Minimum stay, maximum stay and no-arrival days: when to use each one

By GuestChat Team · 2 October 2026

A lone unsold Saturday between two bookings is money that doesn't come back. And a one-night stay in the middle of August can cost you more in cleaning than it brings in. That's exactly what restrictions are for, but set up badly they empty your calendar. Let's take it step by step.

The four available

In the Channel calendar, inside the advanced restrictions for each day or for a stretch:

Min. stay (arrival): minimum nights for a stay that starts that day. With 2, one-night stays that arrive that day aren't sold. Empty means no minimum.
Max. stay: maximum nights. 0 or empty means no limit.
No arrivals (check-in) this day: nobody can arrive that day.
No departures (check-out) this day: nobody can leave that day.

The last two only count on open days: they restrict arriving or leaving, not the whole date.

Defaults and exceptions

In the calendar's Settings tab you set the default minimum stay and maximum stay for each property, and even for all of them at once. Then, with the range editor, you mark the exceptions: the long weekend, the local fair, August. Careful: saving a default value again later rewrites every day, including those exceptions; the dashboard warns you first.

Remember how the range editor works: each field has its own switch, and only what you tick changes. You can raise a month's minimum stay without touching a single price.

Recipes that work

High-season weekends: minimum stay of 2 on Fridays and Saturdays. You avoid the lone Saturday night that leaves the Friday empty.
Long weekends: a minimum stay equal to the length of the long weekend on the first day. That way you don't end up with the middle night sold and the nights on either side empty.
No arrivals on Sundays if your cleaning team doesn't work that day or can't get the apartment ready in time.
Maximum stay for seasonal apartments where you don't want month-long stays blocking the good weeks.

Filling gaps

The restriction that protects you in July punishes you when there's a one-night gap between two bookings. Check the grid every week: if you see a short gap surrounded by bookings, lower the minimum stay for that night only. It's a small tweak that can save nights that would otherwise stay empty.

If you use PriceLabs

With Derived prices on, the dashboard makes it clear: the external tool sets the price, and availability, minimum stays and closures are still managed by the dashboard. Careful: PriceLabs can also publish minimum stay and arrival and departure restrictions. Decide which of the two you manage them in and turn them off in the other, so they don't overwrite each other.

Common mistakes

Setting a high minimum stay all year "just in case". In low season you lose the one- or two-night getaways, which are the ones that are out there.
Forgetting to remove the long-weekend one. Once the long weekend is over, check that the stretch goes back to its normal value.
Confusing no arrivals with closed. A day with no arrivals still sells nights to guests who are already staying.
Setting a maximum stay of 1 by accident. If you don't want a limit, leave it empty or at 0.

Quick checklist

Default minimum stay in Settings, designed for mid-season.
High-season exceptions with the range editor.
A weekly check for short gaps.
No-arrival days only if your team needs them.