


                         RENTAL PROPERTY MANAGER
                                                                       
                                                                       
                               USER GUIDE
                                                                       
                      Version 1.00s - November 1995
                                                                       
                                                                       
                              _______
                         ____|__     |               (R)
                      --|       |    |-------------------
                        |   ____|__  |  Association of
                        |  |       |_|  Shareware
                        |__|   o   |    Professionals
                      -----|   |   |---------------------
                           |___|___|    MEMBER

                                                                       
                                                                       
                              MKM Software                             
                             2812 Ingrid Ln
                        Metairie, Louisiana 70003                      
                                   USA                                 
                                                                       
                                                                       
                          Phone: (713) 488-2436
                          Phone: (504) 885-7470

                         CompuServe: 72704,3566                        
                         America Online: MKMware
                                                                       
                   Copyright (C) MKM Software, 1995
                           All Rights Reserved                         



                          TABLE OF CONTENTS
                                                                       
    Introduction                                              2
     Disclaimer of Warranty                                   2        
     Definition of Shareware                                  2        
     Registration                                             3        
     Distribution                                             3        
     How to Register                                          3
     Rental Property Manager - Version List                   4
     Installation                                             4
                                                                       
    Operations                                                6
     Opening a Shift                                          6
     Closing a Shift                                          6
     User name and Password                                   6
     Reservation Browse Table                                 6
     Advance Deposits and Charges                             8
     MasterBills                                              8
                                                                       
    Front Desk - Folios                                       9
     Front Desk Menu                                          9
     Updating Folios                                         10
     Transactions                                            10
     Direct Bill Folios                                      10
     Guest File                                              11
     Reports                                                 11
     Utilities - Re-Index                                    12
     Accounting - Expenses                                   12
     Accounting - Close Account Month                        12
     Accounting - Close Account Year                         13
     Manager - Re-build AVL Tables                           13
     Manager - Verify Data                                   13
                                                                       
    RPM - Configuration                                      14
     Properties                                              14
     Rate Tables                                             14
     Owner Names                                             15
     Unit Type Availability                                  15
     Site Set-up                                             15
     Parameter Set-up                                        16
     Folio Set-up                                            16
     Printer Set-up                                          18
     User Names                                              19
     Zip Codes                                               19
     Reservation Codes                                       19
     Travel Agents                                           20
     General Ledger                                          20







    Rental Property Manager - User Guide
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    INTRODUCTION
                                                                       
    Rental Property Manager is a full working business shareware       
    program designed to manage the reservation and billing of          
    apartments, condominiums or other vacation property rentals        
    on a short to medium term basis.  The program calculates           
    rates and taxes and compiles income and expenses to produce        
    owner statements for any given date range.                         
                                                                       
    The program is capable of managing any number of units for         
    one or more different properties.  In addition to organizing       
    reservations, powerful mail manager features are included to       
    facilitate correspondence with your customer base through          
    custom letters, or by simply printing mailing labels for a         
    selected subset of your guest file.                                
                                                                       
    You can book reservations up to two years in advance and let       
    the program calculate unit rates on a daily, weekly, or            
    monthly basis, using rate tables that you design.  You can         
    likewise enter a fixed rate at reservation or check-in time.       
                                                                       
    The registered version of RPM comes with an illustrated user       
    guide specially designed to help train new users of the            
    program.  This file is an abbreviated version of the user          
    guide.  Please refer to the online help screens for the            
    latest program information.  Also, whenever the program            
    requires input from the user, there is always context              
    sensitive help at the bottom of the screen.                        
                                                                       
                                                                       
    Disclaimer of Warranty                                             
                                                                       
    Users of Rental Property Manager must accept this disclaimer       
    of warranty:  "Rental Property Manager is supplied as is.          
    The author disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied,         
    including, without limitation, the warranties of                   
    merchantability and of fitness for any purpose.  The author        
    assumes no liability for damages, direct or consequential,         
    which may result from the use of Rental Property Manager."         
                                                                       
                                                                       
    Definition of Shareware                                            
                                                                       
    Rental Property Manager is a "shareware program" and is            
    provided at no charge to the user for evaluation.  Feel free       
    to share it with others, but please do not give it away            
    altered or as part of another system.  The essence of "user-       
    supported" software is to provide personal computer users          
    with quality software without high prices, and yet to              
    provide incentive for programmers to continue to develop new       
    products.                                                          
                                                                       


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    Registration                                                       
                                                                       
    If you find this program useful and find that you are using        
    Rental Property Manager and continue to use Rental Property        
    Manager after a reasonable trial period, you must make a           
    registration payment to MKM Software.  The registration fee        
    will license one copy for use on any one computer at any one       
    time.  You must treat this software just like a book.  An          
    example is that this software may be used by any number of         
    people and may be freely moved from one computer location to       
    another, so long as there is no possibility of it being used       
    at one location while it's being used at another.  Just as a       
    book cannot be read by two different persons at the same           
    time.                                                              
                                                                       
    Users of Rental Property Manager must register and pay for         
    their copies of Rental Property Manager within 45 days of          
    first use or their license is withdrawn.  Site-License             
    arrangements may be made by contacting MKM Software.               
                                                                       
