The calendar is the operational source of truth for a short-stay business. If it does not include every booking source and blocked period, the availability shown to guests becomes unreliable.
Availability belongs to a specific bookable unit
A property can have several units with the same category but different occupied dates. Availability calculations must reach the physical inventory level where appropriate.
Block non-bookable periods explicitly
Maintenance, owner use, cleaning windows or other operational closures should be recorded rather than remembered informally.
Capture bookings from every source
A reservation received offline still consumes inventory. Add it to the same calendar used for online availability.
Use status carefully
An enquiry should not necessarily block inventory forever, while a confirmed reservation usually must. Define status transitions and expiry rules clearly.
Frequently asked questions
What causes double booking?
It commonly happens when different booking sources are not reflected in the same availability record.
Should maintenance dates block a unit?
If a unit cannot host a guest during maintenance, those dates should not appear available.
Can a property have multiple calendars?
Yes. Multiple physical units normally need unit-level availability even if they share one property profile.
Does a cancelled booking free the dates?
Once cancellation is valid and any operational hold is removed, the dates can become available again according to the booking rules.