For hosts
Caution deposit protection for shortlet hosts
Guests pay your caution deposit with the booking. After they check out, you release it in full or raise a dispute with your photos, and the Cabans team decides how much you keep. Nothing is kept until the team decides.
What a caution deposit is
It is money a guest pays up front and gets back after the stay, so you have something to draw on if a guest damages or takes something. People in Nigeria call it a caution fee, caution money or a security deposit. On a Cabans shortlet the screens call it the caution deposit, and it is always refundable in principle: the guest only loses the part our team agrees you may keep.
This page is about deposits on shortlet stays. For the caution fee on a yearly rent, see caution fee in Nigeria explained.
Setting the amount
On your listing, fill in "Caution deposit (₦, fixed amount)". The form explains it well: "For a short let the caution deposit is a fixed amount in naira, not a percentage of the price. Guests pay it once per stay and get it back after check-out, less any damage you prove; discounts never apply to it. Enter 0 for no deposit."
- It is one fixed amount for every stay at that listing, whatever the dates or the number of nights.
- Changing it is a listing change, so it waits for approval by the Cabans team before guests see it.
- It is added to what the guest pays today. A very large deposit makes your total look higher, so match it to what is in your home.
Not sure what figure to pick? List what could break or go missing in your home, and what it would cost to fix or replace. Then pick an amount a guest would still be happy to pay up front. More help: how much caution fee a shortlet should charge.
What guests see
- Under your calendar: "Caution deposit: ₦…, refundable", with your own amount in place of the dots.
- In the price breakdown: a line "Caution deposit (refundable)", included in the total they pay.
- After check-out, on their stay page: where the deposit is, from "Deposit being checked" to "Deposit returned".
- If a guest cancels in time, or you decline or cancel, the deposit is refunded with everything else.
Evidence that helps your case
Our team decides disputes on what both sides show. Photos from before and after the stay make the difference.
| Check-in photos | From the moment the booking is confirmed until check-out. Take them before each guest arrives. |
| Check-out photos | From full check-in until the deposit is disputed or settled, including when you confirm the check-out. |
| Photos per upload | Up to 10 at a time, each up to 10 MB. They are kept privately with the booking. |
| Dispute evidence | Photos and PDFs up to 10 MB, videos (MP4 or MOV) up to 50 MB, and up to 30 files per dispute. Receipts and repair quotes help. |
The screen-by-screen guide is how to confirm check-out and add condition photos.
After check-out: release or dispute, step by step
- 1
Confirm the check-out
On the booking, press "Confirm check-out". You can add up to 10 condition photos of how the property was left. The stay ends and the guest no longer sees the codes.
- 2
Check the property
Walk through every room. Compare it with your check-in photos, and note anything damaged or missing.
- 3
Release the deposit if all is well
In the "Caution deposit" panel press "Approve full refund", then "Release deposit". The whole deposit goes back to the guest, and you cannot raise a dispute about that stay afterwards.
- 4
Or raise a dispute
Press "Raise a dispute". Enter the "Amount to keep" (more than ₦0 and no more than the deposit), explain "What happened" and how you worked out the amount, add your evidence, then press "Raise dispute".
- 5
Answer and wait for the decision
The guest can reply and add evidence too, and the Cabans team sees every message. The team decides how much you keep, from nothing up to the whole deposit, and the rest goes back to the guest. You are both emailed.
More detail: how to release a caution deposit or raise a dispute.
The 14-day point
If you have neither released the deposit nor raised a dispute, the guest can ask for it back from 14 days after check-out. Our team will then release it, unless you raise a dispute first. You can still raise a dispute after the guest asks, but the simplest habit is to check the property and settle the deposit within a day or two of every check-out.
What the deposit is not
- It is not insurance. The most you can keep is the deposit amount itself.
- It is not yours to take. Only a full release by you, or a decision by our team, settles it.
- There is no fixed time for the team's decision. Clear photos and a clear explanation help it go smoothly.
Frequently asked questions
Is a shortlet caution fee refundable?
Yes. On Cabans it is called a caution deposit and it is refundable. The guest pays it with the booking, and it goes back to them after check-out unless the Cabans team agrees the host may keep some of it for damage. It is also refunded in full if the booking is cancelled in time, declined or cancelled by the host.
Can I keep part of the deposit without asking?
No. You can release the whole deposit, or raise a dispute and ask to keep an amount. Nothing is kept until the Cabans team decides.
How much caution deposit should I charge?
There is no set amount. It is a fixed naira figure you choose, never a percentage of the price, and 0 means no deposit. Think about what could be damaged or go missing, and remember the deposit is added to what the guest pays up front.
What if the damage costs more than the deposit?
The most you can ask to keep is the deposit itself. The dispute form will not accept a higher amount, so set a deposit that fits what is in your home.
Is there a time limit to raise a dispute?
There is no deadline for you. But from 14 days after check-out the guest can ask our team to release the deposit, and the team may then release it unless you raise a dispute first. So check the property and decide soon after the guest leaves.
Can a guest raise a dispute against the host?
No. Only the host can raise a deposit dispute. The guest can reply, explain what happened and add their own photos, videos or PDFs, and our team reads both sides before deciding.
How does the guest get the money back?
When the deposit is released, or after the team decides a dispute, the Cabans team sends the refund to the card or account the guest paid with, and emails them. It reaches them within 14 days at most, and usually in about 5 days. The guest sees the status on their stay page.
Found damage after a stay? Read what to do when a guest damages your shortlet. Staying as a guest? Read how to get your caution deposit back, and the guest's view: is a shortlet caution fee refundable?
Take bookings with a deposit in place
Set your caution deposit, cleaning fee and booking rules once, and every guest pays the deposit with their booking.