                                                                       
    Distribution                                                       
                                                                       
    Anyone distributing the shareware version of Rental Property       
    Manager for any kind of remuneration must first contact MKM        
    Software for authorization. This authorization is                  
    automatically granted to distributors recognized by the            
    Association of Shareware Professionals (ASP) as adhering to        
    its guidelines for shareware distributors, and such                
    distributors may begin offering Rental Property Manager            
    immediately (However MKM Software must still be advised so         
    that the distributor can be kept up-to-date with the latest        
    version of Rental Property Manager.).                              
                                                                       
    You are encouraged to pass a copy of the shareware version         
    of Rental Property Manager along to others for evaluation.         
    Please encourage them to register their copy if they find          
    that they can use it.  All registered users receive a              
    personalized copy of the latest version of the program             
    without any shareware notices, a printed, illustrated user         
    manual and 90 days of free technical support.  Registered          
    users are kept apprised of program updates and additional          
    programs that can be used to generate reports and analyze          
    and graph current and past business data.                          
                                                                       
                                                                       
    How to Register                                                    
                                                                       
    You can register or purchase any version of Rental Property        
    Manager directly through MKM Software if you pay by check.         
    For a credit card purchase (MasterCard, Visa, American             


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    Express, or Discover) contact Public (software) Library at         
    the numbers listed below.  These numbers are for registering       
    any version of Rental Property Manager or for ordering the         
    latest shareware version.                                          
                                                                       
    Public (software) Library cannot provide program information       
    or product support for Rental Property Manager.  Contact MKM       
    Software for information about dealer pricing, volume              
    discounts, site licensing, the status of shipment of the           
    product, the latest version number or for technical                
    information.                                                       
                                                                       
    To Register by Check or for Technical Support, contact:            
                                                                       
    MKM Software                                                       
    2812 Ingrid Lane                                                   
    Metairie, LA 70003-USA                                             
    Phone: 713-488-2436 or 504-885-7470                                
    CompuServe: 72704,3566                                             
    America Online: MKMware                                            
                                                                       
    You can register by credit card using either American              
    Express, Discover, Mastercard or Visa.  Contact:                   
                                                                       
    Public (software) Library                                          
    Toll free USA only - 800-242-4775                                  
    Fax: 713-524-6398                                                  
    Voice International: 713-524-6394                                  
    CompuServe: 71355,470                                              
                                                                       
    Be sure to provide your site name (max 35 characters) with         
    your order so that your copy of Rental Property Manager can        
    be stamped with your property name.                                
                                                                       
                                                                       
    Rental Property Manager - Version List                             
                                                                       
    Rental Property Manager comes in several versions depending        
    on the number of units at your site.  The shareware version        
    supports up to fifty units and is distributed as shareware.        
    Other versions which are not distributed as shareware              
    include more units.  Each version includes the modules for         
    reservations and advance deposits.  All amounts are in US          
    currency.  Include an additional charge for shipping and           
    handling.                                                          
                                                                       
    Rental Property Manager Version List                               
                                                                       
     50  units.  $145                                                  
    100  units.  $175                                                  
    101+ units.  $250                                                  
                                                                       


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    Shipping US and Canada.  $4                                        
    Shipping International.  $11                                       
                                                                       
    A multi user version or Rental Property Manager is available       
    directly from MKM Software.  Please contact us for                 
    additional information and pricing.                                
                                                                       
    Installation                                                       
                                                                       
    The entire Rental Property Manager program and documentation       
    are zipped up into a single file called RNPROP.ZIP.  To            
    install the program, you will have to unzip this file, using       
    the popular file compression program PkZip v2.04g.  You will       
    need the file PKUNZIP.EXE from the PkZip program.  This            
    program is available from most bulletin boards and online          
    services.                                                          
                                                                       
    For this sample installation, we will install Rental               
    Property Manager in a directory called \RPM.  You can choose       
    any directory name that you prefer.  The entire Rental             
    Property Manager program and all files are stored in a             
    single directory.  There are no subdirectories and as stated       
    above the directory name does not matter.  We recommend that       
    you install the program in its own directory separate from         
    any other program.                                                 
                                                                       
    Place the installation diskette in drive A: and at the C:          
    prompt, enter these DOS commands.  We assume PKUNZIP.EXE is        
    in your DOS path.                                                  
                                                                       
    C:\=>MD \RPM <Enter>                                               
    C:\=>CD \RPM <Enter>                                               
    C:\RPM=>PKUNZIP A:RNPROP <Enter>                                   
    C:\RPM=>RP <Enter>                                                 




















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    OPERATIONS
                                                                       
                                                                       
    Opening a Shift                                                    
                                                                       
    Rental Property Manager breaks all usage of the program into       
    segments or shifts.  When you sign-on to the program, if a         
    shift is not opened, Rental Property Manager will prompt you       
    for a username and password to open a new shift.  Once a           
    shift is opened, all accounting activity is tracked and            
    logged on to a shift report.                                       
                                                                       
