A company can book a shortlet for a member of staff on Cabans using its business profile. The booking, the stay page and the receipt all stay with the company, and the host can see a business made the booking. You pay securely online, in naira, and the stay page shows when the stay is confirmed, before your traveller sets off.
This guide explains the words people use (corporate apartment, serviced apartment, shortlet), how to book as a company, where your stays and receipts live, and what your traveller needs on the day.
Corporate apartment, serviced apartment or shortlet?
The three words overlap. All three are furnished homes rented for a short time instead of a year. The difference is mainly in who uses them and what services come with them:
| Type | Usual length | Services | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Corporate apartment | Weeks to months | Varies | Postings, projects, relocations |
| Serviced apartment | Nights to months | Hotel-style: regular cleaning, often a front desk | Longer trips where staff want hotel comforts |
| Shortlet | One night to a few months | Some, from the host | Work trips, training weeks, visiting teams |
For your company, the label matters less than four questions. How long is the stay? Which services does your traveller need? How close is it to the office? How will you pay and get receipts? For longer stays with hotel-style services, see serviced apartments in Lagos and serviced apartments in Abuja.
Booking on a business profile
A booking belongs to the profile you are using when you press “Reserve”. So switch to your company’s business profile before you start. Then:
- Find a shortlet near the work. For example, shortlets in Ikeja for the airport and Mainland offices, Victoria Island for the Island, or Wuse 2 in Abuja.
- Pick the dates. Choose the check-in day, then the check-out day, on the listing’s calendar. The check-out day is the morning your traveller leaves.
- Set the number of guests. It does not change the price, but the host’s limit applies.
- Check the price and the cancellation line. The “Price Breakdown” shows the nights, any discount, the cleaning fee, the caution deposit and the “Total”. The booking box also shows “Free cancellation until…”, or “No free cancellation”.
- Press “Reserve”. The dates are held for 30 minutes while you pay.
- Pay. Checkout shows the stay is booked “On behalf of” your company. You pay securely online through Paystack, by card or another way shown at checkout. Paystack’s payment processing fee is added, and you see it before you pay. That fee is not refunded.
Need someone to approve the cost first? At checkout you can choose to pay later instead. This raises an invoice and keeps the dates for 2 hours. Pay it through Paystack from the stay page within that time, or the dates are released and nothing is taken. The host only gets the request once it is paid.
With “Instant booking”, the stay is confirmed as soon as you pay. With “Host confirms”, the host has a set time to accept, 24 hours as standard. If they decline or do not answer, you are refunded. The host sees your traveller’s stay marked “Booked by a business”.
Booking for several people? Each stay is its own booking and is paid for on its own. You can hold at most three stays at once. So reserve and pay for one stay, then start the next.
Where your company’s stays live
On the web, your company’s bookings are in “My Stays” on the business profile, headed “Short-let bookings made for this business”. The tabs “Upcoming”, “Current” and “Past” show each stay with its dates, nights, guests, status and total.
A booking only shows under the profile that made it. If you open a company stay while using your personal profile, you see “We could not find that stay”. Switch to the business profile and try again.
Status words tell you where each booking is:
- “Waiting for the host”: paid, and the host has not answered yet.
- “Confirmed”: the stay is booked. The address and directions are on the stay page.
- “Completed”: the stay is over.
- “Cancelled · refund on its way”: a refund is due, later shown as “Refunded”.
How to use My Stays explains every tab and status.
Receipts and records
Each stay has a booking number and an order number, both on its stay page. The receipt is in the orders of the business profile that made the booking. Bills for extras paid during the stay show “Paid” with their own “View receipt” link.
The account that booked also gets emails your finance team may want to keep:
- “We have your payment for” the property, when the host still has to accept;
- “Your stay at” the property “is confirmed”, for instant bookings;
- “A refund of” the amount “is on its way”, if money is due back.
Refunds go back to the card or account you paid with. So if you want refunds to reach the company, pay with a company card. Refunds arrive within 14 days at most, usually in about 5 days. Paystack’s payment fee is not part of a refund.
A simple travel log saves time later. For each stay, note the traveller, the reason for the trip, the booking and order numbers, the dates, the total, and who approved it.
