What happens if a guest cancels?
Your cancellation terms decide whether their deposit is returned. You have not been paid anything at that point, so the cost to you is the day rather than money.
The earlier a guest cancels the easier the date is to refill, which is why time-based terms are worth setting properly. Close to the date, a cancellation usually means the day is lost.
Guests cancelling for a genuine emergency are worth treating generously. It is a small bay and word travels.
You are told by email when a guest cancels, and the booking shows as Cancelled in your workspace with the date freed on your calendar. Whether the guest gets their deposit back is decided by your written terms and the time they cancelled — you are not asked to rule on it case by case. If you want to be generous to a guest with a genuine emergency, tell us and we will refund beyond your terms.