Host Cancellation Policies on MiniStays

Cancellation Policies on MiniStays

Every property on MiniStays has a cancellation policy that determines how much of the security deposit is refunded if a guest cancels before their stay. As a host, you set this policy when listing your property, and it’s shown to guests before they book.

Key Points

• Cancellation policies apply to the security deposit only — not monthly rent. Rent is only charged starting on the check-in date.
• The policy is based on how many days before check-in the guest cancels.
• Every booking includes a 24-hour grace period regardless of the policy (see below).
• The policy is displayed on the property listing, during the booking flow, and in the booking details.

24-Hour Grace Period

All guests automatically receive a 24-hour cooling-off period after booking, no matter what cancellation policy the property has. If a guest cancels within 24 hours of booking, they receive a full refund of their security deposit. After 24 hours, the property’s cancellation policy tiers apply.

Custom Cancellation Tiers

Hosts can set up to 3 cancellation tiers per property. Each tier defines a time window (measured in days before check-in) and a refund percentage.

Example policy (two tiers):

• 30 or more days before check-in — 100% refund of security deposit
• 14–29 days before check-in — 50% refund of security deposit
• Less than 14 days before check-in — No refund

Tier rules:

• Hosts can set 1 to 3 tiers
• Each tier specifies a number of days (0–90) and a refund percentage (0–100%)
• Refund percentages must decrease as check-in gets closer
• If the guest cancels closer to check-in than the lowest tier, the refund is 0%

Security Deposit and Cancellations

MiniStays holds the security deposit until check-in. If the guest cancels before check-in, the refund is calculated based on the property’s cancellation policy tiers and returned to the guest via Stripe. The processing fee is included in the refund calculation — a 100% refund means the full deposit including processing fees is returned.

Where to Find the Policy

Guests can see the cancellation policy on the property details page under “Things to know,” during the booking flow, and in their booking details. Each display includes a note about the 24-hour grace period.

For the full cancellation policy details, visit: MiniStays Cancellation Policies