Pick a space, pay, sign, drive in.

Approach

Build what makes you different. Plug in the rest.

We custom-build your website, rental flow, customer portal and staff dashboard. Money, signatures and the physical gate run on proven services, each behind its own module, so any one can be swapped later without touching the rest.

Stack. Next.js and TypeScript for the website and portals, Node.js for the backend, PostgreSQL for data. Managed cloud hosting with SSL, daily backups, monitoring and separate test and live environments.

Customer experience

From search to gate code in one visit

Customers see storage types, sizes, prices, photos and live availability, then rent a specific space on their phone. Checkout follows your order exactly.

1. Choose an available space. It is held for 15 minutes so no one else can rent it mid-checkout.
2. Create an account with contact details.
3. Add the RV, boat or trailer: type, make, model, length and plate or registration.
4. Pay the first amount (rent, deposit, setup fee, prorated first month) and turn on autopay by card or bank account.
5. E-sign the rental agreement, facility rules and waiver, already filled in with their details.
6. The system confirms payment and signatures are both complete.
7. A unique gate PIN is created, scheduled to switch on the day the rental starts.
8. Email and text confirmation with space, receipt, signed documents and gate instructions. The space shows as rented immediately.

Every space always shows its true status

The customer portal

After login, customers see their space, vehicle details, monthly amount, payment history, receipts, signed documents and gate PIN. They update their card, bank account and contact details themselves, and request a move-out date. Requests land in the staff dashboard for confirmation.

Gate access

Gate access: one PIN per renter, managed automatically

We recommend OpenTech INSOMNIAC CIA, a cloud access-control system built for self-storage, with PTI StorLogix Cloud as the alternate. Both handle per-tenant PINs, late-payer lockout and entry logs natively.

How PINs will work

• Issued only when completeCreated only after payment and signatures are both confirmed.
• Unique per customerNo shared codes, ever.
• Scheduled activationGoes live on the rental start date, not at signup.
• Staff controlsView, reset, suspend, reactivate or deactivate any PIN.
• Late payersSuspended automatically after your grace period, restored the moment the balance is paid. Turned on only once you approve the policy.
• Move-outPIN stops working automatically; the space returns to inventory.
• Entry historyEach customer's gate entries appear on their record.

Systems we evaluated

We compared the two systems you mentioned, DoorKing and LiftMaster, with the three leading storage-specific platforms.

DoorKing and LiftMaster make excellent gate hardware and either can work. The storage-specific systems do more out of the box, which means less custom logic to build, test and maintain.

Gate hardware you will need

Exact models, installation and the vendor's monthly subscription are quoted by OpenTech or its authorized installer and paid directly by you. Choose the access system before buying any gate hardware so everything is compatible.

Payments

Rent collects itself

We recommend Stripe for cards, ACH bank payments and automatic monthly billing. There is no monthly platform fee.

• ChargesRent, deposits, setup fees, prorated first months, late fees and one-off charges.
• AutopayAutomatic monthly billing on each customer's billing date.
• ReceiptsSent automatically and saved in the customer portal.
• Failed paymentsAutomatic retries, email and text notice, account flagged past due.
• Staff toolsRefunds, credits and adjustments, each logged with who made them.
• Late payersLate fees after a set number of days, gate suspended after your grace period. You set the numbers.

Rates from Stripe's published US pricing, September 2026. Encouraging ACH for monthly rent cuts processing costs by more than half.

E-signature

Signed inside checkout, stored forever

We recommend DocuSeal: customers sign on the checkout page without leaving your site, at roughly $0.20 per signed packet. Dropbox Sign is the premium alternative.

• TemplatesYour attorney-approved agreement, rules and waiver, with fields for name, space, vehicle, rate and start date.
• PrefilledCustomer and rental details filled in automatically.
• StoredSigned PDF and audit trail saved to the customer's record; both sides can download.
• UpdatableUpload a revised version any time; past signed copies stay on file.
• Walk-insStaff email a signing link or the customer signs on a tablet in the office.

