PBS OASIS User Tips and FAQs
OASIS User Tips and FAQs
To assist OASIS users better navigate the system, we have curated the most frequently asked questions by topic area below. For additional help beyond the FAQs and existing training materials, please contact PBSOASIS@gsa.gov.
Topic Areas
Access, Accounts and User Roles
How do I request access to OASIS?
Follow the instructions to complete the OASIS Customer Access Request Form.
The initial form requires your agency’s Customer Internal Authorizing Official’s (CIAO’s) approval. GSA can provide the name of that contact when you submit your original form and request that you get their approval and resubmit the updated form.
Have I Lost Access? / Why can’t I log into OASIS anymore?
OASIS users can lose access for several reasons.
If not you have not logged into OASIS for 90 days...
Like many IT applications, OASIS requires a user to log in every 90-days or the user risks losing access as a security measure. If you have lost access, please email pbsoasisaccounts@gsa.gov.
If you have logged into OASIS within the last 90-days...
- Refresh your browser completely
- Verify the email address being used for OASIS is IDENTICAL to the email for MAX.gov
- In the browser window, please make sure only the following is used for the URL: oasis.gsa.gov
- *Any extensions or additional information after the URL will cause a failure. This has happened with individuals who have previously been able to log in before, but created a bookmark and a ‘/index’ or other text was added to the URL in the bookmark.
How do I see a list of my agency’s Ordering Officials and CIAOs?
This list was shared with your CIAO in late May. In addition, GSA is working to make this The list available to you on your Customer Dashboard.
Is a non-approver/view only access role available?
A new Non Approver role was launched on June 10th, 2024. This role allows a user to do everything an ordering official can do except approve or reject OAs. In order to request access to this new role, please fill out the user request form found here.
Is my agency limited in the number of PBS OASIS Ordering Officer accounts?
Yes, GSA does have license constraints for Ordering Officials and the new Non-Approver role, which was rolled out on June 10, 2024. The number of licenses is limited to10 per AB code, but please reach out to GSA if your agency requires more than that.
Will OASIS access still require users to hold an OMB MAX account?
OASIS currently requires users to hold an OMB MAX account. Plans are in progress to transition customers to Login.gov later in the year. More details to follow in the coming months.
Is OASIS PIV card compliant?
Yes.
Can you clarify the types of customer roles available in PBS OASIS, what they are titled, and what they can do.
There are three types of customer user roles in PBS OASIS
1. Customer Internal Authorizing Official (CIAO)
- Not a role in the system
- Designates who within an agency can Approve OAs
2. Ordering Official
- View all OAs and associated data fields within AB code
- Ask for OA clarifications and billing clarifications through the system
- Submit Releases of Space
- Approve OAs
3. Non-Approver
- View all OAs and associated data fields within AB code
- Ask for OA clarifications and billing clarifications through the system
- Submit Releases of Space
What information will I have access to in OASIS?
Each user will have access to the OA data associated with the AB Code(s) they have been approved for during the user account creation. The decision of which AB Code(s) a user is granted is made by the appointed Customer Internal Authorizing Official.
How do I remove access for someone who has left the agency or who shouldn’t be on the OA?
Send an email and explanation to pbsoasis@gsa.gov.
Please note in some cases cabinet level budget personnel were added to all AB codes within their oversight at their request. If you believe this was done in error, email pbsoasis@gsa.gov and PBS will reach out to the contact and coordinate a review.
Billing and Rent
Why do the future estimated terms, which included things like estimated escalations for operating expenses, taxes, parking etc., no longer on the OA?
The OA now reflects only actual billing charges. Annual operating and parking cost adjustment CPIs/OMB percentages are not known in advance and are therefore not included in the OA. If an agency would like to continue to estimate future escalations, that would need to be done outside of OASIS.
Where is the shell expiration date?
The shell rate terms are listed on your OA Summary BIRT report as the pending end date. The payment schedule is also shown on the Payment tab of your OA.
What is the easiest way to find the total annual rent cost in an OA?
As OA rates can have different start and end dates, the OA does not sum or estimate annual rent. You can:
- Sum the different payment lines’ annual rent on the OA Summary and apply a PBS fee if applicable.
- Review the payment lines in OASIS by looking on the Payments tab and selecting “Payments” under the payment schedule section
- Review the monthly ROW payments and multiple by 12
I’ve noticed that my bills no longer include two decimal place square footage, why is this?
