For busy dates such as December or Easter, book your shortlet as soon as your plans are fixed, ideally a month or more ahead. For an ordinary week, a week or two ahead often still leaves a fair choice. Booking early has a second reward: it gives you time to cancel for free if your plans change.
This guide explains how far ahead you can book, how the cancellation deadline works, the busy seasons, and last-minute stays.
How far ahead you can book
Each host decides how far ahead guests can book their home. This is called the booking window. On Cabans the standard is 1 year ahead. A host can also choose 30 days, 2, 3 or 6 months, 18 months or 2 years.
In the calendar, days beyond the window are grey, and you cannot pick them. If you try a date that is too far away, you see a message such as “This property takes bookings up to 365 days ahead. Choose an earlier date.” The calendar opens on the first month with a free night, which is a quick sign of how busy the home is.
Booking on Cabans takes a few minutes:
- Open a listing and pick your check-in day, then your check-out day.
- Read the green “Price Breakdown”: nights, any discount, cleaning fee, caution deposit and total.
- Press “Reserve”. Your dates are held for 30 minutes (half an hour) while you pay, and nothing is charged yet.
- Pay securely online through Paystack, by card or another way shown at checkout. Paystack’s processing fee is added, and you see it before you pay. That fee is not refunded.
Look at the badge on the booking box too. “Instant booking” means your stay is confirmed as soon as you pay. “Host confirms” means the host has a set time to accept your paid request, and the checkout page tells you how long. If they decline or do not answer in time, you are refunded. Step by step, see how to reserve your dates.
The 30-day rule and your refund
Every shortlet on Cabans can be cancelled for free up to a deadline. The host chooses how long before check-in the deadline falls: 24 hours, or 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 14 or 30 days. If the host chooses nothing, it is 48 hours (2 days).
The deadline is worked out from your check-in day and time. Say you check in on Friday 18 December at 14:00, and the host chose 7 days. Your deadline is Friday 11 December at 14:00. Once you pick your dates, the booking box shows it in full: “Free cancellation until Fri 11 Dec 2026, 14:00 WAT”.
Now see why booking early matters, with that same 7-day host:
| You book on | What you see | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Tue 1 Dec | “Free cancellation until Fri 11 Dec 2026, 14:00 WAT” | You have 10 days to change your mind |
| Mon 14 Dec | “No free cancellation” | The stay can never be cancelled once booked |
That second row is the one to watch. A stay booked inside the host’s cancellation period cannot be cancelled at all. You are always told this before you pay, so read that line every time.
The 30-day rule is a safety net for guests. A 30-day cancellation period only applies in full when you book more than 30 days before check-in. Book closer than that, and you can still cancel for free until 15 days before check-in. Here it is with a 30-day host and the same Friday 18 December check-in:
| You book on | Days before check-in | Free cancellation until |
|---|---|---|
| Sun 1 Nov | 47 | Wed 18 Nov, 14:00 WAT (30 days before) |
| Wed 25 Nov | 23 | Thu 3 Dec, 14:00 WAT (15 days before) |
| Thu 10 Dec | 8 | No free cancellation |
If you cancel before your deadline, the cancellation goes through at once, with no approval needed. You get back 100% of what you paid for the stay: the nights, the cleaning fee and the caution deposit. Paystack’s processing fee is not refunded. Refunds reach you within 14 days at most, and usually in about 5 days. See how to cancel a booking for each step.
Plans only shifted a little? You can ask to change your dates or number of guests before you arrive. Some changes apply straight away, and others need the host to agree.
Want the widest safety margin? Browse shortlets with free cancellation and book well before the deadline.
Booking a long stay, such as a month for work or a relocation? Book it early too. Long stays need many free nights in a row, and one booking in the middle can break them up. Some hosts also offer a longer-stay discount or free nights, which the “Price Breakdown” shows in green. Our guide to paying less for a longer shortlet explains how those offers work.
Busy seasons
Shortlets fill fastest around these times:
- December. Christmas, New Year and the concerts and parties many call Detty December. Many Nigerians who live abroad come home for the holidays.
