A shortlet price has up to five parts: the nights, a discount, a cleaning fee, a refundable caution deposit, and the payment processing fee. On Cabans, you see every part before you pay, so there are no surprises at the gate.
This guide explains each line of a shortlet (short let) price breakdown, what can change it, and what you get back. Want to try it on a real home? Find a shortlet you can book and pick some dates.
Reading a price breakdown
When you choose your dates on a home’s booking box, a green “Price Breakdown” card appears. It shows the price worked out by Cabans for your exact dates. While it works, it says “Working out your price…”.
The card can have these lines, in this order:
| Line | What it means | Comes back to you? |
|---|---|---|
| Nights × night price | One line for each run of nights at the same price | If you cancel in time, or the host declines or cancels |
| Discount (in green) | A longer-stay discount or free nights, named by the offer | Not a cost: it lowers your total |
| “Cleaning fee” | A fixed amount, once per stay | If you cancel in time, or the host declines or cancels |
| “Caution deposit (refundable)” | Money held in case of damage | Yes, after check-out, less any agreed damage |
| “Total” | What the stay costs before the payment fee |
When you pay, Paystack’s payment processing fee is added. You pay it, you see it before you pay, and it is not refunded. The rest of this guide takes each line in turn. How to check dates and prices shows the card on screen.
The night price
The top of the booking box shows the starting price, such as “From ₦… / night”. If nights cost different amounts, it also says “Night prices vary by date”. Each free day on the calendar shows its own price in small blue text.
Why would two nights in the same home cost different amounts? The host can set:
- a special price for one day, such as a public holiday;
- a price for a period, such as December or a festival week;
- the listing’s normal price for every other night.
If a host prices by the week, the weekly price is shared equally over its 7 nights. So a mixed stay, such as three quiet nights and one busy night, shows two lines in the breakdown.
Remember how nights are counted. You tap your check-in day, then your check-out day. The check-out day is the morning you leave, so it is not a night you pay for. Friday to Sunday is two nights.
Discounts
Hosts can offer two kinds of discount. Both are about the number of nights.
Longer-stay discount
A host can set up to three levels, such as “7+ nights, 10% off”. The biggest level you reach applies to all your nights. So if a home offers 10% off for 7 nights and 15% off for 28 nights, a 10-night stay gets 10% off every night.
Free nights
A host can offer a deal such as “Stay 5 nights, get 1 free”. It works in blocks. With that offer:
- 6 to 11 nights get 1 free night;
- 12 nights get 2 free nights;
- the free nights are always your cheapest nights.
A home with a free-nights offer shows it above the calendar, in a green line with a gift icon.
The better of the two, never both
If a home has both offers, you get whichever saves you more money, never both. Cabans works this out for you, and the green discount line in your breakdown says which one you got.
Discounts only apply to the nights. The cleaning fee and the caution deposit are never discounted. Planning a long stay? See how to pay less for a longer shortlet.
The cleaning fee
A cleaning fee is a fixed amount the host adds once to each stay. It does not grow with the number of nights. It is optional, so some homes have no cleaning fee at all.
- You see it under the calendar as “Cleaning fee”, before you pick dates.
- It is shown again as its own line in the Price Breakdown.
- It is never discounted.
- It is refunded if you cancel in time, or if the host declines or cancels.
Because it is charged once, a cleaning fee matters most on short stays. On a one-night stay it can be a big share of the bill. On a month-long stay it hardly shows. That is why you should compare homes by the Total, not the night price. Curious how hosts decide? See should a shortlet charge a cleaning fee?
The caution deposit
A caution deposit is money held in case something is damaged or missing. On Cabans it is a fixed naira amount set by the host, never a percentage of the price. You pay it once, with your booking.
- Under the calendar you see “Caution deposit: ₦…, refundable”.
- In the breakdown it shows as “Caution deposit (refundable)”.
- It is never discounted.
- It comes back after check-out, once the host has checked the home.
A host cannot just keep your deposit. If they think something was damaged, they raise a dispute, you can reply with your side and evidence, and the Cabans team decides. If the host has not settled it, you can ask our team to release it from 14 days after check-out. Refunds reach you within 14 days at most, and usually in about 5 days.
