The migration tool is designed to import into Stortech tenants you already have elsewhere: another software, paper leases, an Excel file. Unlike a standard rental, no deposit is asked, no lease signature is required, no proration or setup fee is billed. The goal is only to configure future billing. You have two modes: Credit card (the customer will pay via Stripe starting from the next cycle) or Offline payment (the customer keeps paying cash, by cheque, or by transfer, and Stortech only serves as a source of truth).

Common questions

When should I use the migration tool instead of creating a standard rental? When you're transferring an existing tenant who already pays or already occupies the unit. Standard mode bills immediately (proration + deposit + fees). Migration mode skips all that: no deposit, no lease to sign, no proration on the current month.
What's the difference between Credit card and Offline payment modes? Credit card prepares a Stripe link so the customer (or you) adds a card; the first automatic charge happens on the 1st of the selected month. Offline payment creates the rental with no Stripe charge; you indicate the payment method (cash, cheque, Interac, transfer, other).
The customer still pays by cheque or cash. How do I import them? Pick Offline payment, select the payment method (Cash, Cheque, Interac / Debit, Bank transfer, Other), and the billing start date. Optionally, check Mark the first invoice as paid if you've already received it.
How do I switch a migrated tenant to autopay later? Once the customer is comfortable, ask them to add a card via their portal, or add it from their record. Then use the Convert button on the rental to switch to autopay. See the Payment labels and conversion to autopay article.
Why is the start date limited to the 1st of the month in Credit card mode? Stortech aligns Stripe billing to the 1st of the month for migrations. That's the tool's default cadence. In Offline payment mode, you can pick any date.
Is the migration tool temporary? It's primarily used at the time of initial migration to Stortech, but it stays permanently available to import a tenant you take over from another site or system.
Will the customer receive an email? In Credit card mode with Send an email to the customer, yes: an email with the Stripe payment link. In Offline payment mode, a welcome email is typically sent based on the facility configuration.

Who this article is for

Importing via migration requires the Owner or Manager role. If the Migration button is missing or greyed out on the rentals list, ask an Owner on your team.

Before importing a tenant

The contact must exist in Stortech (or create one from the dialog with New contact).
The target unit must be Available in Stortech. If the tenant already physically occupies the unit, mark it as Available first in Units, then start the migration.
Pick the mode: Credit card (future automatic charge) or Offline payment (preserve current manual payment).
If you have the existing paper lease, keep it as a PDF to optionally upload in offline mode.

Open the migration tool

Open the Rentals list.
Click Migration in the list header (next to New rental).
The Migrate an existing tenant page opens with the subtitle "Transfer a tenant already in place to Stortech billing. No deposit or lease signature required, just a payment method."

The page is split in two: a left Summary panel that updates live based on your selections, and a right panel with the form.

Pick the customer

Customer section.
Click Select a customer and type to search.
If the contact doesn't exist, click New contact to create them right away.

Pick the payment mode

In the Payment method section, pick:

Credit card, you or the customer will need to add a card. The first automatic charge will happen on the selected date. Note shown: "You or the tenant will need to add a credit card. The first charge will be made on the selected date."
Offline payment, for tenants who pay by cheque, bank transfer, or cash. Note shown: "No setup fee or proration will be billed."

The mode changes the rest of the form.

Pick the unit and rate

Unit details section (common to both modes):

Unit, pick the unit this tenant occupies. The picker groups units by type with their price.
Monthly rent, pre-filled with the type's rate, but editable. If you're taking over a customer at a historical rate different from the current one, adjust here.
Tenant protection (optional), pick a protection plan or leave No protection. The premium will be added to the monthly invoice.

Credit card mode: specific steps

First cycle, pick the billing start month. Stortech limits the choice to the 1st of the next month and up to 12 months later. The first automatic charge will happen on the 1st of that month.
Click one of the two action buttons:
- Send an email to the customer, Stortech sends the customer an email with a Stripe payment link. The customer clicks the link and adds their card themselves. - Enter the card myself, Stortech redirects you to Stripe Checkout (Setup mode) where you enter the customer's card immediately (typically when the customer is in front of you at the office).
During execution, the button shows Scheduling....

Note: Stripe Checkout opens in Setup mode: no amount is charged now. Stripe only saves the card for future automatic charges on the 1st of the selected month.

