Why have I been charged a booking cancellation fee?
Learn when the £160 plus VAT host cancellation fee applies, how it is collected and what to do if you think it has been charged incorrectly.
Understanding Travelnest cancellation fees
A host cancellation fee can apply when you cannot honour a confirmed booking. This article explains the standard fee, how it is collected and common situations where it applies.
If your guest independently chooses to cancel, follow our guest cancellation guidance instead.
When does the cancellation fee apply?
A flat host cancellation fee of £160 plus VAT applies to each booking cancelled by a host, charged in your account’s currency.
The flat fee applies irrespective of relocation costs. Travelnest does not add a separate relocation fee to the host cancellation charge.
How is the fee collected?
If you submit the cancellation request through the booking in your Travelnest account, you are asked to pay the fee when submitting the request.
If the guest cancels and the booking channel later records it as a host cancellation, the fee may instead be added to your weekly invoice:
- If you have a payout due or upcoming bookings, the fee is deducted from your payout.
- If there is no payout to deduct it from, the invoice asks you to pay within 7 days.
Why is there a cancellation fee?
Travelnest uses a flat cancellation fee to keep the process clearer and more predictable for hosts.
Previously, Travelnest charged an admin fee and passed on platform-specific charges, which often varied and caused confusion.
The £160 plus VAT fee helps cover costs such as:
- Channel booking cancellation fees
- Non-refundable channel commission
- Channel guest relocation charges
- Card processing charges
- Admin time and support
Booking channels place a strong focus on protecting the guest experience. For this reason, they strongly discourage hosts from cancelling confirmed bookings wherever possible.
Even when a guest agrees to cancel or can be relocated, booking channels may still apply charges. These can include non-refundable commission, cancellation penalties, or guest relocation costs.
Many platforms also measure host cancellation rates as part of their ranking systems. For example, Airbnb requires hosts to maintain extremely low cancellation rates to qualify for programmes such as Guest Favourite.
Because Travelnest distributes listings across multiple booking channels, Travelnest is subject to these platform rules. The cancellation fee helps cover the direct costs applied to Travelnest when a booking is cancelled.
These charges would apply whether a property is listed through Travelnest or directly with the booking channels.
Common situations explained
I can’t accommodate the guest
Follow our host cancellation guidance before taking action. Open the relevant booking in your Travelnest account and submit the cancellation request through it.
The fee applies regardless of the reason, including where:
- The property is no longer available.
- The calendar was not blocked.
- A double booking occurred.
- Maintenance or personal circumstances prevent the stay.
- The property has been sold or is no longer being rented.
If the property was unavailable, the calendar should have been blocked in advance. If you believe the charge is incorrect, ask Host Support to review the situation.
The cancellation is outside my control
The cancellation fee still applies when a cancellation is due to unforeseen circumstances. If you need help understanding the charge, contact Host Support.
I made an error or have a double booking
Keep your availability up to date across every platform you use. If you manage separate listings outside Travelnest:
- Keep calendars synchronised and check that external bookings block the corresponding dates in Travelnest.
- Under the Travelnest agreement, a booking accepted through Travelnest takes priority over a conflicting external booking that was not reflected in your Travelnest calendar when it was accepted.
- For a booking you manage independently, contact that platform about its cancellation process.
An unintentional overlap does not automatically remove the host cancellation fee.
I cancelled my agreement — why am I being charged?
Leaving Travelnest does not remove your responsibility to honour existing confirmed bookings. If you cannot fulfil them and they need to be cancelled, the standard host cancellation fee can still apply to each booking.
I sold my property and can’t honour the bookings
Selling your property does not automatically cancel existing bookings or remove cancellation charges. If you cannot honour a confirmed booking, follow the host cancellation process.
If you expect to sell or stop renting your property, block unavailable dates in advance to avoid accepting bookings you cannot accommodate.
How can I reduce the need to cancel?
Try alternative solutions
Before requesting cancellation, contact the guest to discuss whether they would accept different dates or another suitable property, where available.
Do not assume that an offered alternative changes the booking. Any accepted arrangement must be confirmed through the applicable booking process.
Consider short-term rental insurance
You may wish to check whether your existing short-term rental insurance covers cancellation costs, property damage or loss of income. Cover depends on your policy and the circumstances.
Frequently asked questions
The guest agreed to cancel. Why am I still being charged?
What matters is why the booking needed to be cancelled, not just who submitted the cancellation.
If you asked the guest to cancel because you could not host them, the booking channel may record it as a host cancellation. The standard Travelnest host cancellation fee can then apply even if the guest agreed and submitted the cancellation themselves.
Does Travelnest make money from cancellation fees?
No. The cancellation fee is designed to help cover the costs Travelnest incurs when a booking is cancelled.
Booking channels often charge cancellation and relocation costs when a host cannot honour a booking. For example, relocation charges can average around £200 on Booking.com and £400 on Expedia.
The flat £160 plus VAT fee keeps charges predictable for hosts, but often does not cover Travelnest’s full cancellation costs.
If I cancel a booking straight away, will that help?
Cancelling soon after confirmation does not remove the host cancellation fee. The fee still applies even if you request cancellation straight away.
If I offer the guest an alternative, can I avoid the fee?
Offering an alternative may help avoid cancellation if the guest accepts and the change is completed. If the booking still needs to be cancelled, the cancellation fee applies.
What if I can’t afford to pay the fee?
We understand that cancellations can be unexpected. Contact Host Support and ask to speak to an agent about your situation.
What if I think the fee has been charged incorrectly?
Contact Host Support and ask an agent to review the charge. Explain why you believe it has been applied incorrectly.