Register, keep and return a lost item

The hotel lost & found is a list of items found in rooms and common areas: what was found, where, when and until what date to keep it. An item is returned to its owner with an on-screen signature and a printed receipt, and an unclaimed one is disposed of with a note on what was done with it.

Who: front desk staff and the owner. The location's business type must be "Hotel".

Where: "Rooms" → the "🧳 Lost & found" button above the room board. The "Front desk: shift log and lost & found" window opens on the "Lost & found" tab.

Register an item#

1. Open "🧳 Lost & found".
2. Fill in the form:

3. Optionally click "📷 Add photo" — up to three photos of the item (on a phone you can use the camera right away). Remove an extra photo with its cross.
4. Click "Register item".

A card appears in the list with the status "In storage", "found by " and "keep until …" (found date + period).

What not to add#

• The owner's contacts (phone, e-mail, address) — they are already in the booking's guest card. The hint under the form says: "The owner’s contacts are in the booking’s guest card — do not write them here."
• Document numbers and other personal data of the guest — also in the guest card, not in the item description.
• Photos of documents and people. Photograph the item itself; keep passports, bank cards and faces out of the frame. A description in words (colour, brand, distinguishing marks) is still needed — search works on it.

Find an item in the list#

• The filter above the list: "All", "In storage" (selected by default), "Returned", "Disposed".
• The "Search the log" field searches by description, place, room and item code.
• Items whose storage period is over are highlighted in red, marked "Storage period is over" and listed first.

Item photos#

• Up to three photos per item: when registering it or later — with "📷 Add photo" on a card in storage. The cross on a photo removes it.
• Thumbnails are shown on the card; click a photo to open it full size.
• Photos are kept in the hotel's private storage, not in public access; a viewing link works for about 15 minutes and is refreshed each time the window opens.
• A returned or disposed item keeps its photos on the card, but they can no longer be changed.
• Adding and removing photos on a stored item is done by the front desk.

Return an item#

1. On the card, click "Return". The "Return the item" form opens. If the item has photos, they are shown large at the top of the form — compare the item with its photos.
2. Choose who gets it: "To the booking’s guest" or "To another person".
3. Check the recipient's ID and tick "Recipient’s ID checked". For "To another person" the tick is required — without it the return button is disabled.
4. The recipient signs with a finger or mouse in the signature field → "Signed". "Signature received" appears. Made a mistake — "Clear".
5. Click "Return and print the receipt".

What happens:

• the card gets the status "Returned" and the line "returned · ";
• the printed "Lost & found return receipt" opens: what was found, where, room, date, the signature image, who returned it and the "Signature fingerprint" — a short code for matching the receipt;
• the "Recipient’s full name" and "ID document" lines on the receipt are blank — they are filled in by hand on paper. The recipient's name and document are not stored in the system.

If the browser blocked the print window, you will see a hint — allow pop-ups for the site.

Recipient confirmation: what is stored#

The system stores who returned the item and when, to whom (the booking's guest or another person), whether the ID check was ticked, and the signature fingerprint — a code calculated from the signature image. The signature image itself is not stored: it exists only on the printed receipt. The fingerprint lets you verify that a receipt belongs to this return. Keep the signed receipt.

Dispose of an item#

1. On the card, click "Dispose".
2. Choose how: "Disposed of", "Donated to charity" or "Handed to the police".
3. Optionally add a "Comment" (up to 200 characters).
4. Click "Dispose".

The card gets the status "Disposed" and the line " — disposed · ".

The system does not check the storage period: an item can be disposed of at any time, and when the period ends the item is not disposed of automatically — it stays "In storage" with "Storage period is over" until it is returned or disposed of.

After a return or disposal#

A returned or disposed item cannot be changed: "The item has already been returned or disposed". If two front desk staff work with one card at the same time, the second sees "The item was just changed — showing the current version" and repeats the action on the fresh data.

Returned and disposed items stay in the list for 365 days and are then deleted. Items "In storage" are not deleted by age. The lost & found holds up to 2000 items in total.

Who can do what#

More about positions — Front desk, housekeeping and accountant permissions.

What is not available yet#

• Photos in the printed return receipt — photos are shown only in the window.
• Editing a card from the window (description, place, period) — register the item again if you made a mistake.
• Linking an item to a booking or guest from the form. The room is entered as text; look for the owner's contacts in the guest card of that booking.
• Automatic disposal by period and reminders.
• A lost & found screen for housekeepers — the front desk registers items.
• Storing the recipient's name and document in the system — only on the paper receipt.

Related sections#

• Hand over a shift without losing a task
• A housekeeper's shift
• Returning guests, VIP and duplicate cards
• Front desk, housekeeping and accountant permissions
• Hotel: Rooms, PMS and Guest Service

Frequently asked questions#

How long is an item kept by default?#

90 days. You can set the period at registration — from 1 to 730 days.

The "Return and print the receipt" button is disabled#

There is no recipient signature, or, when returning "To another person", "Recipient’s ID checked" is not ticked.

Can I return an item without a signature — for example, send it by post?#

No. A return in the system requires the recipient's signature on screen. When sending by post, dispose of the item with a comment or return it to the courier as "To another person" against the courier's signature.

Where can I see who returned an item and when?#

Switch the filter to "Returned" — the card shows the date and the staff member. The recipient's signature is on the paper receipt.

The storage period is over — will the item be deleted?#

No. It stays "In storage" with a red mark until you return or dispose of it.

I don't see the "🧳 Lost & found" button#

Your position has no front desk rights, or you are in the housekeeper workspace.