To switch self storage software without losing data, get a full export from your old system, clean it, have the new vendor import it, check every unit and balance against the old records, then cut over right after a billing run. Most of the risk is in the data, not the software, so spend your time there.
This guide is neutral and works for any move. If you want help choosing first, read how to choose self storage software.
What carries over and what does not
Set expectations before you start.
| Item | Carries over? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Units (number, size, rate, type) | Yes | Clean up unit names first |
| Tenants (name, phone, email, address) | Yes | Fix missing emails and phones now |
| Leases and rent amounts | Yes | Import start date and rent |
| Balances owed | Yes | Added as an "Opening balance" entry on each ledger |
| Past payment history | Often as a file | Keep your own export as the record |
| Stored card numbers | No | Tenants enter a payment method again |
| Gate codes | Depends | Check with the vendor and your gate maker |
| Notes and documents | Sometimes | Ask what format is accepted |
An opening balance is a single starting entry. The new system does not rebuild each old invoice, it starts the ledger at what the tenant owes on the cutover day. Keep your old export to answer any later question about history.
Why stored cards do not transfer
Card numbers are held by the payment processor of your old software, not by you. They are not handed over to a new processor, so every autopay tenant has to add a card or bank account again. This is true for almost every software move, not only to Stitch. Plan for it. It is the biggest tenant-facing step in the switch.
The 7-day plan
Day 1: Get your full export
- Log in to your current software and find every export or report: tenant list, unit list, rent roll, ledger or transactions, and open balances.
- If a report is missing, email support and ask for a full data export in writing. Save the reply.
- Save the files in a folder named with today's date. Make a second copy on a drive or cloud account.
- Check that the files open and that the row counts look right.
Your right to your data is a question to settle before you sign anything with any vendor. Ask it again here. The data export glossary entry explains what a good export includes.
Day 2: Clean the data
Open the exports in a spreadsheet and fix the following:
- Duplicate tenants. The same person on two lines.
- Odd unit names. Choose one pattern, like A01, A02. Match what is on the doors.
- Missing contact info. A tenant with no email or phone cannot get the autopay invite.
- Wrong rents. Compare each rent to what the tenant actually pays.
- Old vacated tenants. Archive them; do not import them as active.
- Balances that do not match. Compare the balance column to the last bills you sent.
Day 3: Send the file and agree the plan
Send the cleaned files to the new vendor. Ask them to confirm in writing: what will be imported, what will not, the cutover date, and who does what. Free migration with a stated turnaround, such as Stitch's 48 hours, makes this day short. See Stitch migration and the switch to Stitch page. If you are moving off a named product, check the matching guide such as how to switch from Storable.
Day 4: Check the import
The vendor loads your data into a test or trial account. You check it. Do not skip this.
Use this checklist:
- Unit count matches your old system
- Occupied and vacant counts match
- Ten tenants spot-checked, name, phone, email, unit, rent
- Every tenant with a balance has the right opening balance
- Total of all balances matches the old system's total
- Rent amounts and due dates are right
- Late fee rules are set the way your lease says
Worked example (illustrative)
Say your old rent roll shows 120 occupied units at $95, which is $11,400 per month. Fourteen tenants owe a total of $1,330. After the import, the new system should show 120 active leases, $11,400 in monthly rent and $1,330 in opening balances. If it shows $1,425, one balance was doubled (that is $95 extra). Find the tenant with a $190 balance that should be $95 and correct it before you go live.
Day 5: Set up payments and tenant messages
- Connect your payment account in the new system.
- Write one short message to tenants: what is changing, the date, and the link to add a card or bank account.
- Include how to pay, and who to call.
- Do not tell tenants their old autopay will keep running unless you have confirmed it will.
Day 6: Plan the cutover
Pick the cutover moment: right after a billing run and month-end close, so few charges are open. Decide when the old system stops billing. The worst outcome is to bill the same rent twice, so set a date on which you stop all billing in the old one.
- Turn off automatic billing and late fees in the old system on the cutover date.
- Turn on billing in the new one.
- Do not delete anything in the old system yet.
Day 7: Go live and watch
- Send the tenant message.
- Watch the first autopay setups come in.
- Check the first payments against your bank deposits.
- Call tenants who owe money and have not added a payment method.
Gate codes and hardware
If your gate or lock system is tied to your old software, ask both vendors how access will work on cutover day. The risk is locking out good tenants or leaving delinquent ones with access. Ask for a test with your own code before you flip the switch. See gate access.
What to keep from the old system
Keep a full export of tenants, units, ledgers and lien notices. The IRS says to keep records that support an item of income, deduction or credit until the period of limitations for that return runs out, which is generally 3 years and longer in some cases. Lien records may matter longer for legal reasons, so ask your attorney.
Common mistakes
- Not checking totals. A matching total balance proves the import worked.
- Switching in the middle of a billing run. Charges end up in both systems.
- Telling tenants too late. Give at least a week.
- Cancelling the old account first. Keep it until you have a full export and a clean first cycle.
- Skipping the lien records. Any unit in the lien process needs its notice dates carried over by hand. Check your state's page under self storage lien laws and talk to your attorney.
After the move
For the next 30 days, compare payments in the new system with your bank deposits every week. After one clean rent cycle, cancel the old account. Your final export should be saved before you do.
If something goes wrong
Most problems are small and fixable if you kept the old system alive.
| Problem | Fix |
|---|---|
| A balance is wrong in the new system | Compare with the old ledger and post an adjustment with a note |
| A tenant was charged twice | Refund the extra charge the same day and tell the tenant |
| A tenant cannot find the payment link | Resend it by text and email, and offer to take payment by phone |
| A gate code stopped working | Check the code in both systems, then reset it. Keep a manual way to let people in on cutover day |
| A lien-stage unit lost its dates | Re-enter notice dates from your paper file and tell your attorney |
Questions to ask your new vendor about the move
- Who does the import, and how long does it take?
- Which fields do you accept, and what do you do with fields you cannot match?
- Will you send me a check report of units, tenants and balances to compare?
- What will tenants see on the first day?
- Is there a charge for migration? At Stitch it is free and completed in 48 hours.
- If the import is wrong, how do I get it fixed, and how fast?
Get the answers in writing. If you are still deciding on a product, the switch to Stitch page explains our process, and pricing lists plans.
This page is general information, not legal advice. Review any notice or lien paperwork with your attorney.