Are you selling a home you’ve used as short-stay accommodation? Read this first

Has your home ever been listed on platforms such as AirBnB, Stayz and Booking.com?

Are you still taking bookings? If so, you need to take action before you sell, otherwise the new owner could receive an unexpected surprise.

This happened recently, with a new home owner answering a knock on their door to find strangers with suitcases ready to move in with them for a holiday.

It turns out the property had been listed for short-stay accommodation and the guests had booked before the sale took place. The booking was not cancelled because the previous owner did not follow the platform’s contract termination processes.  When selling, the owner had emailed the platform to take down their listing and mistakenly thought this was all that they needed to do.

Short-stay platforms require contracts to be cancelled in specific ways and this can vary from platform to platform. They also need a certain amount of notice, which also varies.

If you are selling a property that has been used for short-stay accommodation, it is recommended that you take the following steps:

• Has your property previously been listed on short-stay platforms? Did you cancel the contract according to the platform’s requirements and processes? Are there any outstanding bookings that remain active, which may need to be cancelled?
• If your property remains on any short-term accommodation platforms at the time of listing it for sale, inform your agent and take steps to cancel the contract.
• Contact each platform and ask what their requirements are to end the contract. This includes providing the correct amount of notice needed and the specific method of notification (ie. filling out a form, sending an email, or making a phone call).
• If contracts are still in place when you list the home for sale, make sure you inform your agent.