GSA now rounds square footage on the rent bill using standard rounding conventions. Numbers five and above, round up and four and under are rounded down.
My bills no longer include USF or R/U factors, are those coming back?
No, the bill is based on the RSF charge basis and that is the only square footage listed on the bill. If you would like your measured usf or R/U, you can review the OA record Locations tab. Note that this tab shows your measured usable and R/U factor which may differ from your payment as GSA does not adjust for changes in measurement until we conduct an SDM Re-measurement
Most ad hoc clauses have gone away. How do I find out more about specific rental components such as free space and free rent?
Rental components, such as free space and free rent do include an ad hoc clause. These common scenarios and others like Broker Commission Credits and Agency Funded Shell will continue to be documented in the clauses. OA or customer specific information however was removed from the OA as it is an interagency agreement and not meant to document all project or non-financial occupancy information. Specific occupancy questions can be directed to your project team or by using the Ask a Billing Question feature in OASIS.
Can a modified date be added to the OA?
The History tab, within the OA record, provides the date and reason for any modification of that record.
How do we get access to Rent on the Web?
Rent on the Web (ROW) is GSA’s online portal for access to rent bills and billing related information, including:
- Monthly rent bills
- Furniture and IT (FIT) bills
- DHS Security Charges
- Rent Estimates
- Expiring Leases and Occupancy Agreements report
- Monthly ROW Newsletter containing agency billing and pricing contacts
Rent on the Web Resources
Email Notifications
When do we get all notifications to come via email and what should we do if we aren’t receiving them?
Notification emails are sent when you have an OA to Approve, when a Request Clarification answer has been provided, or when an OA has been rejected. Emails are sent to the Ordering Officials listed on the OA. Non-Approvers cannot receive email notifications.
If you are not receiving emails there are 3 quick troubleshooting checks:
- Did other Ordering Officials in your agency receive an email. If not, the issue is most likely with your agency firewall. Contact your local IT support to discuss options to add OASIS to your safe list.
- Open OASIS and ensure your account is active. If you cannot open OASIS your account has timed out after 90 days of inactivity and you much contact pbsoasisaccounts@gsa.gov to restore access.
- 3. Check the OA record Contact tab and ensure you are listed. If you are not listed as an Ordering Official you can still take action on the OA but email pbsoasis@gsa.gov and request a correction so you receive future emails. .
When OA’s don’t need a signature, will the tenant agency still get an email? For example: alerting the agency when a succeeding lease was awarded.
At this time no, but we will add this as a potential future enhancement..
OA Approval Process
What is the timeline for approving OAs?
We ask that OAs be reviewed and approved within three weeks, but please work with your project team on timing for specific projects
Other
How do we subscribe to the OASIS newsletter?
All OASIS Ordering Officials, Non Approvers, and CIAOs are automatically subscribed to the bi-weekly OASIS Bulletin. Additional interested parties can subscribe right from a forwarded copy of the newsletter or email our main mailbox pbsoasis@gsa.gov to be added to the mailing list.
Is GSA changing the CFR?
GSA is working with OMB to update the CFR.
When will the Pricing Policy Guide be updated?
The National Pricing Team is currently working through the issuance process.
Are agencies allowed to see leases along with OAs?
After the lease is executed it should be provided by the Leasing Specialist to all relevant stakeholders including local and headquarters customer representatives. Pre-award leases are procurement sensitive and cannot be shared.
Will amendments to OAs require Agency approval by designated personnel?
Amendments require approval if they increase the square footage or tenant improvements and will be sent through OASIS.
Can the Digest Action # or LA # to which the rent action is related be reflected in OASIS?
This is not information that is available in OASIS.
How do I know if my space is Federal or Leased?
The occupancy right (OA Type) is shown in the “All OAs” query, OA record general tab, and on the OA BIRT report.
Can I still download the old style of OAs from OASIS rather than the new, more condensed version?
The OA BIRT report is the official interagency OA document.
Is it possible to integrate my system with OASIS?
Not at this time.
Project Planning
What is the Client Project Agreements (CPA)?
The CPA is a tool used to assist GSA and customers in the initial stages of space planning.
Should we expect updated CPAs as the project proceeds?