- Easter and the Sallah holidays. Long weekends mean family trips and visits.
- Other public holidays. Any holiday that makes a long weekend brings short breaks.
- School holidays. Families travel more, and larger homes go quickly.
- Weddings and big events. Homes near a popular venue can be booked up for one weekend.
For these dates:
- book as soon as your travel is fixed, even a few months ahead;
- expect some hosts to charge more for the busiest nights, so compare full totals;
- choose a home whose free-cancellation deadline gives you room if plans change;
- book early enough to have a second choice if a host declines.
Coming to Lagos for December? Start with Detty December shortlets in Lagos, and read our Detty December planning guide and why December prices rise.
Last-minute stays
Sometimes you need a bed tonight. You can pick today as your check-in day, as long as the home is free. A few things make a last-minute booking go smoothly:
- Look for “Instant booking”.Your stay is confirmed as soon as you pay. With “Host confirms”, you may wait hours for an answer. There is no search filter for this yet, so open each listing to see its badge.
- Expect no free cancellation.A booking made a day or two before check-in is often inside the host’s cancellation period. Be sure before you pay.
- Pay straight away.Your dates are held for only 30 minutes after you press “Reserve”.
- Check the times. The standard check-in time is 14:00 (2 in the afternoon), but each host sets their own. Arriving late at night? Message the host before you book.
- Search near where you need to be. Traffic can turn a short distance into a long evening.
The address and arrival steps appear on your stay page once the booking is confirmed. From the day before check-in, you can also tap “I have arrived” when you reach the home, so the host knows you are there.
Need somewhere now? Try shortlets in Lekki, shortlets in Ikeja or shortlets in Abuja.
A booking-time checklist
Whenever you book, run through this list before you pay:
- Fix your dates and count the nights. The check-out day is not a night.
- Count everyone staying, children included.
- Pick an area close to where you will spend your days.
- Check the badge: “Instant booking” or “Host confirms”.
- Read the cancellation line and note the deadline in your phone.
- Read the full “Price Breakdown”, including the cleaning fee and caution deposit.
- Read the check-in and check-out times and the house rules.
- Press “Reserve” and pay within 30 minutes.
- Open “My Stays” to see your booking and what happens next.
Ready? Find a shortlet you can book online, or browse all shortlets across Nigeria.
Have a flat that sits empty over the holidays? Busy seasons are when guests look hardest. List your short let in time for them.
Frequently asked questions
How far in advance should I book a shortlet?
For busy dates such as December, Easter or a holiday weekend, book as soon as your plans are fixed, ideally more than a month ahead. For an ordinary week, a week or two ahead often still leaves a fair choice. Booking early also gives you time to cancel for free if plans change.
How far ahead can I book a shortlet on Cabans?
Up to the host’s booking window. The standard is 1 year ahead, and a host can choose anything from 30 days to 2 years. Dates beyond the window show grey in the calendar.
Can I book a shortlet for tonight?
Yes, if the home is free tonight and the host takes online bookings. Look for the “Instant booking” badge, because then your stay is confirmed as soon as you pay. A last-minute stay is often inside the host’s cancellation period, so you may not be able to cancel it.
Can I cancel if I book early?
Yes, until the free-cancellation deadline shown before you pay. Cancel before it and you get back 100% of what you paid for the stay: the nights, the cleaning fee and the caution deposit. Paystack’s processing fee is not refunded. Refunds reach you within 14 days at most, usually in about 5 days.
What is the 30-day rule?
If a host’s cancellation period is 30 days, it only applies in full when you book more than 30 days before check-in. Book closer than that and you can still cancel for free until 15 days before check-in, as long as you book before that point.
Should I book my December shortlet early?
Yes. December is a busy month for shortlets in Lagos, and the choice shrinks as it gets closer. Book once your flights or plans are fixed, and check the free-cancellation date before you pay.
Related guides
Booking a shortlet from abroad · How to book a shortlet in Lagos · What if your host cancels? · Pay less for a longer stay · Booking a shortlet for one night · How to pay for a shortlet safely
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