The job finished early: can we end the crew's accommodation booking?

95 of 149of our crew bookings with recorded terms could be ended on 30 days' notice

35 of 93of our stays of 28 nights or less were non-refundable

28 of 41crews in our properties on 13 November can give 30 days' notice

1 monthnotice on a French bail mobilite, but only an individual can sign one

On 3 November, contractors on a 17-storey hotel tower in Reykjavik were told to leave the site at once and the gates were locked. The developer's bank had stopped funding the project. In Italy, La Stampa reported on 7 November that sites on the Terzo Valico rail line near Alessandria have stopped and 340 workers fear for their jobs. On 2 November, 50 workers on the Brenner rail tunnel were put on short time after arsenic was found in the rock.

When a site stops, the crew goes home within days. The accommodation does not stop with it. Our argument: the laws that let a tenant leave early were written for people living in a home, not for a company housing a crew. A booker who wants to hand back a flat early can rely only on the notice period in the booking, so that period has to be agreed before the crew arrives, not after the site closes.

Can a company just give notice on the flat?

Usually only if the booking says so. In Germany, a lease for a fixed period ends when that period runs out, and the courts have held that a fixed term excludes ordinary notice for both sides. A crew flat booked until 31 March is paid until 31 March unless the owner agrees otherwise.

In England, the protections of an assured tenancy only apply where the tenant is an individual who lives there, so a company let is governed by its contract. In France, the bail mobilite lets a tenant on a temporary work assignment leave at any time on one month's notice, but the tenant has to be the person, not the employer. In the Netherlands, a fixed-term residential lease can be ended early by the tenant, but the rules do not apply to lets that are short by nature.

How do the rules compare?

Country	What the law gives the tenant	Does it help a company booking for a crew?	What to get in writing
Germany	A fixed-term lease ends on the agreed date; ordinary notice is excluded for both sides	No: the company is bound to the end date	A monthly rolling term or a break clause
Netherlands	A fixed-term residential lease can be ended by the tenant on a rent day	Only if it is a residential tenancy; lets that are short by nature are excluded	The notice period, whatever the law says
France	Bail mobilite: the tenant can leave at any time on one month's notice	No: only individuals, such as a worker on a temporary assignment, can sign one	A notice clause in the company contract
England	Assured tenancy protections	No: the tenant must be an individual living there	A break clause and notice period
Hotels and platforms	None beyond the rate booked	Non-refundable rates are due in full	A flexible rate, or a mid-term let with notice

What does our booking data show?

Most of our crew bookings can be ended early, but a large minority cannot. Of 149 bookings with recorded cancellation terms, 95 could be ended on 30 days' notice, 49 were non-refundable and 5 had a fixed minimum term of up to three months.

The risk sits in the short stays. 35 of the 93 stays of 28 nights or less were non-refundable, usually because they were booked at the cheapest rate on the day. A short stay feels low-risk, but if the site stops in week one, a non-refundable month is the most expensive kind of booking to lose.

Long stays are mostly flexible because they roll. Of the 41 crews in our properties on 13 November, 28 can give 30 days' notice, and 33 are on monthly rolling bookings. Eight rolling bookings so far have been ended that way. A rolling month with 30 days' notice costs at most one month when a site stops. That is also why the length of stay decides which market to book: our clients have saved 20-30% by using the correct market for the length of stay.

What about a delay rather than a stop?

A pause is different. If the crew is coming back in six weeks, keeping the flat can be cheaper than finding a new one, as we set out in what happens when the project slips and the Christmas shutdown. The decision depends on how long the notice period is compared with how long the site is likely to stay closed.

What should bookers do differently?

• Agree the notice period before the first night. 30 days is the norm on our long stays. After the site closes, you have no leverage.
• Match the terms to the project risk. A site waiting on funding, permits or power should not be booked non-refundable.
• Do not assume tenant law covers you. In England, France and Germany, a company has no general right to leave a fixed crew let early.
• Book long stays as rolling months. The exit cost is then capped at one notice period.
• Ask about partial release. If half the crew goes home, can you hand back one of two flats? Agree it up front.
• Give notice in writing, on the right day. Notice usually runs from the day it is received, so a late email costs days.

If the owner may also end the stay early, check what protects you in that direction too, as we covered in when the owner sells the flat.

FAQ

Can we cancel crew accommodation if the project is cancelled?

Only on the terms in the booking. Tenant protections that allow an early exit mostly apply to individuals living in the home, not to a company booking for a crew.

What notice is normal on a long crew stay?

On our bookings, 30 days. 95 of 149 bookings with recorded terms could be ended on 30 days' notice.

Are short stays easier to cancel?

Often not. 35 of our 93 stays of 28 nights or less were non-refundable, so the whole stay was due even if the crew left early.