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Hosts · 5 min read
Your cancellation policy and house rules do two jobs at once. They protect your income and your home — and they shape whether a guest feels comfortable booking in the first place. Get the balance wrong in one direction and you lose bookings to more flexible homes; get it wrong in the other and you're left with last-minute cancellations and nights you can't re-let. This guide walks through how to choose a cancellation policy that fits the way your home actually books, and how to write house rules that guests read, understand and follow.
By Offer2Stay · Updated October 2026
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See how it works for hostsA cancellation policy decides who carries the risk when plans change. A flexible policy puts more of that risk on you: guests can cancel closer to arrival and get more back. A strict policy puts more risk on the guest.
Neither is right or wrong. The question is which balance suits your home — how far ahead your bookings usually arrive, how easily you could fill nights that are cancelled, and how much a late cancellation would really cost you.
Most policies sit somewhere on a scale from flexible to firm. Thinking about where yours belongs is easier with your own booking patterns in mind.
| Policy style | Good for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Flexible | Homes that book far ahead and re-let easily | Late cancellations on dates that are hard to fill |
| Moderate | Most holiday lets — a balance of comfort and protection | Being clear exactly when refunds change |
| Firm | Peak dates, big group homes, long stays | Some guests choosing more flexible homes |
Whatever you choose, write it in plain English with clear dates, so a guest can see at a glance what happens if they cancel.
If you're unsure, work through these questions with your last year of bookings in front of you.
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Tip: You don't need one policy forever. Review it once a year — if cancellations are rare and re-letting is easy, a little more flexibility may win you more bookings.
House rules only work if guests read them, and guests read short, specific rules. A long list of 'don'ts' tends to be skimmed; a handful of clear points gets noticed. Cover the essentials:
Rules land better when guests understand why they exist. 'Please keep noise down after 10pm — our neighbours are close by' is more likely to be followed than 'No noise after 10pm'. 'Please shower before using the hot tub to keep the water clean' explains itself.
A friendly tone helps too. Guests are on holiday; your rules should read like helpful information from a host, not a list of warnings. The aim is a stay that goes smoothly for everyone.
Some features need their own rules, because they come with safety or care considerations. A hot tub, a log burner, a pond, a games room or a private lane all need a few clear lines so guests know how to use them properly.
For a hot tub, cover showering before use, keeping the cover on when not in use, no glass in or around the tub, and children supervised at all times. For a log burner, explain how to light it, what to burn, and how to dispose of ash safely.
Keep these instructions practical and friendly, and leave a copy in the property next to the feature itself. Guests are much more likely to follow instructions they can see at the moment they need them.
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Rules guests discover after booking cause disputes. If a guest only finds out on arrival that parties aren't allowed or that dogs must stay downstairs, you have an unhappy guest and an awkward conversation.
Put everything that matters in your listing so it's agreed from the start. Then repeat the most important points in your welcome information, where guests will see them again during the stay.
Tip: Keep a one-page 'house guide' in the property with the rules, Wi-Fi details and how things work. It answers questions before guests need to message you.
When a guest asks to cancel, start with your policy — it's the agreement you both made. But it's also worth thinking about the situation. If you're likely to re-let the dates easily, you might choose to be more generous than your policy requires; if the dates are hard to fill, your policy is there to protect you.
Either way, reply promptly and clearly. Explain what the policy means for their booking in plain terms, and if you can offer an alternative — different dates, for example — mention it. A guest who is treated fairly when plans change is likely to think of you again.
Keep everything in writing, on the booking platform, so there's a clear record of what was agreed.
You set your own cancellation terms when you create your listing, and they apply to bookings made with you. Your house rules sit on your listing too, so guests see them before they make an offer or accept yours.
If a guest fails to arrive, Offer2Stay support helps resolve it and your cancellation policy applies. Payment is held securely with Stripe and released to you by BACS 24 hours after the guest's check-in.
Yes. You set your own cancellation terms when you create your listing.
Offer2Stay support helps resolve it, and your cancellation policy applies.
That's your call — but say so clearly in your house rules so there's no confusion.
As short as possible. A handful of clear, specific points is more likely to be read than a long list.
You can review your terms over time. Changes apply to new bookings, so be clear with guests about which terms apply to theirs.
Find your stay. Let hosts make the offer.
Name your price for UK stays. Guests post what they need; hosts send private offers around the calendars they already run on Airbnb and Booking.com.