Rental Lifecycle

This page details every status transition a rental contract goes through, the validation rules at each gate, and the permissions required to move forward.

Contract Status Flow

flowchart TD
  D[Draft] --> CP[Checkout Pending]
  CP --> A[Active]
  A --> ER[Extension Requested]
  ER --> A
  A --> RP[Return Pending]
  CP --> CANCEL[Cancelled]
  A --> CANCEL
  RP --> DR{Damage Found?}
  DR -->|Yes| DV[Damage Review]
  DR -->|No| BR[Billing Review]
  DV --> BR
  BR --> CLOSED[Closed]
  CLOSED --> ARCH[Archived]
  CANCEL --> ARCH

Business Tip: Every status change is logged in the contract history table. You can always trace who changed the status and when.

Status Definitions

Transition Details

Draft → Checkout Pending

Validation Rules:

• Vehicle status must be Reserved
• Reservation must have Confirmed status
• Customer must have at least one verified ID document
• Pickup date must be today or in the future

Checkout Pending → Active

Validation Rules:

• Pre-existing damage inspection must have at least one photo
• Security deposit must be processed (card hold or cash)
• Customer must acknowledge terms via digital signature
• Odometer reading must be recorded
• Fuel level must be recorded

flowchart LR
  subgraph "Checkout Wizard Steps"
    S1[1. Inspection] --> S2[2. Verification]
    S2 --> S3[3. Deposit]
    S3 --> S4[4. Contract & Keys]
  end
  S4 -->|All validations pass| ACTIVE[Active]
  S4 -->|Validation fails| BLOCKED[Blocked]

Active → Extension Requested

Validation Rules:

• New return date must be after current return date
• Vehicle must not be reserved for another customer in the new period
• Pricing for extension period must be recalculated
• Customer must confirm extended pricing

Extension Requested → Active

Active → Return Pending

Validation Rules:

• Return inspection must be submitted
• No new damage items flagged
• Fuel level must be recorded
• Odometer must be recorded
• All accessories accounted for

Active → Damage Review

Validation Rules:

• Damage item must have category, severity, and photo
• Damage must be compared against checkout inspection
• Pre-existing damage must be excluded from new damage list

Damage Review → Billing Review

Billing Review → Closed

Validation Rules:

• Invoice status must be Paid
• Security deposit must be resolved (released or forfeited)
• No open complaints linked to this contract
• No pending damage assessments
• No pending traffic fines or Salik charges

Active/Any → Cancelled

Validation Rules:

• Cancellation reason must be recorded
• If vehicle already dispatched, return must be arranged
• Deposit refund or forfeiture must be processed
• Outstanding charges must be settled before cancellation

Timeline View

Every contract has a timeline showing all status changes, actions, and audit events.

Validation Rules Summary

Business Tip: If a transition is blocked, the system will show exactly which validation failed. Fix the issue and retry — do not attempt to bypass validation.

Error Handling