Collecting Security Deposits on Rentals

Rentals carry a risk that most service appointments don't — damage, excessive cleaning needs, or late returns. A security deposit gives you a way to cover that risk without inflating your base rate for every customer.

Two ways to collect a deposit

• Collect upfront — the deposit amount is added to the total charged at the time of booking, and held until you release or apply it after the rental period ends.
• Card on file only — the customer's payment method is securely saved but not charged. If damage or extra charges come up after the rental, you charge the deposit (or part of it) manually.

Setting up deposits

1. Go to your rental calendar's global settings (or the individual listing's payment settings, if you set deposits per listing).
2. Turn on the security deposit option and choose which collection method fits your business — upfront works well for high-risk or high-value rentals, while card-on-file suits rentals where damage is uncommon.
3. Set the deposit amount, either as a flat fee or a percentage of the booking total.
4. Decide your process for releasing or returning deposits after a clean return, and make sure whoever manages check-ins knows the process.

Communicating deposit terms

State the deposit amount and how it will be handled clearly on the booking page and in the confirmation message — customers who are surprised by a deposit charge are far more likely to dispute it with their card issuer.

Good to know: Card-on-file deposits reduce upfront friction for the customer but require you to manually charge if something goes wrong, so they work best when you have a reliable process for inspecting units promptly after each rental ends.