Broke Something in a Shortlet? What to Do

If you break something in a shortlet, tell your host straight away, take photos, and be honest about what happened. On Cabans, use “Report an issue” on your stay page. Your caution deposit covers real damage, and nothing is kept from it until the Cabans team decides.

This guide is for stays booked on Cabans. It covers what to do in the moment, what your deposit is for, and what happens if your host asks to keep some of it.

What to do, step by step

1. Make it safe. Sweep up broken glass, turn off a leaking tap at the valve, or switch off a faulty socket at the wall. Keep children away.
2. Tell your host. On your stay page, open “Stay services”, tap “Report an issue”, say what broke and where, and press “Send request”.
3. Take photos. Photograph the damage close up and from further back, and add a short video if it helps explain.
4. Keep a record. Keep your photos and the chat with your host until your caution deposit is back.
5. Leave repairs to the host. Do not try to fix anything big yourself. Ask your host first, in writing.
6. Check your deposit after check-out. Watch the “Caution deposit” card on your stay page, and reply quickly if your host raises a dispute.

Tell your host straight away

Accidents happen. A glass breaks, a remote stops working, a tap handle snaps. Hosts expect the odd accident. What upsets them is finding out after you have gone.

On your stay page, find “Stay services”. Tap “Report an issue”. It is for “Something broken, missing or not working”. Write a short note: what broke, where it is, and when it happened. Then press “Send request”.

“Report an issue” works as soon as your host has handed over the keys. Your host gets an email about it. For a quick chat, press “Message your host” as well.

Your request shows as “Open”, then “In progress”, then “Done”. You do not get an email when it changes, so check the list on your stay page. How to ask your host for help shows each step.

Telling your host early helps you. Damage reported during the stay looks honest. The same damage found after you leave looks hidden.

Take photos

Photos protect you as much as the host. Take them before anything is moved or cleaned up.

• Photograph the damage close up, and from further back so the room shows.
• Add a short video if it helps explain what happened.
• Photograph anything that was already damaged when you arrived, on your first day.
• Keep every photo on your phone until your deposit is back.

If your host later raises a dispute, you can add photos, videos or PDFs as evidence. Photos and PDFs can be up to 10 MB each, and videos up to 50 MB.

A good habit: walk through every room with your phone's video on when you arrive, and again before you leave. It takes two minutes and can settle an argument later.

What your deposit covers

A caution deposit, often called a caution fee, is money you pay with your booking in case of damage. The host sets it as a fixed amount in naira. You see it before you pay, in the price breakdown as “Caution deposit (refundable)”.

So yes, a caution fee is refundable. After you check out, your host checks the home. Then one of three things happens:

• Your host releases it.Your stay page says “Deposit returned”, and the money is refunded to you.
• Nobody acts.From 14 days after you left, you can ask our team for it with “Request caution release”. The team releases it, unless your host raises a dispute first.
• Your host raises a dispute. They say how much they want to keep, and why.

What can come out of a deposit? Real damage beyond normal use, such as a cracked TV screen, a burnt worktop or a lost key. Normal wear, such as a faded cushion, a scuffed wall or a bulb that died of old age, should not. The Cabans team looks at each case.

Through Cabans, a host can ask to keep up to the full deposit, never more. Any refund of your deposit reaches you within 14 days at most, and usually in about 5 days.

More on this in is a shortlet caution fee refundable? and on our page about caution deposit protection. How to get your caution deposit back shows the screens.

If your host raises a dispute

You get an email: “Your host has raised a question about your caution deposit”. Open your stay page. The card “Deposit dispute” shows:

• “Your host's claim”: what they say happened;
• “The host asks to keep” and the amount;
• any evidence the host has added;
• a “Conversation” where you can reply.

Reply calmly. In “Your reply”, explain what happened in your own words. You can write up to 4,000 characters. Add your photos under “Evidence”, then press “Send reply”.

Tips for a good reply:

• Stick to the facts: what happened, when, and what you did next.
• If you reported it during your stay, say so. It shows you were open.
• If the amount looks too high, say why. Perhaps the item was old, or already damaged.
• If you agree with the claim, say so. It ends the matter sooner.
• Stay polite. Our team reads every message on both sides.

You get an email when your host replies. Nothing is taken from your deposit while the dispute is open. What to do if your host disputes your deposit walks through the screens.

How the decision is made

The Cabans team reads both sides and looks at the evidence. They decide how much your host keeps, from nothing up to the whole deposit. The rest is refunded to you.

You both get an email saying the caution deposit has been decided. Your stay page then shows “Our team's decision”. There is no set time for a decision, so give the team a little time to look at everything.

Once a decision is made, any money coming back to you reaches you within 14 days at most, and usually in about 5 days.

Common accidents, and what to do

Here is what to do for some everyday accidents:

• A broken glass or plate. Sweep it up carefully and wrap the pieces before binning them. Tell your host, so they can replace it before the next guest.
• A stain on a sheet, towel or sofa. Blot it with cold water, never hot. Do not use bleach on coloured fabric. Mention it in your request.
• A lost key or remote. Search the home and your bags first, then tell your host straight away. A lost key can mean new locks, so the sooner they know the better.
• A tap, toilet or pipe leaking. Turn off the water at the valve if you can find it, mop up, and report it at once. Water damage spreads fast.
• Something electrical stops working. Switch it off at the wall and do not open it up. It may be the power supply, not the item.
• Furniture broken or marked. Stop using it, photograph it, and report it. Do not glue or paint over it yourself.

In each case, your honest report and your photos are what matter most if the deposit is ever in question.

How to avoid damage in the first place

• Read the house rules in your stay guide before you arrive.
• Ask how the power works. Some inverters cannot carry an iron, a kettle or a microwave.
• Keep to the number of guests you booked for.
• Do not move heavy furniture, or hang things on the walls.
• Report small faults early, before they become big ones.

Shortlet check-in day explains what to look at when you first walk in, and the check-out checklist for guests helps you leave the home as you found it.

Planning your next trip? Find a shortlet you can book online, with the caution deposit shown before you pay. Or browse shortlets in Lekki and shortlets in Abuja.

Hosting yourself? What hosts can do about damage gives the other side, and you can list your shortlet on Cabans.

Frequently asked questions

Related guides

Is the caution fee refundable? · Shortlet fees explained · Caution fee in Nigeria · Caution fee: hotel vs shortlet · Problems during a stay · Check-in day · Shortlet safety tips