Hotel Deposits for Monthly Stays: What to Ask

How deposits work on a long stay

There are two common models. The first is a hold: the hotel blocks an amount on your card at check-in and releases it after checkout. The second is a charge: the hotel takes the money and refunds it later. A hold ties up your card limit but never leaves your account. A charge is real money out until the refund lands. Ask which one your hotel uses, because a month-long hold on a debit card can hurt.

Some hotels skip the deposit for monthly guests and instead keep a card on file for incidentals. Others ask for the first month up front and treat that as the only security they need. All three are normal.

The five questions to ask

• How much is the deposit for my dates, exactly?
• Is it a hold on my card or a charge to my card?
• What can it be used for: damage only, or also smoking fees, missing items, unpaid parking?
• When is it released or refunded after checkout, and how: back to the card, or another way?
• Who do I contact if it has not come back after that time?

Get the answers by email or in the booking confirmation, not by phone. If the answers change later, the written version is the one that matters.

When the money comes back

Hotels release holds and send refunds on their own schedule, and the bank adds a few days of its own. Ask for the hotel's timeline at checkout, keep the final zero-balance folio, and note the date on your calendar. If the date passes, contact the hotel first with your folio in hand, then your card issuer if you need to dispute.

How to protect yourself

• Photograph the room on arrival day, including anything already worn or damaged, and send the photos to the front desk the same day.
• Ask for a written list of what the deposit covers before you pay it.
• Pay by card, not cash or transfer, so the payment trail exists.
• Keep the final folio showing a zero balance when you leave.

What next

Browse hotels that take stays of 30 nights or more on Monthly-Hotels.com, a directory of US hotels that take stays of 30 nights or more, and send your dates through the Request dates form. We forward your request to hotels in the area you pick, and you can ask them about their deposit terms directly.