbered above the new quantity (going from 5 to 3 removes Unit 4 and Unit 5). If one of those units is in the way, the save is refused with "Cannot reduce quantity below N: unit is assigned to an open booking." or "Cannot reduce quantity below N: unit has a scheduled block or maintenance window. Remove it first.", where N is that unit's number. To keep a unit's history but stop renting it, retire it instead. See Item availability controls (Unavailable, off the website, Retired).

How do I add a serial number or VIN to a unit?

Open the unit's page, type it into Serial number / VIN in the Identification card and click Save. It is the manufacturer's own number, so Renta does not require it to be unique, and it prints on the unit's sticker. Scanning the factory barcode also finds the unit. See Scanning a unit's QR code.

Unit statuses

What do the unit statuses mean?

Available units can be booked. Unavailable units cannot be booked, and when you choose Gray out (stays on your site) the listing stays visible on your website. In maintenance units are held out of service for repair, set from the Maintenance page with Put into maintenance, and a unit given an end date frees itself when that date passes. Retired units are out of service for good, and a sold unit is Retired too. See Item availability controls (Unavailable, off the website, Retired).

How do I change a unit's status?

1. Click Fleet and click the item's card to open its Details page. 2. In the Units list, click the status pill next to the unit. 3. Choose Available, Unavailable → or Retired…. 4. For Unavailable →, pick Gray out (stays on your site), which stops only this unit being booked, or Take listing off website, which also takes the whole item (every unit) off your site until you turn it back on and is confirmed with Take it off the website.

In maintenance is not in this menu, so use Put into maintenance on the Maintenance page. An item with only one unit skips the Details page and opens straight on the unit's page, which has no status pill. See Item availability controls (Unavailable, off the website, Retired).

What happens when I retire a unit?

The unit stops being bookable once you confirm with Retire unit in the "Retire this unit?" box. If it is the last unit that is not already retired, the box reads "Retire the last active unit?" and Retire & archive archives the whole item, which leaves your active Fleet list and comes off your website. The Retired option in the Fleet list's status filter also lists items that have at least one retired unit. See Item availability controls (Unavailable, off the website, Retired).

How do I bring a retired unit back?

1. Click Fleet and open the item's Details page. 2. Click the retired unit's status pill and choose Available.

If retiring the last unit archived the item, the item stays archived. In the Fleet list set the status filter (All status) to Archived, click Restore, then switch the item back to Live, because Restore leaves it off your website. A unit that was sold cannot be switched back this way, so click Undo sale first. See Item availability controls (Unavailable, off the website, Retired).

Why did the number of units customers can book go down?

Renta counts what customers can book as your total units, minus units in maintenance, retired or unavailable, minus units already booked for those dates. So graying out, retiring, selling or putting a unit into maintenance each takes one off the count. If an item looks fully booked while machines sit free, check the status pills on the item's Details page. See Item availability controls (Unavailable, off the website, Retired).

Asset tags, QR stickers and scanning

What is an asset tag and how do I get one?

An asset tag is the short 6-character code (for example A7K-4N2) printed on a unit's QR sticker. Open the unit's page and, under Identification, click Generate for a random one (the button reads New tag if the unit already has one), or type your own and click Save. Every unit in your account needs a different tag. See Printing QR stickers for your equipment.

Why is my asset tag rejected?

A typed tag must be exactly 6 letters or digits. The box turns red with "6 characters. Letters and digits only" and Save stays greyed out until it is valid; I, L, O and U are read as 1, 1, 0 and V, and spaces and dashes are ignored. If another unit already has the tag you see "That asset tag is already on another unit." See Printing QR stickers for your equipment.

What happens if I click New tag?

Renta swaps the unit's asset tag for a new random one straight away, with no confirmation, and the page warns that issuing a new tag stops the old sticker from working. Reprint the sticker and replace the old one. New tag only shows when the unit already has a tag, and otherwise the button reads Generate. See Printing QR stickers for your equipment.

How do I print QR stickers?

For one unit, open its page and click Print label under the QR image (it appears once the unit has an asset tag), then Print labels. For every unit of an item, open the editor (Edit), and on the Identity step click Print QR labels in the Individual units header (a unit's label page also links to it as "print every unit of this item"). A unit without a tag gets a "No tag yet" box, and the Issue tags for button (it reads, for example, "Issue tags for 3 units without one") creates them all. See Printing QR stickers for your equipment.

What is printed on a sticker?

The QR code, your shop's name, the item name, the unit's nickname (or "Unit" plus its number), the asset tag written like A7K-4N2 and, if you entered one, the serial number after "SN". Scanning the QR code opens that unit's page. See Printing QR stickers for your equipment.

