Cancelling a confirmed booking may result in a penalty and affects your listing ranking. Contact Uniplaces support before cancelling — do not contact the tenant directly.
When should you cancel?
Landlord-initiated cancellations should only happen in genuine emergencies — situations where the property is truly unavailable and no alternative solution exists. Cancelling a confirmed booking is always a last resort.
Common legitimate reasons include serious property damage, a family emergency requiring the property, or a legal issue that prevents the rental from proceeding. A change of mind, a better offer from another tenant, or a disagreement about terms are not acceptable reasons to cancel a confirmed booking.
Step 1 — Contact Uniplaces before doing anything
Your first action must be to contact the Uniplaces support team — before calling the tenant, before doing anything else. Explain the situation clearly and provide your booking reference.
The support team will assess the situation, advise on the correct process and handle all communication with the tenant on your behalf. Do not contact the tenant directly — any arrangement made outside the platform removes the protections that apply to both parties.
What happens to the tenant?
When a landlord cancels a confirmed booking, Uniplaces:
- Notifies the tenant immediately
- Issues a full refund to the tenant — including the service fee
- Helps the tenant find an alternative listing as quickly as possible
The tenant is always made whole. A landlord cancellation never results in a financial loss for the tenant — Uniplaces guarantees this regardless of the cancellation policy set on your listing.
What are the penalties?
Landlord-initiated cancellations result in two consequences:
- Financial penalty — a penalty is applied to your account. The exact amount depends on the circumstances and how close to the move-in date the cancellation occurs.
- Ranking impact — your listing’s position in Uniplaces search results will be negatively affected. Repeated cancellations can result in significant visibility loss and additional account restrictions.
These consequences exist to protect tenants — particularly international students who have planned their move around a confirmed booking. A cancellation at short notice can cause serious disruption to a tenant’s plans.
How to avoid cancellations
The best way to avoid cancellations is prevention:
- Keep your calendar updated — only accept bookings for dates you can genuinely commit to. See How to Update Your Availability Calendar.
- Keep your listing accurate — outdated photos or incorrect amenity listings create disputes that can escalate to cancellations.
- Use iCal sync — if you list on multiple platforms, sync your calendars to prevent conflicting bookings. See How to Sync Your Listing Calendar with iCal.
- Only accept requests you can fulfil — if there’s any doubt about your availability, decline the request and update your calendar before more requests arrive.
Frequently asked questions
Can I cancel if the tenant breaks the house rules before moving in?
Contact Uniplaces support immediately if a tenant’s behavior before move-in gives you serious concerns. The support team will advise on the correct process. Do not cancel unilaterally — even in these circumstances, the process must go through Uniplaces.
What if I have a genuine emergency and can’t reach Uniplaces support?
Contact support as soon as possible — the team is available Monday to Friday. If your emergency occurs over a weekend, document everything and contact support first thing on Monday. In the meantime, do not make any arrangements directly with the tenant.
Can a cancellation penalty be waived?
Penalties may be reviewed in cases of genuine force majeure — serious illness, natural disaster, legal prohibition. Contact Uniplaces support with documentation explaining the circumstances. Penalties are not automatically waived but are assessed on a case-by-case basis.
How long does a cancellation affect my listing ranking?
The impact on your ranking depends on the frequency and circumstances of the cancellation. A single cancellation with a legitimate reason has less impact than repeated cancellations. Maintain a strong overall listing quality — high response rate, good reviews and accurate availability — to offset the impact over time.
Still need help?
Contact our landlord support team →