To fill your shortlet in quiet months, make longer stays better value, welcome monthly and business guests, lower prices on the quiet dates only, and keep your calendar open. Then use the empty nights that are left for repairs and a deep clean.
This guide is for hosts who take bookings on Cabans. It explains which tools change prices by date and which apply all year. That way you do not undercut your busy weeks by mistake.
Why some months are quiet
Every shortlet has slow patches. Demand follows holidays, school terms, events and how much money people have to spend. After a busy stretch, bookings often drop for a while.
Quiet patches to watch for in Nigeria:
- the weeks after the Christmas and New Year rush, when people are back at work and spending less;
- school term time, when families travel less;
- heavy rainy spells, when fewer people plan weekend trips;
- the weeks after a big event or conference in your area ends.
These are patterns, not rules. Cabans short-let pages are new, so we do not publish seasonal figures. Your own calendar is the best guide. Look at which weeks stayed empty last year, and plan for them now.
A quiet month is not always a price problem, either. Clear photos, an honest title and fast answers matter all year. How to get more shortlet bookings covers the basics.
Offers for longer stays
Longer stays fill many nights with one booking. That means one check-in, one clean and fewer empty gaps. On Cabans you can set two kinds of offer on your listing.
- Longer-stay discount.Up to 3 tiers by number of nights, for example “7+ nights, 10% off”. The biggest tier the guest reaches applies to all their nights.
- Free nights.For example “Stay 5 nights, get 1 free”. A guest staying 6 nights pays for 5, and one staying 12 nights gets 2 free. The cheapest nights are the free ones.
A guest gets the better of the two, never both. Cabans works out which one saves the guest more. Your cleaning fee and caution deposit are never discounted.
| Offer | Works well when | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Longer-stay discount | You want guests who stay a week or a month | A big percentage on a 30-night stay adds up |
| Free nights | You want to turn a 5-night stay into a week | The free night is always your cheapest one |
Two things to know before you set them:
- Offers apply all year. They are part of your listing, not your calendar. So choose offers you are also happy to give in December.
- They need approval. Changes to discounts and free nights wait for the Cabans team to approve them before guests see them. Set them up well before your quiet season starts.
The help guide how to offer longer-stay discounts and free nights shows each box. The Host Academy lesson on offers that fill longer stays walks you through choosing them.
Monthly and business guests
Some guests need a home for weeks, not nights. They do not follow the holidays, so they fill the gaps other guests leave.
- people between homes, such as families waiting to move in or still house-hunting;
- people moving to Lagos or Abuja for a new job;
- Nigerians visiting from abroad for a long stay;
- engineers, consultants and project teams working in your area for a month or more;
- families whose own home is being repaired or renovated.
Business guests fit well too. A company can book on Cabans from its business profile. You see “Booked by a business” on the booking, and the stay sits in the company's account. Hosting business travellers explains what they expect.
What long-stay guests look for
- a proper desk and chair, not just a dining table;
- strong Wi-Fi, and a plan for when it drops;
- power backup that lasts through the working day;
- a washing machine, or an easy laundry service;
- a kitchen with the basics to cook every day;
- a quiet street and a safe place to park.
Write each of these into your listing. Long-stay guests read every line before they commit.
Settings that let them book
Open your listing's edit page and find “Availability, prices and booking rules”. Check three settings:
- “Longest stay (nights)”. It is 90 unless you change it, and it can go up to 731. Make sure it is long enough for the guests you want.
- “Guests can book up to”. This is how far ahead guests can book. It is 1 year ahead unless you change it. Companies often plan a long stay months in advance.
- “Instant book”. With it on, paid bookings are confirmed straight away, without waiting for you. People who book at short notice like that.
Want to see how monthly stays look to guests? Browse shortlets in Lekki or shortlets in Abuja and compare how other hosts describe long stays.
Price windows for quiet weeks
Offers apply all year. For one quiet stretch, use a price window instead. It changes your night price for the dates you pick, and nothing else.
- Open your listing's edit page and go to “Availability, prices and booking rules”.
- In “Calendar”, pick a start date and an end date.
- In “Price for a Period”, type the “Price per night (₦)”, then press “Add Price Window”.
- Press “Review and save calendar”, then “Save and publish calendar”.
Calendar changes go live as soon as you save them, with no approval. Bookings already made keep their dates and prices. The listing's own Save button does not save the calendar, so always use “Review and save calendar”.
