BuildingLink Amenity Reservations Setup and Access Rules Guide

In BuildingLink, amenity reservations are set up in the Amenities/Reservations area by creating each amenity, defining its bookable time slots and capacity, then applying access rules (who can book, how often, how far ahead, fees/deposits, and approval). After that, test with a resident account, confirm notifications, and adjust rules to prevent double-booking and unfair access.

 

Where to set it up

 

• Log in as a manager/admin.
• Go to the Admin side (not the resident portal).
• Find Amenities, Reservations, or Facility Booking (label varies by building setup).
• If the menu is missing, the feature may be disabled for the property. Enable it in Admin Settings or ask BuildingLink support to turn it on.

 

Create the amenity (the thing people book)

 

• Select Add Amenity and name it clearly (example: Rooftop Grill, Party Room).
• Set location and any notes residents must see.
• Set capacity (max people) if your BuildingLink setup supports it; otherwise put it in rules/notes.
• Set hours (when it can be used) and booking duration (example: 2-hour blocks).
• Set buffer time (cleanup time between bookings). This prevents back-to-back conflicts.

 

Set access rules (who can book and how)

 

• Eligible users: choose which resident types can book (owners, renters, commercial). If available, restrict by building/line/stack.
• Lead time: how far ahead bookings open (example: 30 days). This prevents someone reserving the whole year.
• Cutoff time: how late someone can book or cancel (example: no same-day bookings after 3pm).
• Frequency limits: limit bookings per unit per week/month. This is the main fairness control.
• Concurrent limits: prevent a unit from holding multiple future reservations at once.
• Approval: choose auto-approve for simple amenities, or manager approval for party rooms.
• Fees/deposits: if supported, set amount and when it is charged. If not supported, state payment steps in the confirmation message.
• Blackout dates: block holidays, maintenance days, or private events.

 

Prevent the most common setup mistakes

 

• No buffer time leads to disputes. Add cleanup time.
• Rules only in a note are hard to enforce. Use system limits (frequency, lead time) whenever possible.
• Wrong “unit” scope: set limits by unit, not by person, so roommates cannot bypass limits.
• Auto-approve for high-risk spaces causes damage issues. Use approval and require agreement text.

 

Test and validate (even if everything is already set)

 

• Use a test resident account to book, cancel, and rebook.
• Confirm double-booking is blocked and limits trigger correctly.
• Check emails/app notifications and the staff calendar view.
• Try edge cases: booking at closing time, booking across midnight, booking on blackout dates.

 

Troubleshooting

 

• Residents cannot see the amenity: eligibility rules may exclude them, or the amenity is not published to the portal.
• Bookings overlap: time-slot settings or buffer time is missing.
• Limits not working: rule is set per user instead of per unit, or the rule applies only to a different amenity group.
• No approval alerts: notification settings for staff are off or emails are going to spam.

 

When to contact BuildingLink support

 

• The Reservations/Amenities module is not available in admin.
• You need payment processing integrated into reservations and it is not present in your setup.
• Rules you need are not offered (example: complex resident-type exceptions) and require a configuration change.