    Shift reports provide a way of tracking accounting data and        
    transactions independent of the transaction date.  You             
    cannot access the program unless you either open a shift or        
    sign-on after a shift has been opened by you or by someone         
    else.                                                              
                                                                       
                                                                       
    Closing a Shift                                                    
                                                                       
    When an operator exits the program he has the option to            
    close the current shift.  Normally, the answer is Yes.  At         
    this point the program indicates what the closing cash             
    drawer amount should be based on payments received or              
    refunds given.  It is the responsibility of the operator to        
    balance the cash receipts and cash drawer with the shift           
    report and turn in the amount and shift report summary of          
    shift activity.                                                    
                                                                       
                                                                       
    User name and Password                                             
                                                                       
    Whenever you sign on to Rental Property Manager and open a         
    shift you have to enter a valid user name and password.  For       
    the shareware version of the program enter:                        
                                                                       
           Username:  RPM <Enter>                                      
           Password:  RPM <Enter>                                      
                                                                       
                                                                       
    Reservation Browse Table                                           
                                                                       
    Rental Property Manager lets you enter reservations up to          
    two years in advance and to accept one or more advance             
    deposits for a reservation.  All reservations are listed in        
    a browse table.  The browse table can be sorted several            
    different ways.  The default sort order is by arrival date.        
    The browse table is one of the most important tools in             
    Rental Property Manager.  In practically all portions of the       
    program, information is first presented or displayed in a          
    browse table format, so once you learn to navigate the             


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    browse table you are well on your way to understanding how         
    to use Rental Property Manager.                                    
                                                                       
    The browse table offers a brief overview of current                
    reservations.  Refer to the <F1> help screen for definitions       
    of hotkeys and columns.  Everything you want to accomplish         
    with reservations can be accomplished from the browse table.       
    Whenever you need to input data, refer to the bottom of the        
    screen for context sensitive help.                                 
                                                                       
    Every reservation must be attached to a guest record.  You         
    can add guest information at the beginning of the new              
    reservation process or at the end.  If you add the guest at        
    the beginning, information from the guest's last stay is           
    used in the new reservation, last unit type, unit number and       
    discount, etc.  You can change these values if you choose.         
                                                                       
    Rental Property Manager can automatically assign unit rates        
    or you can enter your own rate at reservation time.                
    Following are the rate types:                                      
                                                                       
         <N>ormal.  Normal Unit Rate; Rental Property Manager          
         assigns a rate according to the rate tables you have          
         set-up.  If the unit night is a Friday or Saturday, the       
         program reads the weekend rate from the appropriate           
         rate table.  If the unit night falls on a Sunday              
         through Thursday night, the program reads the daily           
         rate from the appropriate rate table.                         
                                                                       
         <A>ssigned Daily Rate.  Rental Property Manager prompts       
         you for a per night unit rate, you enter the amount and       
         that amount overrides the amount found in the rate            
         table.  This is a user defined rate at the time of            
         reservation.  The rate tables are not used.  You assign       
         the individual unit rate on a per night basis.                
                                                                       
         <W>eekly Rate.  If the guest's stay is seven or more          
         nights, you can instruct the program to use the weekly        
         unit rate from the rate table.  Each seven day segment        
         of the stay is charged at the weekly unit rate.  Each         
         remaining individual night is billed at the normal unit       
         rate.                                                         
                                                                       
         <M>onthly Rate.  If the guest's stay is thirty or more        
         nights, you can instruct the program to use the monthly       
         unit rate from the appropriate rate table.  Each 30 day       
         segment of the stay is charged at the monthly unit            
         rate.  Each remaining night is billed at the normal           
         unit rate.                                                    
                                                                       
         <F>lat Rate.  This rate type lets you enter the total         
         unit charge for the entire stay.  The program then            


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         assigns a unit charge for each night based on the total       
         unit charge and the number of nights.  This is a user         
         defined rate at the time of reservation.  It does not         
         use the rate tables.  You assign the total unit charge        
         and the program assigns the per night unit charge.            
                                                                       
                                                                       
    Advance Deposits and Charges                                       
                                                                       
    An important feature of Rental Property Manager is the             
    ability to track advance deposits for a reservation.  When         
    you press <F5> on the reservation browse table, a separate         
    browse table is displayed for adding advance deposits or for       
    adding additional charges to a reservation, for example, you       
    might want to add a cleaning fee.  One or more deposits or         
    charges can be added to a reservation.  Once you add a             
    deposit, post it using the <Tab> key or the <Gray+> key.           
    Any charge you add cannot be posted until the guest is             
    checked-in.                                                        
                                                                       
    You can delete a deposit or charge, if it is not posted by         
    pressing the <Delete> key.  You can add another deposit or         
    charge by pressing <Insert>.  These are familiar commands          
    from other browse tables as you will see.  Once a deposit is       
    posted, you cannot delete it.  Instead, you have to refund         
    the deposit.  To issue a deposit refund.  Edit the                 
    reservation and change the arrival date to today and the           
    unit number to a House Account.  Check-in the guest.  Post a       
    miscellaneous charge for a cancellation fee if needed, then        
    issue a <minus> payment from the appropriate account to            
    accomplish the refund.  You can now print, check-out and           
    close this folio.                                                  
                                                                       
                                                                       
    MasterBills                                                        
                                                                       
    This feature exists to allow you to open a folio that is not       
    attached to a unit.  This open folio can be used to post any       
    kind of charge you want not including unit charges.                















