Legacy Software Modernization for Property Management System

Our client develops property management software for operators running entire apartment buildings. The company’s founder spent years managing serviced apartment businesses before building their own platform. That’s why they understood which tools failed in practice and where operational workflows broke down. Our client’s platform handles both short-term rentals and extended stays for companies managing whole buildings rather than scattered apartments.

The company launched in the 2009. Since the last decade, they’ve doubled the number of units managed through the platform for several year in row. Properties using their software operate across Europe, both Americas, and Asia. Each client provides feedback on what works and what fails during actual use. The development team actively incorporates these insights directly into the product. As of the end of 2025, over 20,000 apartment units run their daily operations through their platform.

When our client approached us, their platform was already handling daily operations for properties across multiple locations. The system had evolved over several years, and like many successful applications, it carried technical debt from earlier development phases. The codebase ran on Ember 1, and automated testing hadn’t been a priority during the initial growth period.

The company needed a development partner who deeply understood the specificity and nuances of legacy software modernization, particularly on the frontend. However, the challenge went beyond updating framework versions. The task was to keep operations during the transition period. Thousands of users relied on the platform to run their entire business workflow, so any disruption would have immediate consequences.

The work began with an almost year-long migration from Ember 1 to Ember 2. Our frontend specialist worked through the legacy codebase systematically, updating dependencies and refactoring code to align with modern framework conventions. After completing the migration and addressing initial bugs, ELITEX pushed for what seemed like the obvious next step.

The application had no automated testing. ELITEX insisted that implementing test coverage should become the priority before moving forward. We introduced testing gradually, writing coverage for critical user flows and complex business logic first. This work fell outside the original scope, but proved essential for sustainable development.

A year later, the Ember 2 to Ember 3 migration began. By then, roughly half the application had test coverage. This second migration went smoother than the first, with tests catching regressions early and providing confidence during refactoring. We continued adding tests alongside new feature development, making test writing part of the standard workflow rather than a separate effort.

Beyond framework modernization, our team built two new React-based applications from scratch. The inquiry widget guides potential guests through a visual process on the property website. It asks questions about their requirements and displays relevant apartment photos, then connects them with available booking slots through an integrated calendar. The next one, internet booking engine (IBE) application, allows guests to find and book apartments of the specific client.

The entire team operates in a Kanban flow. Developers pull tasks from the backlog and work through them sequentially, though priorities shift frequently based on business needs. Our developers handle urgent requests requiring immediate attention, alternating between critical issues and planned feature work. Regular release planning sessions keep the roadmap aligned with business goals. Code reviews occur for all changes before deployment.

ELITEX’s frontend specialist leads client-side development. He collaborates with four full-stack engineers who handle both frontend and backend work, and a team of QA testers that validate changes before release. The full control over the development process and project management remains on the client’s side, and ELITEX provides the specialized development capacity, strengthening the in-house development team.

Now, the work continues. At the moment, automated test coverage has increased from zero to 70%. This improvement has reduced bug-fixing time after framework updates and catches issues during deployment before they reach users. The CI/CD pipeline now prevents broken code from shipping, eliminating the production bugs that previously slipped through.

New features ship faster on later Ember versions. The framework updates primarily improved the development experience rather than altering to what users see. The UI remained consistent while the underlying technology became easier to maintain and scale. Both the inquiry widget and IBE application launched successfully and handle real user traffic across multiple properties. As of now, the platform continues expanding with new features in active development, running on a technical foundation that supports growth without accumulating additional technical debt.

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