What is the host's cancellation policy?

When you accept a reservation as a host on Holidu, you make a commitment to your guests. However, we understand that exceptional circumstances can sometimes make cancellations unavoidable. This guide explains Holidu's host cancellation policy, including when fees apply, how they're calculated, and situations where they might be waived.

Understanding the impact of host cancellations

Host cancellations create significant consequences that extend beyond a single booking:

• For guests: Cancellations disrupt travel plans, create frustration, erode trust, and reduce their willingness to book again through our platform.
• For hosts: Cancellations undermine your credibility, harm your property's reputation, lower your visibility in search rankings, and put your future performance on booking platforms at risk.
• For Holidu: We incur substantial operational costs managing disrupted bookings, finding replacement accommodations, and handling administrative burdens.

These impacts are why Holidu applies cancellation fees to host-initiated cancellations, except in cases of extenuating circumstances.

What to do if you must cancel

If you find yourself genuinely unable to honor a reservation, act as quickly as possible. Your best options are to offer an alternative accommodation or to cancel early to minimize disruption for your guest.

Offering an alternative accommodation

When you provide an alternative to your guest, this can help avoid cancellation fees if the alternative meets these requirements:

• The alternative must be listed on the same platform where your guest originally booked
• It must maintain a similar price range while ensuring the same or higher standards compared to your original listing

When you offer a suitable alternative that meets these conditions, our Customer Support Team can coordinate with your booking channel and your guest to help secure their acceptance and work to resolve the likelihood of additional charges.

Cancellation fees: How and when they apply

If you cannot provide an acceptable alternative that your guest agrees to, Holidu reserves the right to apply a cancellation fee. This fee reflects the impact on guests and the operational costs we incur in managing the disruption.

How cancellation fees are calculated

Your cancellation fee is calculated based on two factors: your reservation amount and how much time remains until your guest's check-in date.

Time until check-in	Cancellation fee (% of reservation amount)
48 hours or less	25%
Between 48 hours and 30 days	10%
More than 30 days	5%

Understanding your reservation amount

The reservation amount is the total cost your guest agrees to pay when confirming a booking. For you as the host, this amount determines your expected payout minus any applicable platform fees or deductions. This is the figure used to calculate your cancellation fee.

Minimum cancellation fee

If your calculated cancellation fee is less than €50 EUR, it will be adjusted to a minimum of €50 EUR. This ensures that even cancellations on lower-priced bookings reflect the operational impact of the disruption.

When cancellation fees might be waived

We recognize that extraordinary situations beyond your control can occur. In cases involving major disruptive events or other valid extenuating circumstances, Holidu may waive cancellation fees entirely.

Requesting a cancellation fee waiver

If you believe your situation qualifies for a waiver, you must provide supporting evidence to our Customer Support Team for review. We carefully evaluate each case before making a final decision about whether to waive the fee.

Common circumstances that may qualify for a waiver include natural disasters, serious illness or injury, family emergencies, or other events genuinely beyond your control. However, each request is reviewed individually based on the evidence you provide.

For detailed information about qualifying circumstances and the waiver process, see our guide on exceptions and valid reasons for host cancellations.

How to cancel a booking

If, after reviewing the consequences and exploring alternatives, you decide to proceed with cancellation, you can submit your cancellation request through your host account on Holidu.

Important: Cancellations are only legally valid if submitted through the proper process on the Holidu platform. Requests sent via email or through other channels will not be accepted. If you need assistance with the cancellation process, please use our contact form to reach our Customer Support Team.

Key takeaways

• Always explore alternatives before cancelling. Offering a suitable alternative accommodation can help you avoid fees.
• The earlier you cancel, the lower your cancellation fee: 5% for more than 30 days notice, 10% for 2-30 days notice, and 25% for less than 48 hours notice.
• Cancellation fees have a minimum of €50 EUR.
• Extraordinary circumstances beyond your control may qualify for a fee waiver if you provide supporting evidence.
• Always submit cancellations through the Holidu platform using the proper process.

By understanding this policy, you can make informed decisions about your bookings and help maintain the trust and reliability that guests expect from Holidu hosts.