Can a guest cancel an accommodation booking within 14 days without a reason?

Not if the accommodation is for precisely agreed dates. Slovak Consumer Protection Act No. 108/2024 excludes the right to withdraw from a distance contract for accommodation services other than for residential purposes if they are to be provided at a precisely agreed time (Section 19(1)(l)). What happens on cancellation is therefore set by your cancellation policy.

How much can I ask as a deposit?

The law sets no fixed amount for private accommodation; it is a matter of agreement with the guest. What matters is that the guest knows the amount, due date and refund rules before confirming the booking.

What if I am the one who cancels?

Refund everything the guest has paid as soon as possible. Say so explicitly in the cancellation policy so guests see the rules work both ways.

How should I handle an early departure?

The Civil Code lets the guest withdraw from the contract before the agreed end, but the guest compensates the host's loss only if the host could not prevent it (Section 759(1)). State clearly in your policy how you handle early departures.

Must the cancellation policy be the same on my website and on portals?

No, each portal has its own settings. On your own website you may even offer better terms than on a portal. What matters is that guests see the terms that apply to them with every booking.

A cancellation policy says how much a guest pays if they cancel a booking, and a deposit is the amount paid in advance to secure the dates. For accommodation on precisely agreed dates, guests have no statutory right to withdraw within 14 days without a reason, so your own terms decide everything. Below is a template with examples you can adjust to your cottage.

What a cancellation policy should contain and why

That the 14-day withdrawal does not apply. Slovak Consumer Protection Act No. 108/2024 gives consumers the right to withdraw from a distance contract. The exception is accommodation services other than for residential purposes, if they are to be provided at a precisely agreed time or within a precisely agreed period (Section 19(1)(l)). A cottage stay on fixed dates falls under this exception. Tell guests in advance to avoid misunderstandings.

Deposit and balance. The amount, due date and payment method. Without a paid deposit the dates are usually not blocked permanently.

What happens on cancellation. How much you refund depending on how long before arrival the guest cancels.

Early departure and no-show. The Civil Code allows a guest to withdraw before the end of the stay, but they compensate your loss only if you could not prevent it (Section 759(1)). For example, if you manage to sell the dates to someone else, you suffer no loss.

Cancellation by you and force majeure. Guests should know what they get if you cancel, or if the stay cannot take place because of circumstances nobody controls.

Example models

These are common models, not a recommendation of specific percentages. Choose based on how easily you can rebook the dates.

Model	Early cancellation	Late cancellation
Flexible	up to [14] days before arrival we refund the full deposit	later the deposit is forfeited
Moderate	up to [30] days we refund the deposit less [a fee]	later the deposit is forfeited
Strict	the deposit is non-refundable	within [7] days of arrival the balance is also due

Many owners also offer a change of dates instead of cancellation, for example once free of charge up to a set date. It makes the decision easier for guests and you keep the revenue.

Cancellation policy and deposit template

Template

Payment and cancellation terms of [Cottage name]

1. Deposit and balance

We confirm the booking once we receive a deposit of [30%] of the price of the stay.
Please pay the deposit within [5] days of the booking confirmation to account [IBAN], reference [booking number].
If the deposit does not arrive on time, we release the dates.
The balance is [due [14] days before arrival / paid on arrival].
A refundable security deposit of €[amount] is paid [on arrival] and returned [on departure / within [7] days] after we check the cottage.

2. Cancellation by the guest

Please cancel by email to [email]. The date we receive your message counts.
If you cancel [more than [30] days] before arrival, we refund [the full deposit / the deposit less €[amount]].
If you cancel [[30] to [14] days] before arrival, we refund [[50]% of the deposit].
If you cancel [less than [14] days] before arrival or do not arrive, the deposit is forfeited.
Instead of cancelling, you may move your dates [once] free of charge if you do so at least [[30] days] before arrival and the new dates are available.

3. Early departure

Nights not used due to early departure are not refunded unless we manage to sell them to another guest.

4. Cancellation by us

If we cancel the stay, or it cannot take place for reasons on our side, we refund all payments received within [7] days.

5. Withdrawal from a distance contract

This is accommodation on precisely agreed dates, so you have no right to withdraw from the contract within 14 days without giving a reason (Section 19(1)(l) of Act No. 108/2024). Cancellation is governed by these terms.

6. Contact

[Name], [phone], [email]

This template is a guide and does not replace legal advice.

How to adapt the template

Adjust the percentages and deadlines to the season. In peak season and over holidays the dates are harder to sell at the last minute; off season it is easier.
Show the terms wherever guests book. On your website at booking, in the booking confirmation and on the invoice. A guest who did not see the terms before paying will be harder to agree with.
Your own website can offer better terms. For example a free change of dates. It is a good reason to book direct rather than through a portal.
Make the deposit easy to pay. Send it with the booking confirmation, with the account number and reference, ideally with a payment QR code too. The less a guest has to copy, the sooner they pay. The confirmation text is in the booking confirmation template.

Related templates: house rules and booking confirmation.

Cancellation policy and deposit for a cottage: template