For one special day, use “Custom Day Price” instead. When prices overlap, a special day price wins over a price window, and a price window wins over your listing price. How to set night prices for busy days and seasons has the details.
How low to go
- Know your floor. Add up what one night costs you: power and diesel, cleaning, laundry, internet and service charge. Never price below it.
- Compare like with like. Look at homes of the same size in your area, then price to match what you offer.
- Cut a little first. Try a small drop, wait a week, and see what happens. You can always go lower.
- Keep weekends separate. If your weekends still book, use price windows for the weekdays only.
Guests see “Night prices vary by date” when nights cost different amounts. They see the full price before they pay. For the opposite problem, see setting prices for busy dates.
Keep your calendar open
An empty month is sometimes a closed month by mistake. Check these five things:
- “Open all dates by default” is on, unless you only want to open the windows you add.
- No day of the week is unticked under closed weekdays, unless you mean it.
- Old blocks for repairs or private stays have been removed.
- Every open night has a price. Nights with no price cannot be booked.
- Your “Minimum stay (nights)” is not too long. A 3-night minimum can never fill a 2-night gap.
The minimum stay applies to the whole listing, all year, not to one month. If you lower it for a quiet spell, remember to put it back later. One night or more? helps you pick the right minimum.
Late bookers want a quick yes. If you do not use instant book, a short “Time to accept a request” helps. Requests you do not answer in time are declined and the guest is refunded. How to open, close and block dates shows the calendar step by step.
Using the quiet time well
Some empty nights will stay empty. Use them to get the home ready for the busy season.
- Block the dates for work.In the calendar, use “Block Dates” with a reason such as “Maintenance”. Guests see those nights as “Closed”, and the reason stays private.
- Service the air conditioners, the generator and the inverter batteries.
- Fix the small things: dripping taps, loose handles, dead bulbs, sticky locks.
- Deep clean the mattresses, curtains, sofa and kitchen.
- Replace worn towels and bed linen.
- Take new photos in good daylight.
- Refresh your listing text and your house rules.
- Set up or restock stay extras, such as bottled water or breakfast.
You cannot block nights that are already booked. The shortlet cleaning checklist helps with the deep clean, and shortlet listing tips help with the photos and words.
What you earn on a quiet-month booking
A discounted booking is paid the same way as any other. Cabans charges hosts a 5% commission on each booking. The guest pays Paystack's payment fee when they pay, so it does not come out of your payout.
Your payout is what the guest paid for the stay, plus any bills and extras they paid, less any refund and less the 5% commission. You are paid within 7 days after the guest's stay, and sooner when the guest approves the payment after their trip.
So when you work out your lowest price, take the commission into account. A long booking at a fair price can beat a month of empty nights.
Ready to fill the gaps? Take bookings online with your calendar, offers and prices in one place. Not listed yet? List your shortlet on Cabans first, then see how guests find homes on the short let pages.
Frequently asked questions
When is the low season for shortlets in Nigeria?
There is no single low season everywhere. The weeks after the Christmas and New Year rush can be quieter, and so can school term time. Your own past bookings are the best guide to your home and your area.
Should I lower my prices in quiet months?
Lower them only on the quiet dates, with a price window, and never below what a night costs you to run. A longer-stay offer can fill more nights than a small price cut.
Can I set a discount for one month only?
Not on Cabans. Longer-stay discounts and free nights are part of your listing, so they apply all year. For one quiet month, use a price window in your calendar instead.
How do I attract monthly shortlet guests?
Allow long stays in “Longest stay (nights)”, add a longer-stay discount, and describe the desk, Wi-Fi, power backup, laundry and kitchen in your listing. Those are what long-stay guests look for.
Do my calendar changes need approval?
No. Prices and open or closed dates in “Availability, prices and booking rules” go live as soon as you save them. Changes to the listing itself, such as discounts and free nights, wait for the Cabans team to approve them.
When am I paid for a booking?
Within 7 days after the guest’s stay, and sooner when the guest approves the payment after their trip. Cabans charges hosts a 5% commission. The guest pays Paystack’s payment fee, so it does not come out of your payout.
Related guides
Weekly and monthly discounts · Pricing for busy dates · Hosting business travellers · Get more bookings · Pricing for Detty December · Turnover between guests
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