The CPA is not intended to be updated or modified after its initial development. The CPA is a collaborative document that defines a project’s strategic requirements and other occupancy considerations no later than 30 months prior to an occupancy expiring (12 months prior to the OMB submission for prospectus projects). While there may be financial information contained in the CPA, it is an initial estimate based on known project and market considerations at the time. Final square footage and rates may not be known when the CPA is signed.
If you have any questions about your future rates during the project planning process, please work with your GSA project team to receive updated project information prior to receiving an award OA. For more information please visit the Occupancy Planning and Requirements site.
Do succeeding leases require a new OA signature?
In general, the succeeding lease does not need a signature as long as we are not changing square footage, adding Tenant Improvement or changing the cancellation rights. However, per the recent GSA asset management alert that went into place last year, we are changing cancellation rights on most leases to non-cancellable. Therefore, many succeeding leases are requiring a customer approval at this time.
Release of Space
What is the process to release space in OASIS?
You can complete the release of space request on your OASIS Portal. Please ensure you include the OA number and a description of the space. The request does NOT need to identify the specific space records up for release. Customers should identify the space to the best of their ability using space records, room numbers, a brief description of the room location or use. Examples include SW corner of 5th floor, Room 7300, computer lab on the 13th floor, Bob Smith’s office suite. The request will then be sent to GSA for review and you will be notified of the decision.
Did OASIS cause GSA to stop providing 1204s when we release or accept space?
The 1204 Condition Survey Report document is still in use but may not be equally used amongst GSA regions or for actions completed in leased vs federal space. The document is not required to process a space release or new OA as part of the workflow in OASIS, but may still be part of the regional checklist for beginning a new occupancy or releasing space. Please work with your regional project team or leasing specialist if you have any questions about the documentation or would like to obtain a copy of a completed 1204.
Is there a standard number of days we can expect to be contacted after we have requested a release of space?
GSA’s process requires a prompt response to all releases of space. The exact length of time can vary based on the complexity of the release and research required.
Reporting
Will there be any standard reports created?
Yes, additional reports will be added to OASIS in the next year. PBS also has a reports team that is working on requirements and recommendations for customer reporting.
It’s not easy to associate street addresses to the OA numbers. Can addresses be added to the “All OA” report, when downloading to excel?
This request has been added to our suggested enhancement list.
When can we expect portfolio level reporting from OASIS with all critical fields and payment schedules?
Additional reports will be added to OASIS in the next year. In addition, PBS has developed a reports team that is working on requirements and recommendations for customer reporting and additional functionality.
GSA is working on updating the dashboard due to the transition from OA Tool to OASIS, but much of that work should be done by the end of May. The dashboard is accurate and easy to use.
For more information on the PBS Customer Dashboard, including how to access the system, please go here: gsa.gov/pbscustomerdashboard
Space and Square Footage
Why does my square footage not match exactly to the old numbers?
Square footage in OASIS is rounded to 2 decimal places rather than the 9 decimal places that were used under the old OA Tool. The conversion caused slight rounding variances, proportional to the size of your assignment.
Why did my square footage change in October 2023 and where is Joint Use?
During the transition to OASIS, joint use space was removed and rolled into the total square footage. This was a one-time adjustment in square footage which was processed in October 2023. At that time, OAs were also aligned with the current building R/U factor. In some cases this change, along with the Joint Use transition caused a larger rsf correction.
Is it true that OAs in Federal Buildings no longer have an expiration date?
This is correct. OAs in federally owned space have annual terms that automatically renew each year unless a move out date is listed on the OA or the customer agency provides a release of space notice. The shell rate continues to be set for 10 years and can be used for your internal space process. Customer agencies continue to have a 4 month release of space rights.
How do I find my assigned USF and cost/square foot?
Assigned usable square feet is available on the OA BIRT report and in the OA record (Location Tab). Cost/sqft was removed for Tenant Improvements as TI repayment is based on a monthly principal amortization.
Now that joint use charges have been rolled into the overall rent, how often should we expect changes to joint use?
Changes to Joint Use common space should be rare and would only occur at the fiscal year transition. A change to JU would be reflected as a change to the RU.
How can we determine the correct Joint Use (J/U) SF for an OA?
The Joint Use is now a component of the building common space. The RU was updated in FY24 to account for Joint Use space and any other measurement driven changes to the common spaces.
What is an acceptable variance of square footage differences before GSA will make a change or update?
The specific variances are dependent on the size of the OA. A variance of 300+ should be investigated by GSA though. Please send the specific OA number to pbsoasis@gsa.gov.
