Refunds & Cancellations

1. What this covers

This policy explains when a guest can cancel a booking, what is refunded, how disputes are handled and the timing of each release. It forms part of the Terms of Service.

2. How a payment is split

A booking is made up of four amounts. They are released and refunded on different schedules:

3. Standard cancellation tiers

Unless a stricter or more flexible tier is shown on the listing, cancellations follow this schedule, calculated from the local check-in time:

• 7 or more days before check-in: 100% refund of the room fee. The cleaning fee and service fee are non-refundable.
• 3 to 6 days before check-in: 50% refund of the room fee.
• 72 to 24 hours before check-in: 25% refund of the room fee.
• Less than 24 hours before check-in: No refund of the room fee.
• Security deposit: Always refunded in full on cancellation, regardless of tier.

Refunds are returned to the original payment method via Paystack and typically arrive within 5–10 business days depending on the issuing bank.

4. Realtor-initiated cancellations

If the shortlet agent cancels a confirmed booking, the guest receives a full refund of every amount paid — including the cleaning fee and service fee. The shortlet agent may also be subject to a platform penalty and lose their first-half room-fee payout for that booking.

5. Guest dispute window (after check-in)

For one hour after check-in (the “guest dispute window”), a guest can raise a dispute about the property — for example, a major discrepancy between the listing and reality, lack of access or a safety issue. Funds in escrow are not released until the window has closed without a dispute, or until the dispute is resolved.

If the dispute succeeds, refund amounts are determined by the three-lane resolution process described in §7 below.

6. Shortlet agent dispute window (after checkout)

For 12 hours after checkout, the shortlet agent may open a damage dispute against the security deposit. They must provide evidence (photos, repair invoices). If no dispute is raised in that window, the security deposit is automatically returned to the guest in full.

7. How disputes are resolved

• Lane 1 — Shortlet agent first response (24 hours):The shortlet agent proposes a resolution. If both parties accept, it’s applied automatically.
• Lane 2 — Admin binary decision:Where the facts are clear (e.g. confirmed no-show, documented damage), Stayza’s admin team rules in favour of one party.
• Lane 3 — Admin arbitration:Where the facts are contested, Stayza decides on a custom split of the amounts in question after reviewing both sides’ evidence. The decision is final and recorded in the booking escrow events.

8. How to start a refund or dispute

1. Open the booking from My Bookings in your guest account.
2. Choose Cancel booking for a pre-stay cancellation, or Raise a dispute for issues during or after the stay.
3. Provide a reason and any supporting evidence. You can also message Sàbí on WhatsApp with raise a dispute to start the same flow.
4. We’ll confirm by email and through the in-app notification feed when the resolution is applied.

9. Chargebacks

Please raise issues with us before initiating a card chargeback. Chargebacks are final once decided by your bank and may result in your account being suspended pending investigation, since they bypass the dispute resolution process described above.

10. Force majeure

If a booking cannot be honoured because of an event outside either party’s reasonable control (severe weather, public-health orders, civil unrest, fuel shortages affecting the property), Stayza will work with both parties to refund or reschedule fairly. Force majeure refunds are processed at the discretion of the admin team and may waive standard tier deductions.

11. Contact

For help with a refund or dispute, contact hello@stayza.pro. We aim to respond to all refund enquiries within one business day.