A double booking happens when two guests book the same night, usually because your shortlet is listed on several platforms, or booked by phone, and one calendar was not updated in time. Cabans does not sync calendars with other sites, so the fix is a habit: keep one master calendar, and block the dates everywhere the moment a booking comes in.
It takes a minute each time, and it saves you the worst conversation in hosting: telling a guest who has already paid that there is no room.
Why double bookings happen
- Calendars do not talk to each other. Each site keeps its own calendar. A booking on one never closes the dates on another by itself.
- Busy moments. You agree a booking while driving or at work, and plan to block the dates later. Later becomes tomorrow.
- Direct bookings. A repeat guest calls, a friend asks for the flat for a wedding, a company books by email. These never touch any calendar unless you add them.
- Several people taking bookings. You, a co-host and a caretaker each say yes to someone, and nobody tells the others.
- Date changes. A guest moves their stay by two days, and the old dates open while the new ones stay open elsewhere.
- Busy seasons. In December and on holiday weekends, bookings arrive faster, so small delays matter more.
Keep one master calendar
Choose one place that holds the truth about every night, whichever site or phone call the booking came from. The tool matters less than the rule: every booking goes into the master first, and every other calendar is updated from it.
| Option | Good for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Your Cabans calendar | Hosts who take most bookings on Cabans | Block outside bookings there with a private reason, so the full picture is in one place |
| A shared calendar app | Hosts with a co-host or caretaker | Everyone must add bookings the same way |
| A spreadsheet | Hosts with several homes | Easy to forget on a phone; keep it open where you work |
| A wall planner | One home and one person | Nobody else can see it when you are away |
For each booking, record the same things:
- The guest’s name and phone number
- Check-in and check-out dates
- Where the booking came from
- Whether it is paid, and whether a caution deposit is held
- Whether the dates are blocked everywhere else yet
That last column is the one that prevents double bookings. Do not tick it until every calendar is done.
Block dates the moment you book elsewhere
The rule is simple: the booking is not finished until the dates are closed everywhere. On Cabans:
- Open your listing’s calendar. Go to your listing’s edit page and find “Availability, prices and booking rules”, then the “Calendar”.
- Pick the dates. Choose the start and end date of the stay you agreed elsewhere.
- Block them. In “Block Dates”, add a reason if you like, such as “Already booked privately”, then press “Block These Dates”. Only your team sees the reason.
- Save the calendar. Press “Review and save calendar”, then “Save and publish calendar”. The listing’s own Save button does not save the calendar.
- Check it. Look at the calendar again and check the right nights now show as closed.
- Update everywhere else. Do the same on every other site you use, and in your master calendar.
Blocked dates go live as soon as you save, with no approval needed. The step-by-step help guide is how to open, close and block dates.
Two messages tell you something important:
- “You can’t block nights that are already booked”. A Cabans guest already has those nights. Your outside booking is the one that clashes.
- “Some of the dates you closed have just been booked, so they cannot be closed.” A Cabans guest booked while you were blocking. Take those dates out, save the rest, and deal with the clash straight away.
Settings that lower the risk:
- Instant book off. With it off, you accept or decline each paid request, so you can check your master calendar first. If the dates clash, declining gives the guest a full refund and reopens the nights. Answer quickly: the guest has paid and is waiting. Our guide to instant book or request to book weighs this up.
- A shorter booking window. “Guests can book up to” can be as short as 30 days ahead. Fewer far-off bookings means fewer surprises.
- Closed weekdays. If you never host on certain days, untick them so they are always closed.
- Notes for your team. Add a day note, such as “Held for a family wedding”, that only your team sees.
- A pause. Turn off “Take bookings online” to stop new bookings for a while. Bookings you already have are kept.
A two-minute daily check
Habits beat good intentions. Once a day, at the same time, run this quick check:
- Open every site and inbox where you take bookings, and note anything new.
- Add each new booking to your master calendar.
- Block those dates on every other site, and tick them off.
- Look at the next 30 days on each calendar side by side. Any night that is open in one place and taken in another needs fixing now.
- Ask your co-host or caretaker if they agreed anything by phone.
In December and on holiday weekends, do it twice a day. Those are often the busiest times.
What guests see when dates are closed
Guests see blocked nights as “Closed” on the calendar. They cannot book them, and a stay can never run across a closed night. The reason you typed is private: guests never see “Already booked privately” or any other note.
The calendar also has a list of “Booked nights”, with a link to each booking, and a “Change history” that shows who changed what, and when. If a date was opened by mistake, the history shows you how.
If it happens anyway
Even careful hosts slip up. What matters is how fast and fairly you fix it.
- Decide which booking stands. The fair rule is that the booking made first stands.
- Tell the other guest at once. Call or message, apologise, and explain plainly. Do not wait until the day.
- Cancel properly. If the Cabans booking has to go, cancel it before the guest arrives and before the check-in time. You must give a reason, which the guest sees. The guest gets a full refund, and the nights reopen. Refunds reach guests within 14 days at most, usually in about 5 days.
- Help them find another home. If you can, suggest a similar shortlet nearby, such as another home you host.
- Find the cause. Was it a direct booking you did not record, or a team member who did not know? Change the habit, not just the dates.
Cancelling is a last resort. Every cancellation lets a guest down, and they will remember it. The steps are in how to cancel a booking as a host.
Take bookings with one calendar in charge
Take bookings onlinewith a calendar that closes nights as soon as a guest books on Cabans, and block everything else there too. Guests pay online through Paystack, and Paystack’s processing fee is paid by the guest. Cabans charges you a 5% commission, and you are paid within 7 days after the stay, or sooner when the guest taps “Approve payment” after their trip.
Not listed yet? List your short let. To see how other hosts present their calendars and prices, browse shortlets in Lagos or shortlets in Abuja. Deciding where else to list? Read where to list a shortlet in Nigeria.
Frequently asked questions
What is a double booking?
A double booking is when two guests are booked into the same home for the same night. It usually happens when a home is listed in more than one place, or booked by phone, and one calendar is not updated in time.
Does Cabans sync my calendar with other sites?
No. There is no calendar import or export, so nothing updates by itself. Block dates by hand on Cabans and on every other site the moment you agree a booking anywhere.
How do I block dates I have booked elsewhere?
Open the calendar on your listing’s edit page, pick the dates, add a reason such as “Already booked privately” in “Block Dates”, press “Block These Dates”, then “Review and save calendar” and “Save and publish calendar”.
Can guests see why dates are closed?
No. Guests see those nights as “Closed” and cannot book across them. The reason you type is private to you and your team.
What happens if a guest books dates I forgot to block?
Decide quickly which booking stands. If you must cancel a Cabans booking, do it before the guest arrives and before the check-in time, and give a reason. The guest gets a full refund and the nights reopen.
Should I turn off instant book if I list on several sites?
It gives you a chance to check your master calendar before each stay is confirmed. The cost is that guests wait for your answer, so answer quickly. If you keep instant book on, block dates the moment you book elsewhere.
Related guides
Instant book or request to book · Shortlet cancellation cut-offs · Management company or self-manage? · What does a shortlet host do? · How to advertise a shortlet
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