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    FRONT DESK - FOLIOS
                                                                       
    Guest Folios can be accessed through the Main Menu option;         
    FrontDesk.  After a guest has been checked-in from the             
    reservation browse table, this is the area of the program          
    where you perform all changes to the folio right up to check-      
    out time.                                                          
                                                                       
                                                                       
    Front Desk Menu                                                    
                                                                       
    The Front Desk Menu includes these options:                        
                                                                       
         Folios.  Access current folios for current checked-in         
         guest.  This option is the main topic of the next             
         section.  Use this option to browse through the current       
         checked-in guests.  You can select any folio and              
         perform a variety of actions, including adding,               
         editing, deleting or posting transactions.  Also, it is       
         here that you access folios in order to check-out a           
         guest.                                                        
                                                                       
         DirectBill.  Access folios for guests who have checked-       
         out but whose folio is not paid.  A separate section is       
         devoted to Direct Bill folios.  This option accesses a        
         separate browse table comprised only of DirectBill            
         folios.  These folios can be edited or checked-out just       
         like folios for current guests.                               
                                                                       
         WhoIsOn.  Display information about the current shift         
         and Rental Property Manager version information.  This        
         is useful information to quickly determine the status         
         of the current shift.                                         
                                                                       
         Payments.  Display a list of all payments received            
         during the current shift.  This report should be run          
         prior to the close of a shift.  It can be used by the         
         front desk operator to confirm that credit card               
         receipts and cash totals match those in the computer          
         before the operator actually closes the shift.                
                                                                       
         AutoPost.  Automatically, post all pending unposted           
         charges through today's date.  Prior to 3:00 pm this          
         feature does not post today's unit charges as the             
         screen message will indicate.  This is a precaution in        
         case a current guest should decide to check-out early.        
         After 3:00 pm all pending charges, including unit             
         charges are posted.  Payments are not posted.  These          
         should be posted manually by the operator at the time         
         they are added to the folio.  You can run this option         
         as often as is necessary.  It will count the number of        
         folios checked and the number of charges posted and           


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         display the results.                                          
                                                                       
         Daily Posts.  Display a list of all folios and the            
         posted charges and payments for each folio through a          
         given date.  Depending on the number of current guests,       
         you may want to run this report prior to an AutoPost.         
         You definitely want to run it after an AutoPost.  This        
         report should be turned in by the night front desk            
         operator to affirm all folios have been prepared for          
         the next business day.  It permits you to verify folios       
         are properly updated without having to access and view        
         each folio individually.                                      
                                                                       
                                                                       
    Updating Folios                                                    
                                                                       
    All current open folios for checked-in guests are listed in        
    a browse table.  The browse table of current folios can be         
    sorted in several ways.  The default sort order is by unit         
    number.  This is the central point for working with folios         
    of checked-in guests.  From here you can update the                
    individual folios and it is from here that you print, check-       
    out or close all folios.  Press the <F1> help key to access        
    a full screen of online help.  Also, press the <F7> View           
    Menu to display all reports relating to folios.                    
                                                                       
                                                                       
    Transactions                                                       
                                                                       
    The transaction browse table contains an itemized listing of       
    all folio transactions for a given guest and whether they          
    have been posted.  The transactions are sorted by                  
    transaction date with payments preceding charges within each       
    date.  Press the <F1> help key for a complete description of       
    all available hotkeys and options.                                 
                                                                       
                                                                       
    Direct Bill Folios                                                 
                                                                       
    Direct Bill Folios are folios that have been checked out but       
    were not closed because the balance due was not equal to           
    zero.  We have extended this definition to include any             
    unresolved folio.  You can now send any checked-out folio to       
    direct bill without regard to the balance due.  This gives         
    you many more possibilities.                                       
                                                                       
    Also, you can now send a MasterBill folio to direct bill.          
    When you send a <current> folio to direct bill, the folio is       
    removed from the browse table of current guests so as not to       
    clutter the screen.  When you are looking at current guest         
    folios that is all you want to see.                                
                                                                       


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    In most cases, you need to post a final payment after which        
    you can close and clear out the direct bill folio.  You can        
    add new charges, or print additional copies of the folio as        
    needed, again, using the same keys you are familiar with           
    from the browse table of current folios.  However, you             
    cannot add a new unit charge to a direct bill folio.  If it        
    is necessary to add a unit charge, use the charge option           
    unit adjustment instead.                                           
                                                                       
                                                                       
    Guest File                                                         
                                                                       
    Your first introduction to the guest file occurs when you          
    are booking reservations. You can attach a guest record to a       
    reservation either at the beginning or end of the                  
    reservation process.  Sometimes, however, you may want to          
    access the guest file directly to lookup specific                  
    information about a current or previous guest or to prepare        
    a promotional mailing.  You can accomplish all this by             
    selecting the option GuestFile from the Main Menu.  A              
    submenu appears with several including the option to Browse        
    the guest file.  Select this option to access a browse table       
    of guests.                                                         
                                                                       
