Terms and Conditions (Contract of Hire)

1. Any contract for hire of a property shall be between you the hirer and the holiday homeowner. When you book a property, you enter into a contract with the Owner of that property.

2. The contract of hire only becomes effective once the Owner has received a deposit payment and the hirer has agreed to the booking terms and conditions completed via the booking form online. Bookings cannot be accepted for persons under 18 years of age.

3. Terms stated are per week unless otherwise indicated and are inclusive of VAT where applicable. Hire terms shall be guaranteed on final confirmation of the booking unless there are changes in the rate of VAT.

4. A deposit of 20% of the total booking fee is required to reserve the property. The balance of the cost of the holiday must be paid not later than 6 weeks before the start of your holiday. If the full balance is not paid on time the owner reserves the right to cancel the holiday booking, in which case it shall be entitled to damages and any other costs that it suffers under general principles of English contract law. If the sum is less than or equal to the deposit the ownershall retain the sum owing to it and return any balance as applicable.

5. No charge is made for bank transfers, credit card or debit card payments will incure a fee of 1.5%. Bookings if made less than 6 weeks before the start of the holiday must be paid in full at the time of booking.

6. The Owner reserves the right to refuse any booking.

7. The Owner reserves the right to cancel or alter arrangements made for you whether before or during the relevant visit (a) in any circumstance which arises from or is attributable to acts, events, omissions or accidents beyond the reasonable control of theowner or (b) where in the reasonable opinion of the owner it is necessary to perform or complete essential remedial or refurbishment works.

8. If a booking has to be cancelled by the owner, the Owner will return to the hirer the relevant proportion of the money paid by the hirer to the owner in respect of the Accommodation and will not otherwise be liable for any loss caused by cancellation or alteration if it arises out of circumstances beyond its control.

9. Unless otherwise stated in writing, the holiday price will include all charges for water, gas,electricity, or oil. Hirers must comply with the instructions found in the accommodation regarding the appropriate fuel for use on open fires or stoves. Any damage caused by using inappropriate fuel will be charged to you.

10. The number of persons using the property is 7 without prior arrangement with the owner who reserve the right to make additional charges. The Owners reserve the right to refuse admittance if this condition is not observed. The Owners reserve the right to refuse or cancel any bookings from parties that may in their opinion (and at their sole discretion) be unsuitable for the property concerned. If the hirer wishes to hold any function or celebrations exceeding this limit it must first obtain the written permission. If permission is granted, an additional charge maybe levied.

11. The Accommodation shall be for family use only, not for youth groups or other groups or student parties. Sleeping in tents or motor vehicles adjacent to the Accommodation is not permitted.

12. The Booking conditions are personal to the hirer. The hirer must not use the Accommodation except for the purpose of a holiday by the hirer and their party during the Holiday Period, and not for any other purpose or longer period.

13. The Owner reserves the right to ask the hirer and his or her party to leave the property (without compensation being payable to the Visitor or any member of his or her party) if this is deemed necessary by the owner where if there is a serious breach by the Hirer of the Booking conditions, or their behavior is such as to endanger the safety of others. If any complaints are made of anti-social behavior or unreasonable breakages or damage occurs or smoking restrictions are not observed the owner shall give the hirer an opportunity to rectify the breach and failure to do so shall entitle the owner to terminate the agreement.

14. A representative of the Owner may be allowed access to the property at any reasonable time during occupancy.

15. In addition to the cost of your holiday, the Owner may require a refundable security deposit which may be used to cover the cost of breakages or extra cleaning if required. If required, the hirer will provide debit or credit card details and pre-authorization for the payment of the security deposit which will be taken approximately 1 week before arrival. Should, in the event of a claim, the pre-authorised card expire and/or funds become unavailable, you will be required to pay the amount due using an alternative card or method. It is the hirer’s responsibility to ensure that the accommodation, furniture, fixtures,fittings and effects are left in the same state of cleanliness and order as was found at the start of the holiday.