Pricing via vendor pricing guides; confirmed with the vendor before you sign up.

Dashboard and finances

One screen to run the facility

The home screen shows available, reserved and occupied spaces, occupancy, monthly rental income, past-due accounts, upcoming move-ins and move-outs, and recent payments. Built for daily use by non-technical staff.

Income and expenses, built in

A new single facility rarely needs full accounting software on day one, so we build simple tracking into the dashboard and offer QuickBooks as an optional add-on.

• IncomeEvery payment, fee and refund recorded automatically from Stripe.
• ExpensesUtilities, insurance, property tax, repairs, maintenance, snow removal, lawn care, advertising, software and professional fees, each with a receipt photo or PDF.
• ReportsMonthly and yearly income and expenses by category.
• Accountant exportCSV or Excel for any date range.

Customer lists, payment history, past-due accounts, occupancy and financial reports all download as CSV, Excel or PDF.

Website and search

Found on Google, rented on a phone

• PagesHome, storage options and pricing, facility information, photos, FAQs, contact, Reserve Now and customer login.
• Self-editingStaff update prices, photos, FAQs and facility details without a developer.
• Local searchPages targeted at searches like "RV storage near [your town]", storage-business structured data, sitemap, fast load times and Google Business Profile setup help.
• SecuritySSL, secure hosting, daily backups, uptime monitoring and protected staff areas.

Room to grow. Spaces, storage types, prices and gates are stored as data. Adding covered parking or a second location later does not mean rebuilding.

Investment

One fixed price, split three ways

Design, build, testing and launch, priced in the three areas you asked for.

Gate integration covers software only. Hardware, installation and the access vendor's subscription are quoted by the vendor and paid directly by you.

Ongoing costs

Monthly running costs

Apart from payment processing and the gate vendor, the services that run the platform should cost roughly $80–150 a month at launch. Every account is in your business's name, billed to you directly, with no markup from us.

Texting estimate from Twilio pricing and an all-in cost breakdown. US business texting needs a carrier registration that takes 1–3 weeks, so we start it in week one. The gate vendor's quotes are requested in week one, before any hardware is ordered.

Timeline

Live in 10–12 weeks

Gate installation runs in parallel and never holds up the rest of the platform.

Payment schedule

You will never wonder where things stand

• Test site from week oneUpdated as features land.
• Daily written updateWhat was done, what is next, what we need from you.
• Weekly demo callDuring US Central business hours.
• Task board accessSee progress at any time.

Support and ownership

Support, and everything is yours

We fix any bug in the agreed scope free for 45 days after launch.

After that, we recommend the Care Plan at /month: uptime and error monitoring, security updates, fixes when Stripe, the gate vendor or other services change their systems, and up to 6 hours a month of small changes. Larger improvements are quoted separately. Pause or cancel any time.

Ownership

Once the project is paid, you own the website, source code, database, designs, project files and all customer data. The code repository, hosting, Stripe, e-signature, texting, gate software and domain are opened in your business's name from day one. Another developer can take over at any time.

Similar work

Similar systems we have built

Client references are available on request.

Where we recommend a different approach

• Expense tracking built in, QuickBooks optionalSimpler and cheaper for a new facility; QuickBooks connects later without rework.
• Choose the access system before gate hardwareBuying hardware first can leave you with a keypad that cannot connect.
• Storage-specific access controlLate-payer lockout and tenant logic come built in.
• DocuSeal over the Dropbox Sign APIThe same in-checkout signing for a fraction of the monthly cost.
• Encourage ACH for rentLess than half the processing cost of cards.

Getting started

What we need to get started

1. Facility name, logo, colors and photos.
2. Space list with sizes, types and monthly rates.
3. Deposit, setup fee, late fee, grace-period and move-out rules.
4. Attorney-approved rental agreement, facility rules and waiver.
5. Your choice of access vendor, or the go-ahead for us to contact OpenTech and PTI.
6. A business Stripe account; we help set up the rest.