How do I scan a unit?

1. Click Fleet, then Scan at the top of the page. 2. Click Start camera and point it at the QR sticker or the factory barcode, or type the asset tag or the manufacturer's serial number under Or type the code and click Find unit.

A found unit opens straight away, and Renta tries asset tags first and then serial numbers. On a phone the easiest way is the phone's own Camera app pointed at the QR sticker, which opens the unit's page without the Scan screen. See Scanning a unit's QR code.

Why is Start camera greyed out, or why can't my phone scan inside Renta?

Start camera is greyed out when the browser has no built-in barcode reader, which is common on iPhones, and the page then suggests using the phone's own Camera app on the sticker or typing the code. If camera access is blocked you see "No camera access. Allow the camera in your browser settings, or type the code below." Typing the code always works. See Scanning a unit's QR code.

What do the scan results mean?

Found opens the unit. "No unit here carries" followed by the code means no unit in your account has that tag or serial number, so check the code or set the tag on the unit's page. "That is not a Renta asset tag or a serial number" means the code, such as a QR from something else, is not one of yours. If several units share one serial number, a list headed "N units share that serial number" lets you pick the right one. See Scanning a unit's QR code.

Location

How do I move a unit to another shop?

1. Open the unit's page and find the Location card. 2. Pick the destination in Move to. 3. Optionally type a Note (optional). 4. Click Move unit.

The move is recorded under Transfer history with the date, your email and the note. See Tracking one physical unit's condition and history.

What does "This unit follows the item's home shop" mean?

A unit with no shop of its own can only be booked for pickup at the item's home shop. A unit moved to a shop with Move to can only be booked there, which overrides the home shop. If neither is set, the card says the unit is "not assigned" and can be booked for pickup anywhere. The first choice in Move to ("Follow the home shop" or "Not assigned (bookable anywhere)") sends the unit back to that state. See Running more than one shop.

Why is Move unit greyed out, or why is there no Move to list?

Move unit stays greyed out until you choose a destination different from where the unit already is. If you have no pickup locations at all, the card shows "No pickup locations set up yet. Add one under Settings → Pickup locations before assigning units." instead of the list. See Setting up your pickup and dropoff locations.

How do I make every unit of an item follow the home shop again?

This only appears when you have two or more shops and at least one unit has its own shop. Open the item editor (Edit), go to the Availability step, and under Home shop click Make it follow the home shop (with several units it reads "Make all 3 follow the home shop"), then confirm. Each move is recorded in that unit's transfer history. See Running more than one shop.

Value and meter readings

How do I set or change a unit's purchase price?

Open the unit's page, type the amount in dollars into Purchase price in the Value over time card, and click Save asset details. Each unit keeps its own price, so the item-level price will not overwrite it. Current value is a separate box, and Depreciated is the difference between the two, shown with a percentage. See How a unit's value depreciates over time.

How do I update a unit's meter readings (hours, miles)?

Open the unit's page, type the new numbers into Hours or Miles in the Value over time card and click Save asset details. Uses and Utilization days go up on their own when a booking is marked completed, and you can overtype them too. These boxes, and the Current meter readings card, only show for meters that one of the item's active maintenance schedules uses (hours, miles, uses or utilization days). See Maintenance schedules on one item.

Booking history

Where do I see every booking a unit has been on?

In the Rental history card on the unit's page, newest first, with the columns Booking (click to open it), Customer, Dates, Status, Meter delta, Revenue and Value lost. A booking appears there once the unit is assigned to it, for example in the Assign units step of the pickup checkout, and cancelled bookings stay in the list. With none, it reads "This unit has not been assigned to any bookings yet." See Tracking one physical unit's condition and history.

What do Revenue earned, Value lost, Net, Utilization and Rentals mean?

Revenue earned adds up this unit's share of each booking's line total (split evenly when one line covers several units), and Value lost adds up the wear recorded against it; Net is Revenue earned minus Value lost. Utilization is the days the unit was out on non-cancelled bookings as a share of the days since it was added. Rentals counts every booking except cancelled ones, even a reservation not picked up yet, so it can differ from the Uses meter, which counts rental periods logged when a booking is completed. See Tracking one physical unit's condition and history.

What do the empty messages on a unit's page mean?

"No active maintenance schedules for this unit." means no maintenance schedule is set up for it. "No moves recorded for this unit yet." means no move has been recorded for it. "No pre-rental photos captured for this unit yet." means no pickup checkout has captured photos for it, and "No condition photos on record yet" means no pickup or dropoff checkout has. The Value over time card says "Not enough history yet" until the unit has a starting value and at least one recorded value change. See Tracking one physical unit's condition and history.

