Reservation, balance & cancellation policy

1. How payments are split

YapaTree manages direct bookings in two tiers based on the length of stay. In both tiers, the reservation deposit is paid via PayPal at booking time. The balance is paid within 7 days, either directly to the property owner or to YapaTree on the owner's behalf, depending on the property's management arrangement. Your confirmation email after the deposit is captured tells you which channel applies and provides the bank details.

2. Short-term stays (60 nights or fewer)

5% reservation deposit

• Paid via PayPal at booking time.
• Holds the dates for 7 days while the guest pays the 95% balance to the owner.
• Non-refundable if the booking is not completed.

95% balance

• Paid within 7 days of the deposit, either to the property owner directly or to YapaTree (depending on the property's management arrangement).
• Channels: bank transfer (preferred), Wise, Remitly, or cash if approved.
• Bank details for the applicable recipient are provided in your confirmation email after the deposit is captured.
• Once receipt is confirmed, YapaTree marks the booking as confirmed and the dates are locked in.

Auto-cancellation (T+7 days)

• If the balance is unpaid 7 days after the deposit, the reservation is automatically cancelled.
• The 5% deposit is forfeited and the dates are released.
• The guest receives an automated cancellation notice by email.

Cancellation policy (after balance is paid)

Deposit refunds (when applicable) are processed via PayPal. Balance refunds are handled directly by the owner.

3. Long-term stays (61 nights and over)

Security deposit

• Calculated at $100 per 30 nights of stay (rounded up), capped at one month's rent.
• Paid via PayPal at booking time and held by YapaTree for the duration of the stay.
• Refunded at the end of the stay, full or partial based on damages.

Examples: 30 nights = $100; 60 nights = $200; 90 nights = $300; 91-120 nights = $400. Any partial chunk rounds up to the next $100, and the total never exceeds one month's rent.

Rent payments

• First month rent is due 60 days before check-in.
• Subsequent months are paid before the start of each month.
• Channel: bank transfer, Wise, or Remitly, either to the property owner or to YapaTree depending on the property's management arrangement (your confirmation email tells you which).

Cancellation policy (long-term, before arrival)

4. House rules & pets

Each property has its own house rules (smoking, parties, noise hours, pet policy) shown on the listing. Submitting a booking acknowledges these rules. Violation may result in early termination without refund.

Pet status is shown on each property: No pets, Pets welcome, or Case-by-case. For case-by-case properties, owner approval is required and the deposit may be refunded if the pet is declined.

5. Damage & disputes

Guests are responsible for damage caused during their stay. For long-term stays, damage is deducted from the security deposit. For short-term stays, damage is reconciled with the owner (or with YapaTree if the property is YapaTree-managed and we collected the balance).

Disputes that cannot be resolved between guest and owner are mediated by YapaTree in good faith. Unresolved disputes are subject to small-claims process under Ecuadorian law.

6. Privacy & data

Personal information collected at booking (name, email, phone, payment metadata) is used to process the reservation and communicate with the guest. We do not sell this data. Payment processing is handled by PayPal under their own privacy policy.

7. Governing law

These terms are governed by the laws of the Republic of Ecuador. Bookings are processed in U.S. dollars (USD), the official currency of Ecuador.

8. Contact

Questions or refund requests: info@yapatree.com