Sometimes a guest needs to cancel. Sometimes a host can no longer provide the stay. Sometimes the guest simply does not arrive.

When that happens, the most important thing is to stay calm, check the booking, and follow the cancellation terms attached to that reservation.

Start with the booking

Open the reservation in your seller dashboard and check:

The current booking status.
The check-in date and time.
The cancellation policy attached to the stay.
What the guest has already paid.
Whether any refund has already been started.

Do not rely on memory or an old message. Use the booking in Tambala as the source of truth.

If the guest wants to cancel

If a guest asks to cancel, first check whether the booking can still be cancelled and what the cancellation policy says.

The refund may depend on how close the cancellation is to check-in, the policy you chose for the property, and what the guest has already paid.

If the guest is entitled to a refund, follow the Tambala cancellation process rather than arranging repayment privately.

If the policy does not provide a full refund, explain that calmly and point the guest to the terms attached to the booking.

Do not change the rules after the guest has already booked.

What happens after a cancellation

Once the booking is cancelled, Tambala will update the reservation and any related payment or refund information.

The booked dates may also become available again.

Check your calendar afterwards, especially if you manage availability on Tambala and other places. Make sure the dates now show the correct status before accepting another booking.

If you need to cancel as the host

Host cancellations should be rare.

Sometimes they are unavoidable. There may be a serious maintenance problem, a safety issue, or another situation that means you genuinely cannot host the guest.

If this happens, contact the guest as early as possible and explain the problem clearly.

Then cancel through the proper Tambala process so the booking, refund and support records remain connected.

Do not simply message the guest and leave the booking active.

Where possible, help reduce the inconvenience. If you know of a suitable alternative, you may suggest it, but do not pressure the guest to accept something they did not book.

Frequent host cancellations can damage customer trust, so it is worth preventing them where you can.

How to reduce host cancellations

Keep your availability calendar accurate.

If you accept bookings elsewhere, block those dates on Tambala as soon as possible.

Do not leave a room available when you already know it will be under repair or unavailable.

Check your property regularly so maintenance problems are found before the guest is due to arrive.

A little prevention is much easier than cancelling someone’s trip at the last minute.

If the guest does not arrive

A no-show is when the guest has a valid booking but does not arrive as expected and has not properly cancelled.

Do not immediately assume the guest is not coming.

Try to contact them.

They may be delayed, lost, or arriving later than planned.

If you cannot reach them, wait according to your property’s normal check-in arrangements and follow the no-show process shown in Tambala.

Do not mark a guest as checked in if they never arrived.

Keep a record of your attempts to contact them in case the booking later needs support.

What happens to the guest’s payment after a no-show

The outcome depends on the cancellation and no-show terms attached to the booking.

Do not assume that every no-show means you automatically keep all money paid.

Open the booking and follow the payment or refund status shown in Tambala.

If the outcome is unclear, contact Tambala support before promising the guest a refund or telling them that no refund is available.

If the guest wants to change the dates instead

Sometimes a guest does not really want to cancel. They want to move the booking.

First check whether the new dates are available.

If they are, use the approved booking or change process so the new dates, price and payment are recorded properly.

Do not make an informal agreement that leaves the original booking unchanged. That can create problems with availability, payments and future disputes.

If changing the dates is not possible, the normal cancellation policy may apply.

If the guest has already checked in

Once a stay has started, the situation is usually no longer a simple cancellation.

The guest may be leaving early because of a problem, a personal change of plans, or dissatisfaction with the property.

In that case, check the booking and follow the appropriate support, refund or dispute process rather than trying to treat it like a normal pre-arrival cancellation.

Keep important communication in Tambala where possible.

Keep communication clear

Cancellation situations can become emotional because they involve money and travel plans.

Keep your messages short, polite and factual.

For example:

I am sorry you can no longer make the stay. I have checked the booking and will follow the cancellation terms attached to your reservation. You will be able to see any refund update in Tambala.

If the cancellation is your responsibility:

I am very sorry, but we are unable to host this booking because of an unexpected problem at the property. We are cancelling it through Tambala so the correct refund process can begin.

Clear communication usually prevents a difficult situation from becoming worse.

The important thing to remember

When a cancellation or no-show happens:

Check the booking.

Check the policy.

Check what has been paid.

Keep the communication clear.

Use the Tambala process for cancellation and refunds.

Do not invent a new rule in the moment.

The fairest outcome is usually the one both sides could already see in the booking terms.

For the full reservation journey, see Process a Stay Booking.

If the guest has already arrived, use Check Guests In and Out.

For questions about money after a cancellation, see Stay Payouts and Reviews.