For the full story, read is a shortlet caution fee refundable?
The payment processing fee
You pay for your stay online through Paystack. Paystack charges a fee for handling the payment, and you pay it on top of the price of your stay. Press “Confirm and Pay” and a payment box opens. It shows “Your stay”, then “Paystack fee (paid by you)”, then “You pay”, before any money moves. So you always know the full amount first.
Paystack’s fee is not refunded. If you cancel in time, you get back what you paid for the stay, but not the fee.
You never send money to the host’s own bank account. Cabans takes its commission from the host’s earnings, so it is not a line on your bill. How to pay for your stay walks through the payment step.
What you never pay
Some charges people expect do not exist on a Cabans stay:
- No charge per guest. The price is the same for one guest or the home’s maximum. Just make sure everyone is counted.
- No delivery charge. A stay needs no address, so there is no delivery line.
- No discount on fees. The cleaning fee and caution deposit stay the same whatever the offer.
- No money to the host directly. Everything is paid online through Paystack.
If anyone asks for extra cash for “diesel” or “service” that was not in the listing, ask the host to confirm it in writing first. Read shortlet scams: warning signs.
What can change after you book
- Changing dates. Nights you keep cost what you paid. New nights use today’s prices, and the discount is worked out again for the new length. You then pay the extra, or get the difference back.
- Extending your stay. Once you are checked in, you can ask to stay longer. The host must approve, and the dates must be free. The extra nights cost the home’s night prices, with no discount, cleaning fee or caution deposit. You pay for them online through Paystack. See how to extend a shortlet stay.
- Extras during the stay. Things like bottled water or breakfast from the stay shop, or extras the host adds, go on “My bill”. You pay bills through Paystack too, with its fee on top. A bill must be at least ₦1,000 to pay by card.
- Leaving early. Unused nights are not refunded unless the host approves a refund.
- Cancelling in time. Before the free-cancellation deadline, you get back the nights, the cleaning fee and the caution deposit. Paystack’s fee is not refunded. Refunds reach you within 14 days at most, usually in about 5 days.
Checklist before you pay
- Are the dates right, and is the check-out day the morning you leave?
- Does the Price Breakdown show the discount you expected?
- Is there a cleaning fee, and is the total still fair?
- How big is the caution deposit, and can you wait for it to come back?
- Have you seen Paystack’s fee and the full amount you pay?
- Until when can you cancel for free?
Happy with all six? You are ready. Browse shortlets in Lekki, Ikeja or Abuja, or see how booking a shortlet online works. Hosting a home yourself? List your short let and set your own fees.
Frequently asked questions
What fees do you pay for a shortlet?
You pay for the nights, less any discount. The host may add a cleaning fee, charged once per stay, and a refundable caution deposit. Paystack’s payment processing fee is added when you pay. You see it before you pay, and it is not refunded.
What is a cleaning fee on a shortlet?
A fixed amount the host adds once to your stay, whatever the number of nights. It pays for cleaning the home after you leave. It is optional, so some homes have none, and it is never discounted.
Is a shortlet caution deposit refundable?
Yes. It is held during your stay and comes back after the host checks the home, less anything the Cabans team agrees the host may keep for damage. Refunds reach you within 14 days at most, and usually in about 5 days.
Do more guests make a shortlet cost more?
Not on Cabans. The price does not change with the number of guests. But each home has a maximum number of guests, and everyone staying counts, children included.
Why is the total higher than the night price times the nights?
Because the total also includes any cleaning fee and the caution deposit, and night prices can differ by date. Paystack’s payment processing fee is then added when you pay. Read the Price Breakdown to see each part.
Do discounts apply to the cleaning fee or deposit?
No. A longer-stay discount or free nights apply only to the nights. The cleaning fee and the caution deposit are never discounted.
What if I leave a shortlet early?
The unused nights are not refunded unless the host approves a refund. If you think you may leave early, talk to the host before you book, and check the cancellation terms.
Related guides
Is a caution fee refundable? · Shortlet prices in Nigeria · Pay for a shortlet safely · One-night shortlets · Shortlet check-in day · How to book a shortlet in Lagos
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