Booking a Shortlet Through an Agent: What to Check

Booking a shortlet through an agent can save you time, but check three things first: every fee in writing, proof that the home and dates are real, and a safe way to pay. A good agent will happily give you all three. If they will not, walk away.

Shortlet agents are common in Lagos, especially around Lekki, Victoria Island, Ikoyi and Ikeja. This guide covers when an agent helps, what to ask, how to confirm the home and how to pay without losing money. Want to compare homes first? Browse shortlets in Lekki or Victoria Island.

When an agent helps

An agent is someone who finds, shows or manages a shortlet for its owner. Some work alone. Others run management companies with many homes. A good one can make your trip easier:

• You do not know the city. A local agent can explain which area suits your plans and your budget.
• Busy dates. In December or during big events, agents may know which homes are still free.
• Groups and events. For a family gathering or a team trip, an agent can find several homes close together.
• Longer stays. For a month or more, an agent may arrange a better rate with the owner.
• Company bookings. Businesses sometimes use one trusted agent for all their visitors.

But an agent adds a person between you and the home. That means one more person to check, and sometimes one more fee to pay.

Fees: ask first, in writing

Agents are paid in different ways. None is wrong, as long as you know about it before you agree. Ask these questions, and get the answers in a message or an email:

1. Is there an agency or service fee for me? How much, and is it refundable if the booking falls through?
2. Is your fee already in the nightly price? Some agents are paid by the owner. Others add their cut to the price.
3. Is there an inspection fee? What does it cover, and is it taken off the booking?
4. What is the caution deposit? Who holds it, what can be taken from it, and when does it come back?
5. What else is extra? Diesel, cleaning, laundry, parking, extra guests, early check-in or late check-out.
6. What is the total? One number for your whole stay, with every part listed.

For short stays, an inspection fee is often unnecessary: a live video walk-through does the same job. Read inspection fees in Nigeria: should you pay? and estate agent fees in Nigeria for what is normal.

Confirming the home and the dates

Fake shortlet adverts often use real photos copied from other listings. So nice pictures alone prove nothing. Before you pay, confirm these:

• The agent is real. Get their full name, business name and office address. See how to verify an estate agent in Nigeria.
• They can let the home. Ask for proof, such as a letter from the owner or a management agreement.
• The home matches the photos. Ask for a live video call inside the home, today. Ask them to show something you choose, such as the view from a window.
• The location is right. Get the estate and street before paying. Check it on a map.
• The dates are free. Ask for written confirmation of your check-in and check-out dates and times.
• The number of guests is agreed. Count everyone, children too.
• The cancellation terms are clear. What happens if you cancel, or if the home is not available when you arrive?

If you are in the same city, visit before paying. If you are not, ask a friend or family member to go. Read shortlet scams: 10 warning signs for the tricks to watch for.

Paying safely

Your money is most at risk at the payment step. Follow these rules, every time:

1. Never pay to “hold” a home you have not confirmed. “Pay now or lose it” is a classic pressure trick.
2. Check the account name. It should match the business or person in your written agreement. A different name is a red flag.
3. Avoid paying the whole amount to a personal account of someone you have never met or checked.
4. Do not pay cash unless you get a written, signed receipt on the spot.
5. Get a receipt that shows the dates, the address, the total and the deposit.
6. Keep every message. Chats, emails and voice notes are your evidence if something goes wrong.
7. Be wary of prices far below similar homes. A deal that looks too good usually is.

If you think you have been scammed, report it to your bank at once and to the police. Our guide to avoiding property scams in Nigeria has more.

A message you can send to any agent

Copy this, fill in your details, and send it before you agree anything. A genuine agent can answer every line. Keep their reply: it is your written record.

1. Please confirm the full address, or at least the estate and street.
2. Can you show me the home on a live video call today?
3. Are you the owner, or do you have the owner’s permission to let it? Please send proof.
4. Please confirm my dates: check-in on [date] from [time], check-out on [date] by [time].
5. We are [number] guests, including [number] children. Is that allowed?
6. What is the total for my stay, and what does it include? Is diesel included?
7. Is there an agency, service or inspection fee? How much, and is it refundable?
8. How much is the caution deposit, who holds it, and when will it come back?
9. What happens if I cancel, or if the home is not ready when I arrive?
10. Which account do I pay into, and in whose name?

Red flags

Stop and think again if an agent:

• will not do a live video call or let anyone visit;
• refuses to give a full name, business name or office address;
• asks you to pay into an account in a different name from the one you agreed;
• keeps changing the price or adds new fees after you agree;
• pushes you to pay in the next few minutes;
• offers a price far below similar homes in the same area;
• asks for your card details or a code sent to your phone.

If something goes wrong on arrival

Sometimes the home is not as promised, or nobody turns up with the keys. Stay calm and protect yourself:

1. Go somewhere safe first, such as the estate gate or a nearby hotel lobby.
2. Take photos and short videos of any problem with the home.
3. Message the agent in writing, so there is a record. Ask for a fix or a refund by a set time.
4. Do not hand over more money to “sort it out”.
5. If you think it was a scam, call your bank at once and report it to the police.

Booking on Cabans

Some homes on Cabans are managed by agents or management companies. When a home shows a booking box, you book and pay in the same way, whoever manages it:

• You pick your dates on the calendar and see the green “Price Breakdown”: the nights, any discount, the cleaning fee, the refundable caution deposit and the total.
• You see the free-cancellation deadline for your dates before you pay.
• You pay online through Paystack, by card or another way Paystack offers. Paystack’s payment processing fee is shown before you pay, and it is not refunded.
• You never send money to the host’s or agent’s own account.
• Your caution deposit comes back after check-out. If the host claims damage, the Cabans team decides. Refunds reach you within 14 days at most, usually in about 5 days.

How to pay for your stay walks through the payment step. Living outside Nigeria? Read booking a shortlet in Nigeria from abroad.

Booking directly instead

You do not always need an agent. If you know the area you want, you can look at homes yourself and compare them side by side.

• Compare homes and areas with photos and nightly prices on one site.
• Look at the details: the number of bedrooms, the guest limit, the location and the house rules.
• Use the same checks as above with any host: real person, real home, clear terms, safe payment.

Unsure which area to pick? Read the best areas for a short let in Lagos and how to find a shortlet in Nigeria.

Ready to compare? Find a shortlet you can book across Nigeria, or start with shortlets in Ikeja. Are you an agent with homes to fill? List your shortlets on Cabans, and read how to become a shortlet agent.

Frequently asked questions

Related guides

Shortlet scams: warning signs · Should you pay an inspection fee? · Verify an estate agent · How to find a shortlet · Is a caution fee refundable? · Shortlet management companies