Damage reports and photos

How do I log damage on a unit?

1. Open the booking and find Documents, then Uploaded files. 2. Click Log damage. 3. Choose the Unit, type a Damage note and pick at least one photo. 4. Click File damage report.

The report then appears in that unit's Damage reports card. Without a photo you see "Select at least one photo for the damage report." See Damage reports and checkout photos on a unit.

Why can't I choose a unit when I log damage?

The Unit list only holds units assigned to that booking. If none are assigned it reads "No unit available", and otherwise you can pick "No unit" to file the report against the booking alone, which means it will not appear on any unit's page. Assign the unit first, for example in the Assign units step of the pickup checkout. See Damage reports and checkout photos on a unit.

Where do I see a unit's damage reports?

In the Damage reports card on the unit's page, with the columns Reported, Booking, Rider and What happened; the Damage reports count at the top turns red once there is one. The photos stay on the booking ("Photos live on each booking"), and a report's progress (Reported, Assessed, Repaired or Closed) is shown and changed in the booking's Uploaded files list, not on the unit's page. With none, the card reads "No damage has been reported on this unit." See Damage reports and checkout photos on a unit.

What are Current condition and Pre-rental photos, and how do I remove a wrong photo?

Pre-rental photos are the pickup inspection photos and videos captured each time this unit went out, newest first, and you can click one to open it full size. Current condition holds the photos from the unit's most recent pickup or dropoff capture, and they carry into the next rental's pickup Condition tab. To remove a bad one from Current condition, click the small x on the photo (on a computer it appears when you hover over the photo), and if it fails you see "Couldn't remove photo". Pre-rental photos is read-only. See Damage reports and checkout photos on a unit.

Selling a unit

How do I mark a unit as sold?

1. Open the unit's page and click Mark as sold under the unit's name. 2. Enter the Sale price (dollars), which must be more than $0. 3. Pick the Date sold (today or earlier), and optionally fill in Sold to (optional) and Note (optional). 4. Click Mark as sold again.

See Marking a unit as sold.

What happens when I mark a unit as sold?

The unit becomes Retired, so it stops being bookable, and its page shows a Sold banner with the price, date and buyer and, if the unit has a current value, how far above or below it the price was. The unit also leaves your fleet-wide asset totals, and if it was the last unit that was not already retired, the whole item is archived and comes off your website. Nothing is charged or refunded, because a sale is only a record. See Marking a unit as sold.

Why is Mark as sold greyed out or missing?

On a unit that has been sold, the Mark as sold button is replaced by the Sold banner with Undo sale. In the form, the confirm Mark as sold button stays greyed out until Sale price (dollars) holds an amount above $0 with at most two decimals. The Date sold picker stops at today's date on your computer. If a date is sent that is later than one day past today's date in UTC (Coordinated Universal Time, the world reference time), Renta refuses it with "Sale date can't be in the future.", so tomorrow's UTC date is still accepted. A second sale of the same unit is refused with "This unit is already marked as sold." See Marking a unit as sold.

What if the unit I'm selling is on upcoming bookings?

The form warns, for example: "This unit is assigned to 2 upcoming bookings." It tells you to move them to another unit first, because the customers could show up to a unit you no longer have. Marking the unit sold does not move those bookings, so reassign them before you confirm. The warning counts bookings that are not cancelled, expired or completed and that end in the future. See Marking a unit as sold.

How do I undo a sale?

Click Undo sale in the Sold banner, then Undo sale again in the "Undo this sale?" box. The sale record is cleared and the unit returns to the status it had before the sale, so a unit that was Retired before the sale goes back to Retired. An item that was archived because of the sale stays archived, so restore it from the Fleet list. See Marking a unit as sold.

Why can't I change a sold unit's status?

A sold unit's status is locked: the status menu answers "Undo the sale first." and the Maintenance page's Put into maintenance is refused with "This unit was sold. Undo the sale first." Click Undo sale on the unit's page first. A retired unit also cannot be put into maintenance right away ("Cannot put a retired unit into maintenance."). See Marking a unit as sold.

What is the difference between retiring and selling a unit?

Both stop the unit being booked. Selling also records the price, date and buyer, shows a Sold banner and removes the unit from your fleet-wide asset totals, while a retired but unsold unit still counts in those totals. Reverse a retirement with the status menu and a sale with Undo sale. See Marking a unit as sold.