Cancellation charge

If you've been charged a cancellation fee and are unsure why, this article explains the reasons and outlines common scenarios where fees may apply.

Cancellation fees

A flat cancellation fee of £160 applies to each cancelled booking (Excluding VAT, charged in your account’s currency). This fee is charged at the time you request the cancellation on your Travelnest account. Unlike other platforms, Travelnest does not pass on unpredictable relocation fees from booking websites to you.

Why is there a cancellation fee?

We introduced the flat cancellation fee in January to make our process clearer and more predictable for hosts. Previously, we charged an admin fee and passed on any platform-specific charges, which often varied and caused confusion.

The £160 (plus VAT) fee helps cover:

• Channel booking cancellation fees
• Non-refundable channel commission
• Channel guest relocation charges
• Card processing charges
• Admin time and support

We truly don’t want anyone to have to cancel a booking. But when it happens, this fee helps offset the unavoidable costs we incur.

Common situations explained

Cancellations Outside of Your Control

Even when cancellations are due to unforeseen circumstances, the direct costs to Travelnest still apply. Unfortunately, we are not able to waive the cancellation fee in these situations. If there were no direct costs to Travelnest, we would not charge this fee.

I Made an Error or Have a Double Booking

We recommend advertising exclusively through Travelnest to avoid double bookings. However, if you are still listing your property on other platforms:

• It is your responsibility to keep calendars in sync.
• Per your Travelnest agreement, Travelnest bookings should take priority over direct bookings.

We suggest contacting the other platform to request cancellation and waiving of any costs on their end. Even if the overlap was unintentional, the cancellation still results in a direct cost to Travelnest, and the fee remains applicable.

The Guest Cancelled—Why Was I Charged?

If a guest initiates a cancellation but indicates that the host requested it, the booking channel will classify it as a host-initiated cancellation.

In these cases:

• Travelnest is charged by the platform.
• We must pass this fee on to you, even if the guest technically clicked "cancel."
• Unfortunately, this is outside our control. Booking channels base their charges on the reason, not just the action, and this is part of the agreement for listing on their platforms.

I Cancelled My Agreement—Why Am I Being Charged?

We're sorry to see you've left Travelnest. Please note:

Cancelling your Travelnest agreement does not remove your obligation to honour existing bookings. If you are unable to fulfil these bookings, Travelnest still incurs cancellation costs, and the cancellation fee will apply.This is outlined in the original hosting agreement.

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

We're sorry to see you have sold your property and no longer renting. However in these situations there is a direct cost to Travelnest, which means we need to recover these costs. If at anytime you suspected you wouldn't be able to host bookings in the future, we'd have asked you blocked out your calendar. However as the bookings are now in place, their is a cost to cancel them. 

How can I avoid this fee?

While there is no way to fully avoid the fee once a cancellation is processed, here are a few options that may help:

Try Alternative Solutions

• Contact the guest to see if they are open to rescheduling.
• Offer an alternative accommodation, if available.

Consider Short-Term Rental Insurance

While we can’t recommend specific providers, short-term rental insurance can offer peace of mind:

• Helps cover cancellations, damages, and loss of income.
• Adds an extra layer of protection for your hosting business.

FAQ

• If I cancel the booking straight away, will this help?
  = Sadly, booking platforms don't allow for this, so the costs remain the same to Travelnest, even if cancelling straight away. This is why we need to apply a cost
  
  
• If I offer the guest an alternative, will this avoid the fee?
  = First thank you for trying, 100% do always offer either alternative dates, or properties if viable first. However do note if the guest does reject 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 cannot pay the fee?
  = We understand that people didn't always prepare for these outlays, so we try and help where possible. Reach out to our Customer Support Team, and we'll discuss the best options available.