Will the OA ever display the unrounded R/U factor?
No, GSA has made the decision to change to a two decimal RU. That is the official RU factor.
How is “assigned sf” defined?
Assigned square footage is sometimes known as “usable” square footage. Think of it as the area where your agency normally houses personnel or furniture. This is different from Rentable square footage (RSF), which is the area for which your agency is charged Rent; and may include a share of building support and common areas.
How do you get the USF from the RSF on the Payments tab?
You can view the USF or measured usable square footage on the Location tab.
Will the RSF and USF in D2D match OASIS?
Yes, the USF and RSF in the PBS Customer Dashboard in D2D is in the process of being updated to reflect the assigned USF and RSF from OASIS. This should be done by the end of May. The billed RSF will be reflected on the Rent tab (billing records do not contain a USF, and therefore it is not available) with the assigned USF and RSF on the Occupancies and Locations tabs.
How can we as an agency verify the Sq Footage is 100% correct, before signing the OAs?
The OA will match the lease contract square footage or the drawing square footage (owned). The OA goes through an internal GSA review to ensure the OA space is correct.
Can questions about RSF and any changes be submitted through OASIS?
Yes, you can submit any billing or occupancy agreement questions, including square footage, through the OASIS Billing Question workflow.
Is GSA planning to include floor plans with OASIS OAs?
GSA has drawings and floor plans available for our federally-owned space. All new federal OAs will include a floor plan. Existing federal OAs will be transitioned over the next several years to link their plans directly to the OA record.
How does OASIS store the drawings of the interior of the leased space?
OASIS does not store or provide leased drawings. The lease contract is the source document for the OA. Please reach out to your regional leasing team to request a copy of any existing floor plans for your leased space.
Does GSA use OMNICLASS for Space Classifications (Types)?
GSA uses Table 13 - Omniclass Room Names with some variation. The complete list can be found in GSA’s NBSAP guide.
Tenant Improvements
General and Custom TI used to be separate lines on the rent bill but aren’t anymore. Why?
General and Custom TI is considered when setting your allowance based on your tier and deciding on RWA funds. This is shown on the Client Planning Agreement (CPA) and project documents. Once it gets to the OA though there’s no difference between the two classifications. The bill combines them into a single monthly amount.
What does GSA provide to agencies to document reconciled TI expenditures used in owned space?
A Tenant Improvement Certification can be provided to document the principal amount spent on the project.
In owned space, at what rate is Allocated TI amortized?
As of March 18th 2024, the TI Amortization rate for federal space is 4.335%.
When is TI Allowance communicated to the Agency?
The TI Allowance is part of the project planning and strategic requirement stage. It is documented on your CPA and updated through the project planning as you elect to spend more/less or provide RWA funds.
The start and end date aren’t on the OA Summary Report anymore. Why not?
When an OA is created, we’re at the award stage. We know how much the principal, interest, and term are going to be, but the start date may be less firm as it sometimes slips due to buildout delays. Therefore, the TI on the official OA Summary approval doesn’t specify the start or end date in order to allow it to adjust as needed. However, you can always see those dates by looking at the OA records PAYMENT tab to see the TI effective and expiration date.
TI used to have a rate per square foot, but it doesn’t show up anymore on the OA. Why?
The prior OA Tool converted everything to a rate per square foot. TI doesn’t really fit this model though. The total principal spent (plus interest) is divided over the term to come up with a monthly amount. The rentable square feet and rate weren’t part of that calculation and caused confusion when there were slight fluctuations in sq ft. We removed those data elements that were not part of the calculation.
Will my monthly TI amount ever change?
Your monthly TI will change if you add additional TI, pay off TI during a partial release, or if the total term of the amortization period changes. Adding additional TI will result in a new OA approval, but paying down TI and changing the term are handled through the release process.
Training and Support
Where can I find the customer user guide?
The OASIS customer user guide is located on our OASIS website here, and outlines the current process. The guide will be updated and reissued to coincide with the launch of the rebuild.
Where can I find additional OASIS training?
Past training can be found on our OASIS website here. Any future live training will be communicated on the OASIS Bulletin or on our website.
Who should I contact with OA, and OA billing questions?
Questions about a specific OA can be asked using the Ask a Billing Question feature in OASIS. More general questions should be directed to pbsoasis@gsa.gov