The Owner reserves the right to make a charge for any extra cleaning necessary as a result of failure to comply. Where a security deposit is held, the Owner will deduct the cost of extra cleaning and/or breakages from this amount and forward the balance to the hirer. The hirer shall be responsible for serious loss or damage which occurs to the property or its contents as a result of their negligence during their occupancy and is also responsible for paying appropriate compensation to the owner. The Visitor must allow the owner or its agents to enter the Accommodation to inspect the state of it, on prior appointment save in emergency when immediate access must be granted.

16. The hirer must not use the Accommodation or allow its use for any dangerous,offensive, noisy, illegal or immoral activities or carry on there any act that may be a nuisance or annoyance to any neighbors.

17. The hirer and his or her party must comply with any reasonable regulations relating to the Accommodation of which the hirer has written notice. Such regulations may be found in the welcome folder in the Accommodation, typical examples would include any local conditions regarding parking, waste disposal, recycling and so on.

18. Smoking is not permitted in any part of the Accommodation and the hirer and any member of his or her party undertakes not to smoke inside the Accommodation.

19. Except as indicated below, the Owner cannot be held responsible for loss or damage to any belongings, or for injury sustained by the hirer or members of his or her party during their stay at the Accommodation. The Owner excludes liability for loss or damage to any belongings, or for death or injury sustained to the hirer or members of his or her party during their stay at the Accommodation except to the extent that such injury or loss or damage to any belongings is caused by the negligence or default or breach of the Owner of any duty.

20. The hirer shall be liable for and indemnify the Owner against any liabilities, damages,claims, costs, losses (whether direct or indirect and including loss of profits) and expenses incurred or paid by the owner arising from the Hirer’s use or occupation of the Accommodation which arise from any breach by the hirer of his or her obligations under the Agreement or from any negligence or wilful default of the hirer and/or the hirer’s party.

21. Arrival and Departure Times –Adherence to the arrival and departure times forms part of the Booking conditions and any stay that extends over this period will be subject to a charge being made for additional days.
Check-in is 3:00pm or later on the first day of the holiday and Departure time is by 10:00am on the last day of the holiday.

22. The Visitor will be issued with a code to access the Accommodation on the first day of the Holiday Period, there are keys in the property for other doors but these must not be taken out of the property. Any loss of keys the hirer will incur the cost of a replacement set. The hirer is also liable for associated re-entry costs as a result of the hirer becoming locked out, due to either loss of keys or activation of bolt locks.

23. Please check all details upon receipt of the deposit or balance confirmation letters to ensure that they are correct as it may not be possible to make changes at a later date. If after your booking has been accepted by us, you require an amendment or re-invoice, the Owner reserves the right to charge an amendment fee.

24. In the event that there is reason to be dissatisfied with the accommodation please contact the Owner immediately so that an investigation can be carried out and remedial action taken as necessary. Under no circumstances will complaints be dealt with if received after the holiday has ended.

25. The Hiring Contract is made on the understanding that the property and its facilities as published will be available for the dates stated. In the unlikely event that a property is not available through events arising outside the control of the Owner, then the owner may be forced to cancel the booking. The Hirer will be advised as early as possible. Where possible,The Hirer will be offered suitable alternative accommodation, which, if not acceptable, will entitle the Hirer to a refund of all monies due. The Hirer will not as a result have any further claims against the Owner. Please note that reservation requests taken via our website are not confirmed bookings until we have contacted you to confirm the reservation and accepted a payment in accordance with clause 4.

26. The Booking Conditions relate to the Holiday Period and are not intended to create the relationship of Landlord and Tenant between the hirer and the Owner. The hirer shall not be entitled to a tenancy, or to any assured shorthold or assured tenancy or any statutory protection under the Housing Act 1988 or other statutory security of tenure.

Cancellation Conditions

27. If you have cause to cancel your booking after the 14 calendar day cooling off period has elapsed, please notify the Owner immediately by telephone and then in writing. In this instance, all reservation deposits paid to the owner are non-returnable and the hirer will be liable for the full cost of the holiday if a cancellation occurs UNLESS the booking office is notified as follows: A: Up to 6 weeks before the start of the holiday. In which case the hirer will forfeit the deposit and booking fee only. B: Less than 6 weeks before the start of the holiday and it is possible for the Owner to re-let the property. In which case the deposit will be forfeited and the booking fee plus an administration charge of £25. The balance will be returned to the hirer. If the property is not re-let the hirer will forfeit the full cost of the holiday. C: If the booking was made within 6 weeks of the start of the holiday and it is possible for the owner to re-let the property, an amount equal to the prevailing deposit rate will be forfeited. The balance will be returned to the hirer. If the property is not re-let the hirer will forfeit the full cost of the holiday. D: The deposit or full payment will be refunded in full if you need to cancel due to government restrictions imposed associated to Covid 19.

