What are occupancy rules and how to benefit from this functionality
Occupancy rules define the conditions under which guests can book an accommodation, such as minimum stay requirements, allowed check-in and check-out days, and seasonal restrictions.
In Avantio's Channel PRO, occupancy rules allow you to override the default VRMS settings and apply custom rules per portal and per property, giving you greater control over availability and booking behavior across different channels.
Using occupancy rules in the Channel PRO allows you to:
Define different minimum stays per season
Restrict check-in and check-out days
Apply rules per portal and per property
Customize conditions by weekday or weekend
Manage seasonal rules centrally from Channel PRO
Example:
July–August: minimum stay of 7 nights
Rest of the year: minimum stay of 3 nights
Important!
When creating customized occupancy rules in Channel PRO, it is essential that the rule covers all required date ranges.
If a rule expires, no occupancy rules will be sent to connected portals which may cause complete closure of the calendar in the listing/s.
Availability will be blocked for uncovered periods
The same applies to dates before a rule becomes active
If you want the system to use the VRMS occupancy rules again, simply delete the customized rule from Channel PRO.
Step-by-Step: Create an Occupancy Rule
From the Channel PRO home screen, click on Stay rules.
Select Occupancy Rules.
Click New Rule.
Rule Configuration
Enter a name for the rule.
Click Add to create a season.
You can configure the following options per season:
Add multiple seasons within the same rule
Define minimum stay per season
Restrict check-in and check-out days (e.g. Saturday only)
Apply conditions by day of the week
Optionally define different weekend conditions
To apply weekend restrictions, simply select the weekend days within the season.
Assign the Rule
Click Assign and select the portal where the rule will apply.
The rule can be applied to all connected portals, or you can select only the portals you prefer.
By default, the rule will apply to all connected properties, however, you may select to apply it to specific properties:
Disable the default option
Use:
Search by accommodation name or
Filters (name/reference, class, city)
Select all or deselect properties as needed
Click Save to activate the rule.
Feature: Copy Seasons
You can copy seasons from another occupancy rule if at least one rule already exists.
Limitations:
You can only copy or replace seasons from rules created in Channel PRO
Seasons from rules created in the VRMS cannot be copied
View and Edit Occupancy Rules
View Rule Details
Click on an existing rule to see an overview of:
Name
Seasons
Assigned portals
Assigned properties
Edit a Rule
Click Edit from the side panel.
Modify:
Rule name
Seasons
Assigned portals or properties
Use the pencil icon to edit fields.
Delete Occupancy Rules
You can delete occupancy rules from:
The rule settings screen
The Edit Rule screen
Within the Edit Rule screen, you can:
Delete individual seasons
Remove assigned portals or properties using the trash bin icon
Key Points
Occupancy rules define booking conditions such as minimum stay and allowed check-in days
Channel PRO rules override VRMS occupancy rules
Rules must cover all date ranges to avoid blocked availability
Expired or incomplete rules stop availability synchronization