Why have I been charged a booking cancellation fee?

Understanding Travelnest cancellation fees

If you've been charged a cancellation fee and are unsure why, this article explains when the fee applies and the most common situations where hosts cancel bookings.

Cancellation fees

A flat host cancellation fee of £160 plus VAT applies to each booking cancelled by a host, charged in your account's currency. It's charged when you submit the cancellation request in your Travelnest account. If your guest independently chooses to cancel, that's a different process, so please see our guest cancellation guidance.

How the fee is collected

If you cancel the booking yourself in your Travelnest account, you'll be asked to pay the fee when you submit the cancellation. If you can't host a booking, this is the simplest route.

If your guest cancels and the booking channel records it as a host cancellation, the channel charges us afterwards and we add the fee to your weekly invoice. Where you have a payout due, or upcoming bookings, we deduct it from your payout. If there's nothing to deduct it from, the invoice asks you to pay within 7 days.

Why is there a cancellation fee?

We use a flat cancellation fee to keep the process clearer and more predictable for hosts.

Previously, we 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, we are subject to these platform rules. The cancellation fee helps cover the direct costs that are applied to us 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

If you're unable to accommodate a guest for any reason, please follow our host cancellation guidance before taking action. It explains how to request the cancellation and when a human member of our Host Support team needs to review the situation first.

The fee applies regardless of the reason, including:

• The property is no longer available
• The calendar was not blocked
• A double booking occurred
• Maintenance or personal circumstances
• The property has been sold or is no longer being rented

If the property was unavailable, the calendar should have been blocked in advance.

Because these costs are charged to Travelnest when a booking is cancelled, the host cancellation fee will still apply, regardless of the reason for cancellation.

Cancellations outside of your control

Even if a cancellation is due to unforeseen circumstances, Travelnest still incurs direct costs from booking channels, so the fee still applies in these situations.

I made an error or have a double booking

To reduce the risk of double bookings, we recommend managing your availability carefully across all platforms.

If you're still listed on other platforms:

• It is your responsibility to keep calendars synced across all platforms.
• Under your Travelnest agreement, a booking we accept through Travelnest takes priority over a conflicting external booking that wasn't in your Travelnest calendar when we accepted it.
• For a separate booking you manage directly outside Travelnest, contact that platform about its cancellation process.

Even when the overlap was unintentional, Travelnest still faces direct costs, so the cancellation fee will apply.

The guest cancelled — why was I charged?

If you asked your guest to cancel because you couldn't accommodate them, the booking channel can record it as a host cancellation, even if your guest agrees and submits it themselves. When a channel records it as host-initiated, the platform charges Travelnest, so the host cancellation fee applies.

Unfortunately, this is outside our control. Booking channels base their charges on the reason for a cancellation, not just who submits it, and this is part of the agreement for listing on their platforms.

I cancelled my agreement — why am I being charged?

If you've chosen to leave Travelnest, please note that existing bookings still need to be honoured. Cancelling your agreement doesn't remove this responsibility.

If you are unable to fulfil confirmed bookings, the cancellation fee will still apply. This is outlined in your hosting agreement.

I sold my property, I can't honour these bookings?

We're sorry to hear you've sold your property. In this situation, Travelnest still incurs cancellation costs for any active bookings, so the fee will apply.

If you knew you might sell or stop renting, we recommend blocking your calendar in advance. Once bookings are confirmed, cancelling them always results in direct costs to Travelnest.

How can I reduce the need to cancel?

While it's not possible to completely avoid the fee once a cancellation is processed, there are steps that may help reduce the need for cancellation:

Try alternative solutions

• Contact the guest to see if they can reschedule
• Offer alternative dates or properties if available

Consider short-term rental insurance

Short-term rental insurance may help protect you against cancellation costs, property damage, or loss of income. Cover depends on your policy.

FAQ

The guest agreed to cancel. Why am I still being charged?

Booking channels are designed to protect the guest experience and strongly discourage hosts from cancelling confirmed bookings.

Because of this, a guest agreeing to cancel doesn't decide it. What matters is why the cancellation was needed. If it's because you couldn't host them, the booking channel can still record it as a host cancellation and charge Travelnest, so the cancellation fee applies.

Do Travelnest make money from cancellation fees?

No. The cancellation fee is designed to help cover the costs we incur 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 fee helps offset these types of costs and keep the process predictable for hosts. We often still make a loss on cancellations, and this goes towards covering it.

If I cancel a booking straight away, will that help?

Unfortunately not. Booking platforms apply their charges immediately, even if you cancel right away. This is why we still need to apply the cancellation fee.

If I offer the guest an alternative, can I avoid the fee?

Thank you for trying this first. We always recommend offering alternative dates or properties where possible. However, do note that if the guest rejects the options you offer, sadly, the booking platforms will still charge their costs, and we'll be forced to apply our cancellation fee.

What if I can't afford to pay the fee?

We understand that cancellations can be unexpected. If you're finding the fee difficult, a human member of our Host Support team can talk through your situation with you.

What if I think the fee has been charged incorrectly?

If you believe the fee has been applied incorrectly or you'd like to dispute it, a human member of our Host Support team can review your situation.