    You can create up to 3 user defined letters to send to any         
    and all guests.  Refer to the <F1> help key for more               
    information.  Also, press <F7> and view the sample guest           
    letters.  The sample letters provide instructions on how you       
    can create your own letters.                                       
                                                                       
    Postal Codes.  When you are editing a guest entry and you          
    enter a US zip code or Canadian postal code, Rental Property       
    Manager checks if that code is in the zip/postal code file.        
    If it is, you can choose to let the program stuff the city,        
    state and optionally the country name for you.  This feature       
    can over time save you many keystrokes and likewise ensure         
    uniformity of spelling and style in the adding of city,            
    state, province or country names.  Also, you can generate          
    revenue reports by zip code.                                       
                                                                       
                                                                       
    Reports                                                            
                                                                       
    Rental Property Manager contains powerful reporting                
    capabilities.  You can display reports to the screen and           
    subsequently print them or save them to a file to load into        
    your favorite word processing program.  Press the <F1> key         
    for help in viewing and printing reports.                          
                                                                       
    Report contents can be selected by date, shift number or           
    month number.  It is best to open and close several shifts         
    before you begin to run all the reports, especially                


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    accounting reports.  It helps to have more data in the             
    program to run the reports.                                        
                                                                       
    On the other hand, after you enter several reservations,           
    move to the REPORTS | RESERVATIONS Menu and begin printing         
    arrival reports and unit racks.  These are the first reports       
    you will want to see.  Again, wait until you close a few           
    shifts before you run the accounting reports.                      
                                                                       
                                                                       
    Utilities - Re-Index                                               
                                                                       
    Index files are used by RPM to quickly locate specific             
    information.  If  the computer is switched off while the           
    program is running; or, if there is a loss of power, these         
    index files can be damaged.  In such cases, you should             
    rebuild all index files using this option.  From the main          
    menu, select UTILITIES | RE-INDEX.  Under normal                   
    circumstances this is not necessary.  RPM will always update       
    index files as needed.  This option is made available as a         
    precaution.  Once a week, run the option to <Optimize> your        
    files.  This can improve program performance.  To run              
    <Optimize>, from the Main Menu select, UTILITIES | OPTIMIZE.       
                                                                       
                                                                       
    Accounting - Expenses                                              
                                                                       
    This options lets you enter expenses incurred at your site.        
    Each expense entered must be attached to a specific unit.          
    This feature is used to build an owner statement.  The owner       
    statement will include an itemized listing of all income and       
    expense for a all the owner's units for any given date             
    range.                                                             
                                                                       
                                                                       
    Accounting - Close Account Month                                   
                                                                       
    Closing the month will build a monthly account summary which       
    is really a composite of all shifts for the current account        
    month.  You can view this composite account summary prior to       
    closing the month.                                                 
                                                                       
    If the monthly account summary is balanced and you choose to       
    proceed, Rental Property Manager sums all totals for the           
    current month and updates the general ledger with current          
    totals for the month and for the year.  Next it moves all          
    cleared transactions to archive files.                             
                                                                       
    Again, we use the term close account month only because most       
    users will close-out on a monthly basis.  It is your choice.       
    You might choose to close each week or each quarter.  It is        
    a matter of preference.  We recommend that you close at            


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    least each calendar month.  This will maximize performance         
    of the program.  As part of the closing, Rental Property           
    Manager takes certain steps to ensure the best performance         
    of the program.                                                    
                                                                       
                                                                       
    Accounting - Close Account Year                                    
                                                                       
    This option updates the general ledger by moving Year-to-          
    date amounts to last year's total and resetting all YTD            
    amounts for all accounts back to 0.                                
      You should close an account month just prior to closing          
    the year.  This is not necessary, only recommended.  For           
    best results, when you close a month or a year, we recommend       
    that you dedicate a shift to that single activity.                 
    For example, prior to closing a month or a year, first exit        
    the shift you are in.  When asked whether to close the             
    shift, answer <Y>es.  Next, sign-on to Rental Property             
    Manager again and open a new shift.  Do not take                   
    reservations, or post transactions, instead, go directly to        
    the accounting menu and close the month or close the year.         
    Afterwards, exit the program and close the shift.                  
    This provides a clear demarcation between account months and       
    between account years.                                             
                                                                       
                                                                       
    Manager - Re-build AVL Tables                                      
                                                                       
    Use this option to re-build the unit type and unit number          
    availability tables for all properties.  Whenever you change       
    your unit set-ups, especially when you edit or delete unit         
    numbers, or unit types, you may have changed a unit number         
    that is currently in use by a pending reservations.                
                                                                       
    This can cause discrepancies in the unit type and unit             
    number availability tables.  However, this is very simple to       
    correct.  From the main menu select, UTILITIES | MANAGER |         
    RE-BUILD AVL TABLES.  All unit type and unit number                
    availability tables are rebuilt starting from today and            
    working through to the end of the tables.  Please note, this       
    option only affects reservations from today forward.  It           
    does change any past reservations.                                 
                                                                       
                                                                       
    Manager - Verify Data                                              
                                                                       
    If you are updating from an earlier version of Rental              
    Property Manager, run this option just once.  It will make         
    some adjustments to complete the update.  If you should run        
    it more than once, no harm is done.  It exists to ensure           
    compatibility between the current version of Rental Property       
    Manager and all prior versions of the program.                     


