To check out of a shortlet well, leave on time and follow the host’s check-out list. Take photos of every room, return every key and tell your host you are leaving. Do those five things and your caution deposit should come back without an argument.
Check-out is usually in the late morning. On Cabans it is 11:00 (11 in the morning) unless your host set another time. Your stay page shows it on the “Leaving” card, as “Check out by” with the date and time.
The night before
A calm check-out starts the night before. Give yourself 20 minutes the evening before you leave:
- Read the host’s list.On your stay page, “Your stay guide” has a section called “Before you leave”. It shows once you are checked in, and says exactly what your host wants done.
- Check your bill.Open “My bill” on your stay page. If it shows “To pay”, press “Pay ₦…” next to the bill tonight. Extras you add to your basket but have not paid for cannot be paid once you leave.
- Pack most things. Leave out only what you need for the morning.
- Plan your trip out. Lagos and Abuja traffic can be slow in the morning. Book your ride or plan your route with time to spare.
- Ask for any change now. If you need a later check-out, ask your host today, not at 10:55 tomorrow.
Want to stay longer? Once you are fully checked in, use “Extend my stay” on your stay page: pick a “New check-out date” and press “Ask my host”. Your host must approve it, and the extra dates must be free. You then pay for the extra nights online through Paystack. Its fee is shown before you pay and is not refunded.
Leaving before your check-out date? Tell your host as soon as you know. The unused nights are not refunded unless your host approves a refund.
The morning you leave
Work through this list in order. Allow about half an hour for a small flat.
- Walk through every room. Open drawers and wardrobes, and look under beds and in the bathroom.
- Check the sockets. Phone chargers and laptop cables are easy to leave behind.
- Empty the fridge of your own food, unless the host says to leave it.
- Do the host’s list. For example, wash up, empty the bins or put used towels in one place.
- Put furniture back where it was when you arrived.
- Switch things off. Air conditioning, lights, fans and the cooker. Turn off taps and close the windows.
- Own up to any damage. A message now is better than a surprise later.
- Take your photos (see below).
- Return every key, remote, gate card and fob, where the host asked.
- Tell your host you are leaving on your stay page.
A leaving checklist is also on our help page how to check out, with the screens you will see.
Photos that protect you
Photos are your best protection if a host later says something was damaged. Take them just before you leave, when the home is as you are leaving it.
- Film a slow walk-through. Go room by room, and show floors, walls, beds, sofas and the kitchen.
- Photograph what matters most. The TV screen, the cooker, bathroom fittings, mirrors and anything fragile.
- Show where you left the keys. One photo of keys in the lockbox, or on the table, settles many arguments.
- Keep your arrival photos too. If you filmed the home when you arrived, you can show a mark was already there.
- Save them safely until your caution deposit is back. Do not delete them the next day.
Your phone saves the date and time with each photo, which helps show when it was taken. If your host ever raises a dispute, you can add them as evidence. Photos and PDFs can be up to 10 MB each, and videos up to 50 MB.
Telling your host you are leaving
On Cabans, you tell your host from your stay page:
- Find the “Leaving” card.
- Press “I am leaving”.
- A box asks “Check out now?”. Press “Yes, I am leaving”.
You see “Safe travels — Your host will confirm your check-out.” Your stay now says “Checking out”, and your host gets an email. Your door code stays visible until your host confirms your check-out, so you can still get back in for a forgotten charger. It never shows later than 2 hours after the check-out time, though.
Your host then checks the home and confirms the check-out. Your stay page says “Stay complete” and thanks you for staying. There is no email for this step, so look at your stay page. If nobody confirms the check-out, the stay completes by itself 2 days after your check-out date.
It also helps to send a short message with “Message your host”: where you left the keys, and anything you noticed. Happy with your stay? After check-out, an “Approve payment” card appears on your stay page. Press it only if everything was as expected: your host is then paid straight away, instead of 7 days after your stay. Your caution deposit is not affected; it is settled separately.
Checking out as a family or group
More people means more to pack and more to check. Share out the jobs the night before, so nobody is rushing at 10:50:
- One person does the room-by-room walk and the photos.
- One person does the kitchen: dishes, fridge and bins.
- One person collects every key, remote and gate card.
- The person who booked presses “I am leaving” and messages the host.
Children’s toys, school bags and baby things are easy to miss, so check under beds and sofas twice. If you left something behind, message your host at once, while the cleaner may still have it.
Your deposit after you go
If your stay had a caution deposit, the “Caution deposit” card on your stay page shows where it is:
| What you see | What it means |
|---|---|
| “Deposit being checked” | Your host is checking the home. The card tells you the date from which you can ask our team to release it. |
| “Deposit returned” | Your host released it, and it is being refunded to you. |
| “Deposit release requested” | You asked for it back, and our team will release it unless your host raises a dispute first. |
| “Deposit disputed” | Your host has asked to keep some or all of it, and our team will decide. |
If the host goes quiet.From 14 days after you leave, if the host has neither released the deposit nor raised a dispute, you can press “Request caution release”. You can add a note under “Anything our team should know (optional)”.
If the host raises a dispute. Only the host can do this. You get an email, and a “Deposit dispute” card shows their claim and the amount they want to keep. Write your side under “Your reply” and add your photos. Nothing is kept until our team decides, and the rest comes back to you. See what to do if your host disputes your deposit.
Broke something during your stay? Read what to do if you broke something in a shortlet.
Refunds go back to the card or account you paid with. They reach you within 14 days at most, and usually in about 5 days. Step by step, see how to get your caution deposit back. Hosts can read how the same process protects them on caution deposit protection.
Planning your next trip already? Find a shortlet you can book online, or browse shortlets in Lekki and shortlets in Abuja.
Own a flat yourself? You now know what good guests do at check-out. List your short let and welcome some of your own.
Frequently asked questions
What time is check-out in a shortlet?
Each host sets their own time. On Cabans it is 11:00 (11 in the morning) unless the host chose another time. You see it before you book, and on the “Leaving” card on your stay page.
Do I have to clean a shortlet before I leave?
Not a deep clean: that is the host’s job, and a cleaning fee may already pay for it. Do what the host’s “Before you leave” list asks, such as washing up and emptying the bins. Leave the home as tidy as you found it.
What happens if I check out late?
Leaving late without asking can make the next guest wait and may cost you a charge. If you need more time, ask your host a day ahead. On Cabans your door code stops showing 2 hours after the check-out time at the latest.
When do I get my caution deposit back?
After your host has checked the home and released it. If the host has neither released it nor raised a dispute, you can ask our team to release it from 14 days after you leave. Refunds reach you within 14 days at most, usually in about 5 days.
What if the host says I damaged something?
Only the host can raise a dispute, and nothing is kept until the Cabans team decides. You can reply with your side and add photos, videos or PDFs as evidence. This is where your check-out photos help most.
Do I get money back if I leave early?
Not for the unused nights, unless your host agrees to a refund. Tell your host as soon as you know. Your caution deposit still comes back after check-out in the normal way.
Related guides
Broke something in a shortlet? · How to extend a shortlet stay · Is a shortlet caution fee refundable? · What if your host cancels? · When to book a shortlet · How to book a shortlet in Lagos · What is a shortlet?
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