Loading...
Onboarding guidesUpdated 6/3/2026
Set a cancellation policy and a rental agreement
This is for hosts about to accept bookings from people they have not met. Two settings give you and your guests a clear, agreed set of expectations before money changes hands: a cancellation policy, and an optional rental agreement. Both are quick to set, and you can keep your choices simple to start.
Choose a cancellation policy
Your cancellation policy sets the rules for refunds if a guest needs to cancel. Guests see this policy before they book, so it sets expectations up front and protects you from last-minute surprises.
- Open the property and go to Edit Listing → Cancellation Policy.
- Choose the policy that fits how you run your place.
You do not need to overthink the tiers. Pick the option that matches how flexible you want to be, and move on. You can change it later as you learn what works.
Here is what a guest sees at checkout, so they know the terms before they confirm:
For the full breakdown of each option, see the cancellation policy guide.
Require a rental agreement (optional)
A rental agreement is a document your guests accept at checkout, spelling out your house rules and terms. Requiring one is optional, but many hosts like the added clarity and protection, especially for higher-value stays.
- In Edit Listing, open Rental agreement.
- Turn on the option to require an agreement, and set or upload the terms you want guests to accept.
When enabled, guests must accept the agreement before they can complete their booking. For details, see the rental agreement guide.
A note on extra protection
If you want more safeguards later, Haven offers guest verification and security deposits. Neither is required to take your first booking, so set them up once you are comfortable.
You're done when…
You have selected a cancellation policy that guests will see before booking, and you have either set up a rental agreement or made a deliberate choice to skip it for now.