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    RPM - CONFIGURATION
                                                                       
    This menu contains all the options you need to set-up Rental       
    Property Manager for use at your site.  Work your way              
    through these menu options to customize Rental Property            
    Manager for your particular needs.                                 
                                                                       
                                                                       
    Properties                                                         
                                                                       
    Use this option to setup each property at your site.  Once         
    you setup a property, you have to then setup each individual       
    unit for that property.  This can be quite an involved             
    procedure, because for each unit you setup, you have to            
    indicate which rate table the unit will use and the owner of       
    each unit.                                                         
                                                                       
    There is a feature you can use to simply this process.             
    Highlight the property you are currently setting up.  Press        
    <F7> to print a summary review of the property setup.  This        
    'Property Setup Report' confirms whether the property setup        
    is correct.  Study the report for any error codes.  The            
    error codes draw your attention to which units need to be          
    revised so that the setup is valid.                                
                                                                       
    Many times when you are adding units to a property setup,          
    most of the attributes of the unit will be very similar.           
    For that reason, do not use the <Insert> key to add a new          
    unit, rather press <Alt-Insert> to 'Clone' the highlighted         
    unit.  Next just change the unit number or description to          
    account for the slight difference.  Using the 'Clone' key          
    combination can significantly speed-up the property setup          
    process.                                                           
                                                                       
    Take a moment to study the context sensitive help and the          
    <F1> help screen.  There are other features to simplify the        
    setup process and ensure that the setup is correct.  For           
    each unit you add, you have to indicate which rate table           
    this unit uses to calculate rates.                                 
                                                                       
                                                                       
    Rate Tables                                                        
                                                                       
    Rental Property Manager automatically assigns unit rates at        
    reservation time, check-in and whenever unit charges are           
    added to a folio.  The rates assigned are based on the rate        
    tables you enter here.  The assigning of unit rates is a           
    powerful and very flexible tool provided with Rental               
    Property Manager.  You can easily use this tool in more ways       
    than you might first realize.  Or, if you choose you can           
    bypass this option and assign your own rates at the time of        
    reservation.                                                       


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    Rate tables are presented in a browse table.  Press <Insert>       
    to add a new table, <Enter> to edit a table, <Delete> to           
    delete a rate table.  Be careful not to delete tables unless       
    the Thru Date has expired.  A better method is to use the          
    <F6> key to archive rate tables.  Only the expired rate            
    tables are deleted.  Also, many times when you are adding a        
    new table, it will be very similar to an existing table.           
    Use <Alt-Insert> to 'Clone' the old table.                         
                                                                       
    Rate tables are used until the rate table Thru Date expires.       
    The rate table you assign to a unit and the transaction date       
    of a unit charge determines what rate table to read.  Make         
    some sample reservations for which the guest's stay extends        
    beyond the Thru Date of a table and review the daily charges       
    for that reservation and see how the rate tables are used.         
                                                                       
    The <Alt-Insert> hotkey will create a new rate table from an       
    old rate table.  The new table will carry forward rates from       
    the old table.  Use this option when you want to make a new        
    table with only minor changes from the original rate table.        
                                                                       
                                                                       
    Owner Names                                                        
                                                                       
    Use this feature to setup the owners of the individual             
    units.  The names you enter will be available on a picklist        
    as you setup your individual units.  For each unit, you will       
    want to assign that unit to the appropriate owner so that          
    you can generate owner statements of income and expenses per       
    unit.                                                              
                                                                       
                                                                       
    Unit Type Availability                                             
                                                                       
    Use this option to access the unit type availability table.        
    This table records unit use by unit type and calculates the        
    percentage of occupancy on a daily basis for each property.        
    If you want to have these number reflected accurately, you         
    must enter the correct number of units per unit type for           
    each property.                                                     
                                                                       
                                                                       
    Site Set-up                                                        
                                                                       
    This option lets you control many features of Rental               
    Property Manager and customize the program for the special         
    needs of your site. Complete each item of the Site Set-up          
    edit window.  Refer to the bottom of the screen for context        
    sensitive help for each entry field.                               
                                                                       
    One important feature of the site setup is to select the           


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    correct type of printer in use at your site.  If you have a        
    laser printer, indicate as such so that reports are                
    correctly formatted using condensed printing.                      
                                                                       
    For users outside of the US, you can enter the correct             
    format for the display and data entry of dates.  The default       
    format is MM/DD/YY for the US, however, if you are used to         
    DD/MM/YY or some other format, this can be very confusing.         
    There are seven different date formats.  Configure the             
    program for the date format you want.                              
                                                                       
    Finally, for registered users of the program there is an           
    option to automatically backup all data files to floppy            
    diskettes using a high speed, compressed data backup.              
    Indicate on this screen which floppy drive you intend to           
    use, A or B.  The default choice is A.                             
                                                                       
