How complex are cancellations?

This varies from serviced apartment operator to operator, but is again very different to a hotel, and can range from being virtually immediate to taking up to a week or two depending on the length of stay. This reflects a similarity with conference bookings and the range of terms and conditions for those bookings. Buyers should however be aware of all cancellation terms and conditions when booking and not assume it's the same as a regular hotel booking.

What happens when something goes wrong?

Most operators' policy is to offer an alternative if an apartment isn't fit to use, but in a serviced apartment the upheaval of moving can be greater than moving out of a hotel and an alternative apartment would tend to be a temporary solution. The most common issue is a heating or power failure, for which most operators provide 24 hour maintenance support. However some of the smaller operators don't always have that level of assistance available, especially in a more corporate housing environment where there may not be onsite personnel.

Do I need special insurance for a serviced apartment?

Apartment operators carry different levels of insurance such as public liability and obviously have to have the legal insurances in place appropriate in each country. Once again however, buyers need to be aware that the level of cover needed isn't the same as being at home.