It is recommended that the Hirer is covered by Personal Holiday Insurance. The construction, validity and performance of the Booking Conditions shall be governed by the law of England and Wales, and both parties submit to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of the UK Courts

GENERAL NOTES –

GUEST SAFETY The Owner takes the safety of guests very seriously. Therefore we ask that guests who stay in the Property take a few moments to think about their safety at the Property. In particular You should: 1) Check the layout of the Property, so that in an emergency You and your party can get out quickly and easily. 2) Check the locations of the fire blanket and read the instructions for use. 3) Check the location of the first aid box. 4) Read and take note of specific safety information provided in the Property. If you have any concerns about the safety of the Property, whether it be the garden, equipment or facilities, You should contact the owner immediately.

We ask Guests to bear in mind that the Properties are period properties and were built before the days of damp proof courses and cavity wall insulation, so in some cases may show signs of damp. Please bear this in mind if your party includes an elderly/infirm person or very young children. Should traditional cottage features (steep stairs, low beams, uneven floors) be a problem for any member of your party, You should consider this when selecting the Property before making any Booking.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS We will endeavor to help those in your party with special requirements. The Property is over 100 years old. Consequently the structure and fittings will not necessarily have current safety and design features and many lack facilities such as ramps for wheelchairs. The Property is not child proof and has steep approaches and internal staircases.
LOCATION The Property is in a rural location and can experience some animal noise and occasionally noise from grass cutting or other farm machinery or activities. Flora and fauna: In rural areas, insects and other creatures are fairly common and not necessarily an indication of poor housekeeping standards. Whilst preventative action is always taken by the Property Owners, these creatures can never be eradicated completely.

There is no designated EV charging point installed at the property, it is strictly forbidden to charge your vehicle from the domestic electric supply (for example by putting a plug into a plug socket inside the property) as it is highly dangerous and could invalidate the owners property insurance and your own motor insurance. This includes fully chargeable and
plug-in hybrid cars, motorbikes, buggies, scooters, mopeds, bicycles, utility vehicles and tracked vehicles. Please charge your vehicle at one of the local charging points near the property (Stearmans Yard car park).

COMPLAINTS

We aim to ensure you have an enjoyable and comfortable stay at their property. Unfortunately, things sometimes can go wrong while on holiday but these situations are always best resolved at the time. Your contract is between You and the Owner, therefore in the event of a problem you should contact the owner/Housekeeper immediately to allow remedial action to be taken. However, please note any complaints raised after your holiday will not result in any form of compensation. The property you have booked is a domestic home and the Owner does not always have access to 24 hour a day maintenance services.

GUEST DAMAGE You should report accidental damage or breakage if and when it happens. Repairs or replacement items can then be arranged in advance of the arrival of the next guests. DAMAGE DEPOSIT You may be asked to pay a damage/security deposit. The security deposit will be refunded at the end of your holiday rental (less any costs for breakages, damage etc. if applicable). OTHER ISSUES WiFi and mobile signal; The Owner cannot be held responsible for the non availability or poor quality of Wifi or mobile telephone signal at or around the Selected Property as these are matters beyond their control. Building Work: The Owner cannot be held responsible for any building or road workings which may be carried out close to your Selected Property. Where we are aware of any anticipated works, we will endeavor to advise You in advance. Special Requests: Special requests may be made prior to travel and whilst we will endeavor to meet them, this cannot be guaranteed. Under no circumstances will requests accepted by us form part of our contractual obligations. Withdrawal of Facilities: We reserve the right to alter or withdraw amenities or facilities or any activities without prior notice where reasonably necessary due to repairs, maintenance, weather conditions and circumstances beyond our control.

Updated Oct 2023