                                                                       
    Parameter Set-up                                                   
                                                                       
    This options lets you adjust all tax rates and other system        
    wide settings, including default charges for extra guests.         
    Refer to the context sensitive help at the bottom of the           
    screen as you complete each entry field.                           
                                                                       
                                                                       
    Folio Set-up                                                       
                                                                       
    This option lets you control the folio printout.  You can          
    customize the folio to appear the way you want by changing         
    the page length or changing the location and font size of          
    your site name.  The default page length format for folios         
    is 8.5 by 11 inch paper.  However, you can change this.  If        
    you are using preprinted forms on 8.5 by 5.5 inch paper, you       
    can easily adjust the program to handle these forms, using         
    the options described below:                                       
                                                                       
         Currency Symbol.  Enter the currency sign or symbol           
         used in your country.  The currency symbol can be up to       
         four characters in length.  You can use upper or lower        
         case characters.                                              
                                                                       
         Place Symbol <B>efore or <A>fter  Amounts.  Indicate          
         whether the currency symbol should be printed <B>efore        
         or <A>fter the amount.                                        
                                                                       
         Folio Length in Lines.  Set the length in lines for           
         your folio printout.  The default is 48 for 8.5 by 11         
         inch forms.  If you are using special forms, increase         
         or decrease this number until you get the results you         
         want.  If you are using 8.5 by 5.5 inch forms, 24 lines       
         should work correctly.                                        


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         Set Site Name Font On.  Enter the printer <escape             
         sequence> that turns emphasized printing <ON>.  For           
         example, on an Epson printer, you can turn emphasized         
         printing on by entering this printer code: \027E.  On a       
         laser printer, you may want to switch to a different          
         font or larger point size to enhance the appearance of        
         the site name on the folio printout.  Leave this entry        
         blank if you prefer to print the site name in the             
         normal print style or font.                                   
                                                                       
         Set Site Name Font Off.  Enter the printer <escape            
         sequence> that turns emphasized printing <OFF>.  For          
         example, on an Epson impact printer, you can turn             
         emphasized printing off by entering this printer code:        
         \027F.  If you are using a laser printer and you              
         switched on a different font to print the site name,          
         you now have to switch back to the original font to           
         print the rest of the folio.  Leave this entry blank if       
         the previous entry on this form is blank.  In short, if       
         you turned a special printer font on in the previous          
         entry, you must at this point turn that font off or set       
         the font back to the original font.  The entries you          
         make here depend upon the kind of printer you are using       
         and can be found in the user guide for your printer.          
         If you are in doubt, leave this entry and the prior           
         entry blank.                                                  
                                                                       
         Set Folio Form Length On.  If you are printing folios         
         on specialized forms, enter the printer <escape               
         sequence> that sets your printer to the correct page          
         length.  For example, on an Epson impact printer if you       
         are using 8.5 by 5.5 inch forms, you have to set the          
         printer page length to 33 lines.  The correct printer         
         <escape sequence> to accomplish this is: \027C\033.  If       
         you are using 8.5 by 11 inch forms, simply leave this         
         entry blank.                                                  
                                                                       
         Set Folio Form Length Off.  If you set a special form         
         length in the prior entry, you have to reset the form         
         length to the normal size after printing the folio.  On       
         an Epson impact printer, if you set the form length to        
         33 lines per page for the folio in the previous entry,        
         here you have to reset the lines per page to 66 (the          
         normal lines per page for 8.5 by 11 inch paper) after         
         printing the folio.  The correct printer <escape              
         sequence> for an Epson impact printer is: \027C\066.          
         You have to refer to the user guide for your printer to       
         find the correct printer code.  If the previous entry         
         is blank, leave this entry blank as well.                     
                                                                       
         Site Name Row, Column, Skip.  These entries let you           


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         change the location of the site name at the top of the        
         folio:                                                        
                                                                       
              Row.  Enter the row or line number where you want        
              the site name printed.  Your entry must be more          
              than 0 and should be less than 15.  If you are           
              using forms that are only 5.5 inches in length,          
              take care not to use too many lines at the top of        
              the form.  You may want to experiment with               
              different locations.                                     
                                                                       
              Column.  Enter the column number where you want          
              the site name printed.  Your entry should be more        
              than zero and less than 70; otherwise, the site          
              name may not fit on the page.  Use this option to        
              move the site name to the left or right margin or        
              to center the site name on the folio printout.           
                                                                       
              Skip.  After printing the site name, Rental              
              Property Manager skips to the next line.  If you         
              want to skip an additional line before printing          
              the text of the folio, enter <Y>es.  Enter <N>o if       
              you do not want to skip an additional line.  This        
              is a matter of preference.  Skipping an additional       
              line tends to enhance the site name.                     
                                                                       
              Upper Case.  Enter <Y>es if you want to force            
              printing the site name in upper case.  If you            
              answer <N>o, the program prints the site name            
              exactly as it appears on the screen and reports.         
                                                                       
