Retreat Contracts, Deposits & Cancellation Policies: A Host's Guide
Nobody starts a retreat business because they love paperwork. But the admin is what stands between you and a genuinely painful situation — a guest who cancels three weeks out, a venue bill you're liable for, or an injury with no waiver on file. Get these four things right and you can relax into the fun part.
1. Take a Deposit — and Make It Non-Refundable
A deposit does two jobs: it secures your guest's commitment, and it protects you against the cost of an empty bed. Common practice is a non-refundable deposit (often a few hundred dollars, or 25–30% of the retreat price) due at booking, with the balance due 60 days before the start date.
Why non-refundable? Because you've committed to your venue based on that headcount. If someone withdraws late, you're still paying for their room. The deposit is what makes that survivable.
2. Write a Clear Cancellation Policy
Spell it out plainly on your booking page before anyone pays — never in the small print afterwards. A workable structure:
Deposit is non-refundable from the moment of booking
Full balance due 60 days before the retreat
Cancellations before the 60-day mark: refund of payments made beyond the deposit
Cancellations after the 60-day mark: no refund (this is what travel insurance is for)
What happens if you cancel: full refund of payments, typically if minimum numbers aren't met by a set date
Being upfront about this isn't cold — it's professional, and guests respect it. Ambiguity is what creates conflict.
3. Require Travel Insurance. Every Guest. No Exceptions.
This is the single kindest thing you can do for both of you. Travel insurance is what turns a cancelled flight, an illness, or a family emergency from a fight over refunds into a claim your guest can actually make. Require it, state it in your contract, and remind guests to buy it as soon as they book — most policies only cover cancellation reasons that arise after purchase.
4. Get a Signed Waiver and Retreat Agreement
Before day one, every guest should have signed:
A liability waiver covering physical activity — yoga, surfing, hiking, swimming
A retreat agreement covering payment terms, the cancellation policy, what's included and excluded, and a health disclosure
Also carry your own liability insurance as a teacher, and confirm it covers you teaching abroad.
Don't Forget Your Own Protection
Read your venue's contract as carefully as you write your own. Know their deposit, their payment schedule, their cancellation terms, and your minimum-numbers obligations. If you're liable for the full property regardless of how many guests you bring, you need to know that before you price the retreat — see how to price your yoga retreat.
A Note on Tone
None of this has to feel corporate. Write it in plain, warm language, put it where people can find it, and answer questions generously. Clear terms are a form of care — they mean nobody gets a nasty surprise.
This article is general information, not legal advice. Have a qualified professional review your contracts and check requirements in your jurisdiction.
Hosting With Us
Still Salty Escape puts everything in writing — inclusions, deposits, payment schedule, and terms — so you know exactly where you stand. See our Terms of Booking or get in touch.