What staff need on a work trip
Once the stay is confirmed, the stay page shows the address and “Your stay guide”: the host’s directions, the house rules and, later, a check-out list. Check-in is from 14:00 and check-out is by 11:00, unless the host has set other times. The stay page shows the times for each property.
Decide who opens the stay page on the day.The stay page belongs to the business profile. On arrival, someone presses “I have arrived” so the host knows to hand over the keys. After the host completes the check-in, the door code and Wi-Fi password appear on the stay page. They are never sent by email. If your traveller will not use the business profile, arrange the handover with the host in advance using “Message your host”.
ID.Some properties ask guests for an ID. If so, the stay page shows a “Your ID” card. Upload a clear photo or PDF of a passport, driving licence or national ID card, up to 10 MB. Only the host and the Cabans team can see it. It is kept securely for up to 6 years, as data laws require, then deleted.
Give your traveller this short checklist:
- Save the address and the host’s directions before you travel.
- Check the check-in time against your flight or journey.
- Press “I have arrived” at the gate, or ask the booker to.
- Film the flat when you arrive, to protect the caution deposit.
- Use “Stay services” for help: “Room service”, “Cleaner”, “Call for help”, “Report an issue” or “Something else”.
- Press “I am leaving” when you check out, and leave the keys as the host asks.
After check-out the host checks the property and returns the caution deposit, or raises a dispute that the Cabans team decides. See is a shortlet caution fee refundable?
Longer stays and offers
Projects and postings often run for weeks. Longer stays can cost less per night when the host offers one of two deals:
- A longer-stay discount, such as “7+ nights, 10% off”. A host can set up to three levels.
- Free nights, such as “Stay 5 nights, get 1 free”. The cheapest nights are the free ones.
You get whichever saves more, never both. Discounts never apply to the cleaning fee or the caution deposit. Check “Minimum stay” and “Longest stay” under the calendar too, as each host sets their own.
When plans change, the rules are:
- Before arrival. Use “Change dates or guests”. A shorter stay inside your dates can apply straight away; anything else goes to the host. See how to change dates or guests.
- Staying longer after check-in. Ask the host. They must approve, and the extra dates must be free. The extra nights then go on the stay’s bill. Pay within 24 hours, or by the current check-out if that is sooner, or the extra nights are released.
- Leaving early. The unused nights are not refunded, unless the host approves a refund.
- Cancelling. Free until the date on the “Free cancellation until…” line. See how to cancel a booking.
Ready to book? Find a shortlet you can book, then switch to your business profile before you press “Reserve”.
Own flats that suit business travellers? Companies are looking for quiet, well-run homes near their offices. List your short let so they can find it, and read our guide to hosting business travellers.
Frequently asked questions
What is a corporate apartment?
A corporate apartment is a furnished flat a company uses for staff on work trips, training or new postings. It is usually booked for weeks or months rather than nights. In Nigeria many companies book a shortlet or a serviced apartment for the same job.
Can my company book a shortlet in its own name?
Yes. On Cabans, book while using your company’s business profile. Checkout shows the booking is “On behalf of” your company, the host sees it was booked by a business, and the stay is kept under that profile.
Where do I find the receipts for staff stays?
Each stay has an order number, shown on its stay page. The receipt is in the orders of the business profile that made the booking. Bills for extras paid during the stay have their own receipts too.
Can one person book stays for several members of staff?
Yes, one stay at a time. Each stay is its own booking and is paid for on its own. You can hold at most three stays at once, so reserve and pay for one before starting the next.
Where does a refund go if a staff trip is cancelled?
Back to the card or account you paid with, so pay with a company card if you want refunds to reach the company. Refunds arrive within 14 days at most, usually in about 5 days. Paystack’s payment fee is not refunded.
Can a staff member stay longer or leave early?
To stay longer after check-in, ask the host: they must approve, and the extra dates must be free. You then pay for the extra nights. If your staff member leaves early, the unused nights are not refunded unless the host approves a refund.
Related guides
What is a shortlet? · Short let vs hotel in Lagos · Is a shortlet caution fee refundable? · Relocating to Lagos · Relocating to Abuja
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