         End of Folio Message.  Enter a message line to print on       
         the last line of the folio.  This message appears on          
         folio pre-bills and on the final folio printed at check-      
         out time.  The message can be up to 70 characters in          
         length.  You can enter three different messages.  The         
         default is print message 1, but you can assign any            
         message to a particular folio.                                
                                                                       
                                                                       
    Printer Set-up                                                     
                                                                       
    Rental Property Manager comes with ten printer set-ups from        
    which you can choose.  We include Epson and HP LaserJet, two       
    of the most popular printers.  If you have another kind of         
    printer, you need to add it to the list.  Adding a printer         
    to the printer browse table is done as always by pressing          
    the <Insert> key.                                                  
    Printer set-up requires that you enter the escape sequences        
    to reset your printer and to set your printer for printing         
    in condensed or compressed print mode.  Consult your printer       
    manual for the correct printer codes, or contact us.  We           


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    Copyright (C) MKM Software 1995    - All Rights Reserved    Page 18
    


    have the codes for several hundred different printers.             
                                                                       
                                                                       
    User Names                                                         
                                                                       
    This option lets you define user names and passwords and           
    control who has access to what parts of the program.  Rental       
    Property Manager comes preset with at least two usernames:         
    MANAGER and RPM.  Notice that these two user names are             
    described as system users.  This means they cannot be              
    deleted.  Having two system user names ensures that there          
    are always two user names and that you do not have the             
    problem of someone deleting all the user names.                    
                                                                       
    You can add as many user names as you like.  However, each         
    name you add will not be a system user name and therefore          
    can be deleted.  When you add you own user name you may want       
    to edit the system user name MANAGER or RPM to your name so        
    that your user name is a system user name.                         
                                                                       
    Overriding Restrictions.  Sometimes a new user may have a          
    shift open and as it happens you need to print an accounting       
    report for which this user does not have access.  As the           
    system manager, simply select the option you want even             
    though the access is restricted for the current user's name.       
    The program warns you this option is restricted, however,          
    you are prompted for a password.  If you enter the password        
    for either of the two system user names, you can override          
    the restriction and access any option you want.  Take care         
    to keep the passwords assigned to the system users known to        
    only those for whom you want access.                               
                                                                       
                                                                       
    Zip Codes                                                          
                                                                       
    Use this option to edit the zip code or postal code file.          
    You can add and edit postal codes as you enter reservations        
    or as you edit guest records.  However, at some point you          
    may want to access this file directly to make changes or to        
    delete some entries.  Use this option for direct access to         
    the zip code or postal code file.  If you add a US zip code,       
    only add the first five digits.  Do not add the entire nine        
    digit zip code to any entry in the file.  If you are adding        
    a Canadian postal code, add only the first three characters.       
    Do not add the entire six character postal code.  It is too        
    specific.                                                          
                                                                       
                                                                       
    Reservation Codes                                                  
                                                                       
    Use this option to add, edit or delete reservations codes.         
    You can add and edit reservation codes as you enter                


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    reservations or as you edit reservations.  However, at some        
    point you may want to access this file directly to make some       
    changes or to delete some entries.  Use this option for            
    direct access to the reservation code file.                        
                                                                       
                                                                       
    Travel Agents
                                                                       
    When you select this item, a list of all travel agents             
    currently defined are presented in a browse table.  You can        
    add, edit or delete travel agents to the browse table as           
    needed.  Also, when you are booking reservations, if you           
    need to book a reservation from a travel agent you can add         
    agents to the agent list while you are booking the                 
    reservation.  However, at some point you will want to come         
    to the main travel agent browse table and be sure that all         
    information is correctly added for each agents.                    
                                                                       
                                                                       
    General Ledger                                                     
                                                                       
    View the general ledger and current amounts for each               
    account.  Rental Property Manager lets you define the exact        
    payment, charge and expense accounts you want.                     
                                                                       
    You can make an account active by entering a Menu Key code,        
    and by deleting a menu key code, the account will become           
    inactive.  Inactive accounts will not appear as a selection        
    on menus.  The account labels and account numbers are fixed,       
    but many of the accounts can be customized.  All accounts          
    are presented in the familiar browse table.  Refer to the          
    bottom of the screen for help messages, or press <F1> for a        
    full screen of online help.                                        

                             _______
                        ____|__     |               (R)
                     --|       |    |-------------------
                       |   ____|__  |  Association of
                       |  |       |_|  Shareware
                       |__|   o   |    Professionals
                     -----|   |   |---------------------
                          |___|___|    MEMBER

    This program is produced by a member of the Association of Shareware
    Professionals (ASP).  ASP wants to make sure that the shareware
    principle works for you. If you are unable to resolve a
    shareware-related problem with an ASP member by contacting the member
    directly, ASP may be able to help. The ASP Ombudsman can help you
    resolve a dispute or problem with an ASP member, but does not provide
    technical support for members' products.  Please write to the ASP
    Ombudsman at 545 Grover Road, Muskegon, MI 49442-9427 USA, FAX
    616-788-2765 or send a CompuServe message via CompuServe Mail to
    ASP Ombudsman 70007,3536.

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    Copyright (C) MKM Software 1995    - All Rights Reserved    Page 20
    