Offline payment mode: specific steps

Billing start date, pick the date when Stortech starts billing this tenant. You can pick any date, not just the 1st of the month.
Payment method, pick from:
- Cash - Cheque - Interac / Debit - Bank transfer - Other
Mark the first invoice as paid (checkbox), check if you've already received the first cycle's payment. Stortech creates the invoice and immediately marks it paid.
Documents (optional), expand the Documents section, drag-and-drop the paper lease or any linked document (accepted formats: JPEG, PNG, PDF, max 5 MB).
Click Import the tenant. The button shows Scheduling... during execution.

What happens automatically

In Credit card mode

Stortech creates the contact (if new) and links them to a Stripe account.
A Stripe Checkout session in Setup mode is created (no immediate charge).
A pending rental (status Preparing) is created with the start date, rate, unit.
If you chose Send an email: an email with the Stripe link is sent to the customer.
If you chose Enter the card myself: you're redirected to Stripe to enter the card.
Once the card is added, Stripe confirms the mandate and the rental moves to Active.
The first invoice is generated and charged automatically on the selected date (1st of the month).
No deposit is asked.
No BoldSign lease is generated (the migration tool doesn't trigger signing).
Gate access is provisioned once the card is confirmed.

In Offline payment mode

Stortech creates the contact and the rental immediately, with no Stripe call for a payment.
The rental is marked as manual payment (Manual badge) with the chosen method (Cash, Cheque, etc.).
If you checked Mark the first invoice as paid, the first invoice is created and marked paid.
Otherwise, the first invoice is created in Open status, ready to be settled manually.
No deposit is asked, no proration applied, no setup fee billed.
No BoldSign lease is generated.
The uploaded documents are attached as a note in the rental timeline.
Gate access is provisioned based on the access provider configuration.

Future conversion to autopay

A rental migrated in Offline payment mode can later be converted to autopay:

The customer adds a card via their portal (or you add it from their record).
On the rental record, click Convert.
Stortech switches the rental from Manual to Auto; future invoices will be charged automatically.

See the Payment labels and conversion to autopay article for details.

Important statuses and fields

Item	Meaning
Credit card	Mode to configure a future automatic charge via Stripe.
Offline payment	Mode to preserve manual payment (cash, cheque, etc.).
First cycle (month)	Month of the first Stripe charge; limited to the 1st of the month in Card mode.
Billing start date	Billing start date in offline mode; free choice.
Monthly rent	Editable rate, independent of the unit type's current price.
Mark the first invoice as paid	Creates the invoice and marks it paid immediately (offline mode).
Send an email to the customer	Sends a Stripe link by email (Card mode).
Enter the card myself	Opens Stripe Checkout for you, the operator (Card mode).
Import the tenant	Final button in Offline payment mode.

Differences between a migration and a standard rental

Aspect	Migration	Standard rental
Deposit	None	Based on facility policy
BoldSign lease	None	Generated and sent for signing
Proration on the current month	None	Based on billing cycle
Setup fee	None	Based on configuration
First payment	Deferred (Card) or manual (Offline)	Immediate
Payment label	Auto (Card) or Manual (Offline)	Auto or Manual based on the chosen mode

Common issues

Situation	What to check	What to do
The Migration button is missing or greyed out. Why?	Do you have the Owner or Manager role?	Ask an Owner on your team.
The unit I want to import doesn't appear in the picker. Why?	Is the unit marked Available in Stortech?	Set the unit to Available from the Units article, then restart the migration.
The customer didn't receive the email with the Stripe link. What now?	Does the facility's Emails tab show the send?	Resend the invitation from the rental record, or ask the customer to check spam.
The customer added their card but the rental stays Preparing. Why?	Did Stripe confirm the mandate? Was the webhook processed?	For a standard card, it's immediate. If stuck, check the Activity tab and contact support if needed.
I want to import a tenant who pays by PAD (pre-authorized debit). How?	The migration tool doesn't explicitly offer PAD on screen.	Use Credit card mode; Stripe Checkout in Setup mode also lets you record a PAD if the facility has it enabled. Otherwise, contact support to set it up manually.
I checked Mark the first invoice as paid by mistake. What now?	The invoice is created as paid and an offline payment is attached to it.	Issue a manual credit or contact support to undo the recorded payment.
The customer wants to switch from offline to autopay. How?	The customer must first add a card (portal or operator).	Add the card, then use Convert on the rental record. See the Payment labels and conversion to autopay article.