I can't host a guest's booking and need to cancel it (host cancellation)

When this article applies

This article is for when you can't host a guest's booking and need to cancel it. That includes when you're thinking of asking your guest to cancel for you because you can't host them.

It isn't for when your guest has decided they'd like to cancel. If that's your situation, please see our My guest wants to cancel their booking. instead. What matters is why the booking is being cancelled, not who submits the request.

Before you cancel

We know cancelling a booking is never what you want to do, but it's important to understand the impact first.

Your listing. Cancelling bookings as a host can lower your property's ranking on booking websites, which makes it harder for potential guests to find you. Frequent host cancellations may lead to a temporary suspension of your listing on some channels, or even permanent removal.

Your guest. Cancelling can seriously affect a guest's travel plans. It may lead to complaints, negative reviews or disputes raised through the booking channel.

Where you can, we recommend talking to your guest about alternatives first, such as rescheduling the stay or helping them find comparable accommodation. Please don't ask them to cancel as part of this.

Asking your guest to cancel instead

If you can't host a booking, it can be tempting to ask your guest to cancel it for you. Unfortunately, that doesn't guarantee it will be treated as a guest cancellation. Booking channels look at the reason for a cancellation, not just who submits it, so the channel can still record it as a host cancellation even if your guest agrees and submits it themselves.

This can lead to the same consequences as cancelling the booking yourself, including:

• Reduced listing visibility on booking channels
• Penalties applied by the booking platform
• Temporary suspension or removal of your listing in serious cases
• Our host cancellation fee

If the cancellation is needed because you can't host your guest, please follow the host cancellation steps below. If your guest independently wants to cancel, please see our My guest wants to cancel their booking instead.

The host cancellation fee

A flat fee of £160 (excluding VAT) applies to each booking cancelled by a host. It's charged when you submit the cancellation request in your Travelnest account.

The fee applies when you cancel a booking yourself. It can also apply if your guest submits the cancellation but the booking channel records it as a host cancellation because you couldn't accommodate them. Travelnest doesn't pass on the unpredictable relocation costs that some booking websites charge hosts.

We know a cancellation fee is never welcome, especially when things haven't gone to plan. The fee applies to every host cancellation. If you'd like to talk it through or want to dispute it, a human member of our Host Support team can review it with you.

You can find out more in our booking cancellation fee article.

How to cancel a booking

Travelnest can't cancel a booking on your behalf, so if you've decided you can't host it, you'll need to request the cancellation yourself in your Travelnest account:

1. Log in on desktop or mobile, go to Bookings and select the booking.
2. Press Cancel this booking.
3. Choose your reason for cancelling and explain what happened. Please include any steps you've taken to resolve things with your guest, or to help them find alternative accommodation.
4. Review the cancellation, the fee, the impact on your listing and the fact that it can't be undone. If you're sure, press Confirm cancellation. If not, press Keep this booking.

Once you've confirmed, we'll process the request and you'll receive a confirmation email within 48 hours.

If your guest is breaking, or likely to break, your house rules

If your guest is breaking, or you believe they are likely to break, your house rules, a human member of our Host Support team needs to review the situation before you cancel the booking. They can help you review what's happened and, where appropriate, make a complaint about the guest and guide you through the next steps, including cancellation if it's needed.

If your guest is already staying with you, the team can still support you, but we can't remove a guest from your property, so dealing with the situation there remains your responsibility. Our guide on how to handle difficult guests during a stay covers what you can do while they're there.

Avoiding cancellations caused by double bookings

If you accept bookings outside of Travelnest, it's your responsibility to keep your calendar up to date. An accurate calendar helps prevent double bookings and unavailable dates, which can lead to cancellations. You can do this by syncing your calendar with a tool like iCal, or by manually blocking the dates you can't offer. Please note that the host cancellation fee still applies if a double booking happens because a calendar wasn't synced.