When a customer books a unit with a future start date and then backs out before moving in, you can cancel their booking directly from its record, before their card is ever charged. As long as the rental hasn't started, no subscription is active yet: only a "pending" payment schedule exists. Cancelling removes that upcoming charge, frees the unit, and revokes the pending lease.
If the rental has already started, this isn't the right flow: use Schedule a move-out instead.
Who this article is for
Cancelling before start needs the Owner or Manager role. If the Rental hasn't started yet window doesn't offer a cancel option, ask an Owner on your team.
When to use this flow
Use cancel-before-start only when the rental's start date is in the future (it hasn't started yet) and the customer no longer wants the unit, changed their mind, or won't show up. No subscription has started yet: only a "pending" payment schedule exists, and that's what cancellation removes.
Cancelling a booking before it starts
Step 1.
Open the customer's booking record.
Step 2.
In the header, click Schedule move-out. Since the rental hasn't started, the Rental hasn't started yet window opens instead, showing the expected start date.
Step 3.
Click Cancel booking.
Step 4.
At the Confirm cancellation step, read the warning: "This action is irreversible. The booking will be cancelled, portal access revoked, and the unit made available."
Step 5.
Optionally enter a cancellation reason (for example "tenant changed their mind"). It's saved in the booking's history. This field is optional.
Step 6.
Click Confirm cancellation. The button shows Cancelling…, then a message confirms: Booking cancelled successfully.
To go back before confirming, click Back. To close without changing anything, click Close.
What happens automatically
The customer's saved card is never charged: the pending payment schedule is cancelled. Any pending e-lease is revoked, if it was sent and not already signed. Customer portal access is revoked. The unit becomes Available again and can be rented out immediately. The booking is marked Cancelled and an entry appears in the activity history, with the reason entered.
This flow never issues a refund: it prevents an upcoming charge, it doesn't return money already collected.
Common issues
The customer was already charged for the first month.
What to check: has the start date already passed?
What to do: if the rental has started, use Schedule move-out, then refund from the invoice if needed (see Invoices).
I don't see the Cancel booking button.
What to check: do you have the Owner or Manager role? Has the rental already started?
What to do: ask an Owner on your team. If the rental has started, use Schedule move-out instead.
I cancelled by mistake.
What to check: cancellation is irreversible.
What to do: create a new booking for the customer; the unit is available again.
Common questions
My customer backed out before moving in. How do I avoid charging them? Open their booking record, click Schedule move-out then Cancel booking, and confirm. The card is never charged.
Was the customer's card charged? No. As long as the start date is in the future, no payment has occurred.
What if the rental already started? Use Schedule a move-out.
The customer had received a lease to sign. What happens to it? The pending e-lease is automatically revoked, if not already signed.
Can I refund a customer already charged with this flow? No. Refund from the relevant invoice, see Invoices.