Payment Conditions
How payments, escrow, refunds and payouts work across Stay, Rent and Buy on Tenanto.
The three ways money moves
🧳 Stay
You pay into escrow. The host is paid after you check in.
🔑 Rent
You pay into escrow. The landlord is paid when the tenancy starts (move-in).
🏡 Buy
Tenanto does NOT handle the purchase price. You pay the seller directly, after your own due diligence.
Stays & rentals: how escrow protects you
1. You pay into escrow
Your payment is collected via Paystack (a licensed payment gateway) and held safely by Tenanto. The owner cannot touch it yet, you’re never paying a stranger up front.
2. The owner sees it’s paid
Your dates (or tenancy) are reserved and the owner is notified that it’s funded, but the money stays held.
3. You check in / move in
For a stay, you show your check-in code on arrival, the host scans the QR or types your 4-digit code. For a rental, the release happens when the tenancy starts. This is what begins the owner’s payout.
4. The owner is paid into their wallet
Their share is released into their Tenanto wallet; they withdraw it to their own bank from there. Nothing is auto-transferred to a stranger.
5. Something wrong? Open a dispute
If it isn’t as described, open a dispute to freeze the money. Our team reviews the evidence and either releases it to the owner or refunds you.
Buying a property
Tenanto never collects or holds the purchase price of a property. A sale is completed off-platform, directly between you and the seller and their professionals.
Making or accepting an offer, or a listing being marked “reserved”, is an agreement to negotiate, not a binding sale. Before you pay a seller, do your own due diligence, title investigation, survey, ownership and encumbrance checks, Governor’s consent where applicable, physical inspection, and independent legal representation.
The only sale payment made through Tenanto is the seller’s listing package (Basic, Verified or Premium), charged once at publish.
Cancellations & refunds (stays)
Every stay uses the same simple policy (rentals follow the tenancy agreement and our dispute process):
| If you… | You get back | Host keeps |
|---|---|---|
| Cancel before your check-in day | 100% refund | Nothing |
| Cancel on the check-in day (before check-in time) | 90% refund | 10% |
| No-show / cancel after check-in time | No refund | Their normal payout (commission still applies) |
Refunds land in your Tenanto wallet right away. To move money to your bank you request a withdrawal, which we review and pay out, it isn’t an automatic transfer.
Fees
| Fee | Applies to | Paid by / when |
|---|---|---|
| Service fee | Stays & rentals | Shown at checkout, at payment |
| Owner commission | Stays & rentals | Deducted from payout on release |
| Inspection fee | Rentals | Tenant, at booking. Paid to the landlord for the viewing, separate from rent; refunded to your wallet if they don’t show up |
| Listing package | Property for sale | Seller, once at publish (non-refundable) |
| Buyer’s fee | Property for sale | Buyer, once, to unlock the seller’s contact and full address (non-refundable, charged whether or not the sale completes) |
| Pro plan (optional) | Stay hosts | More rooms + priority placement, monthly |
The exact amounts are always shown before you confirm, no hidden charges.
Important notes
- 1Paystack is used only to collect payment for stays and rentals. Your money is then held in escrow until check-in / move-in.
- 2The owner is paid only after check-in or move-in, this protects you from paying for something that isn’t there.
- 3Payouts and refunds go into a Tenanto wallet first; you then request a withdrawal to your bank, which we review and pay out. Money never leaves automatically.
- 4Paying outside Tenanto for a stay or rental voids all escrow protection, no refunds, no disputes. Always pay on-platform.
- 5For property sales, Tenanto never holds the purchase price, do your own due diligence and pay the seller directly through your professionals.