TL;DR: Every Radius listing uses one of two cancellation policies — Firm (default) or Strict. The policy is shown on the listing and locked into your booking at checkout. Both follow a long-term schedule (all Radius stays are 30+ nights) and determine how much you're refunded if a booking is cancelled.
Who this is for: 👤 Guest 👥 Booker 🏠 Host
🚨 Insurance Housing: If you're a Booker at an insurance housing company placing stays for displaced policyholders, the same cancellation policies apply. Extensions — common in insurance bookings — reset the cancellation window from the new check-out date.
Overview
Every listing on Radius has one cancellation policy, set by the Host. The policy is displayed on the listing page and locked into your booking at checkout — it can't change after you book. There are two tiers: Firm (the default) and Strict. Both follow a long-term schedule because all Radius stays are 30+ nights.
The cancellation policy governs how much of a refund you receive if a booking is cancelled. It also determines whether the flat 8% booking fee is refunded or kept.
Cancellation policies
Firm (default — most listings)
Free cancellation if cancelled 30 or more days before check-in — full refund of accommodation charges and the booking fee.
Inside 30 days: billed for nights stayed plus up to 30 additional nights. Booking fee kept.
Strict
48-hour grace window after booking — but only if check-in is still 28 or more days away. Full refund of accommodation charges and the booking fee if cancelled within this window.
Outside the grace window: billed for nights stayed plus up to 30 additional nights (same as Firm). Booking fee kept.
💡 Tip: The cancellation policy is locked at booking time from the listing's current setting. If a Host later changes their listing's policy, your existing booking keeps the policy you agreed to at checkout.
What happens to the booking fee
Scenario | Booking fee |
Firm: cancelled 30+ days before check-in | Refunded |
Strict: cancelled within 48h grace window (check-in 28+ days away) | Refunded |
Radius cancels the booking | Refunded |
Extenuating circumstances (determined by Radius on a case-by-case basis) | Refunded |
All other cancellations (inside the penalty window) | Kept |
Examples
Both examples below use a 60-night stay with check-in on August 1. The booking was placed on June 1.
Firm listing (default)
Cancel date | Window | Guest pays | Booking fee |
June 15 | 47 days before check-in (outside 30-day window) | Nothing — full refund | Refunded |
July 10 | 22 days before check-in (inside 30-day window) | Up to 30 nights at the nightly rate | Kept |
August 15 | 14 nights into stay (inside the penalty window) | 14 nights stayed + up to 30 additional nights; remaining 16 nights refunded | Kept |
Strict listing
Cancel date | Window | Guest pays | Booking fee |
June 2 | Within 48h of booking, check-in 60 days away (grace window) | Nothing — full refund | Refunded |
June 15 | 14 days after booking (outside 48h grace window) | Up to 30 nights at the nightly rate | Kept |
August 15 | 14 nights into stay (inside the penalty window) | 14 nights stayed + up to 30 additional nights; remaining 16 nights refunded | Kept |
How to cancel
1. Open your booking
Go to My Bookings and select the booking you want to cancel.
👤 Guest: If a Booker placed this stay on your behalf, either you or the Booker can initiate the cancellation.
2. Click Cancel booking
You'll see a refund preview showing exactly what's refundable based on the listing's policy and how many days remain until check-in.
👥 Booker: The refund preview shows the breakdown before you confirm — nights charged, nights refunded, and whether the booking fee is returned.
3. Confirm the cancellation
Once confirmed, the refund is initiated within one business day. You'll receive an email confirmation with the refund details.
Host cancellations
If a Host cancels a confirmed booking, the Booker receives a 100% refund including the booking fee. The Host may face:
A search-rank reduction for 90 days
A cancellation fee of $50 or 10% of the booking total (whichever is greater), deducted from their next payout
Possible account suspension for repeated cancellations
🏠 Host: The cancellation fee may be waived if Radius determines extenuating circumstances applied. If you need to cancel, do so as early as possible to give the Guest time to find alternative accommodations.
Refund timing
Refunds are initiated within one business day of the qualifying event. After initiation:
Card payments: typically 5–10 business days to appear
ACH or bank transfer: typically 2–5 business days to appear
💡 Tip: These windows reflect what we typically see — the exact timing is governed by Stripe (our payment processor) and your bank, not Radius. Wire-paid bookings are refunded by ACH unless otherwise agreed.
Booker placements (insurance, corporate)
When a Booker places a stay on behalf of a displaced policyholder or relocating professional, the Booker (or the Guest) can initiate the cancellation. The refund flows back to whoever paid — typically the company's payment method on file.
🚨 Insurance Housing: For insurance housing placements, the Booker at the housing company typically initiates the cancellation. If the policyholder's claim ends early, coordinate with the Host through in-app messaging before cancelling to confirm the final check-out date.
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Still need help?
Click the chat icon at the bottom-right of any page on help.bookradius.com, then click Contact Radius Support under "Create a ticket." Full walkthrough in How do I contact Radius?