Booking terms and conditions
Introduction and references
doehillhousecottage.co.uk (“the Website”) shall be referred to as “we”, “us” or “ourselves” in these terms and conditions.
To make it easier to read these terms and conditions there are a number of further definitions which we use:
“Deposit” means a deposit of 25% of the total holiday accommodation cost (which includes any “extras” selected at the time of booking);
“Holidaymaker” means you and each person going on holiday with you on your booking;
“Owner” means the owner of the cottage;
“Property” means the cottage; and
“You” means the lead person making a booking.
When you make a booking you are confirming that you and every Holidaymaker understands, agrees and accepts these terms and conditions. Please read them carefully, particularly section 11 headed “Limitation of Liabilities and Legal”.
1. When you make a booking the contract to occupy the Property is between you and ourselves
Bookings cannot be accepted from persons under 18 years of age.
The Property is not meant to be used as “party houses”, and group bookings, including for stag and hen dos, may not be allowed unless special arrangements (including the possible requirement for a safety deposit) are made with the ourselves.
No bookings are valid until confirmed by us in writing (including by email).
Once a booking is confirmed it cannot be changed by you, unless agreed by ourselves.
If we agree to make requested changes to your booking (for example, changing the lead booker and/or the dates of your holiday) you will be required to pay £40 per change.
2. Booking Fees, Deposits, and Balance Payments
When making a booking you will be required to pay a booking fee to us which will be clearly identified as part of the overall price you pay. The booking fee is payable for the service we provide that allows you to book the cottage.
If you make a booking more than 8 weeks before the holiday date you will be required to pay a Deposit when making the booking and the balance will be due no later than 4 weeks before the holiday is due to start.
If you make a booking within 8 weeks of the start of the holiday you will be required to pay for the holiday in full at the time of booking.
We reserve the right to cancel your holiday and re-let any holiday where any payment due is more than 7 days’ late. In these circumstances you will not be entitled to any refund.
The booking fee and Deposit are non-refundable unless we are unable to accept the booking (please see section
3. At certain times of the year you may be eligible to secure your booking with a deposit which is less than the standard Deposit (of 25% of the total accommodation cost). If eligible, we will give you details of any applicable terms before, or when, you make your booking.
4. If we cannot make the Property available to you for your booking we will arrange a refund for all amounts you have paid. We will not be responsible to pay any compensation or expenses as a consequence of such an event. The booking fee will be non-refundable in these circumstances as we will have performed our services to you at the point of booking.
5. Guest Cancellations
If you cancel prior to the holiday arrival date you may be due a partial refund dependant on whether we are able to rebook the date
If section 3 applies you will be entitled to a full refund of the accommodation costs.
If the holiday was paid in full and more than 60 days notice is provided then 2/3rds of the total accommodation cost will be refunded providing we can rebook the cottage for the booked dates.
The Deposit is non-refundable in all circumstances when you cancel a holiday, unless section 3 applies.
If a refund is due we will aim to return the applicable amount within 10 working days of cancellation.
Where a booking has been taken with a deposit which is less than our standard Deposit (25% of the total accommodation cost) and paragraph 3 (we are unable to make the Property available) does not apply, you will be liable to pay the difference between the reduced deposit and our standard Deposit within 10 days of cancelling the booking.
6. Holidaymakers’ responsibilities
You will ensure that you and all Holidaymakers will:
act responsibly and carefully whilst at the Property, abiding by any specific house rules and leave the Property, and all things in or at it, in the same state of repair and cleanliness as at the start of the holiday;
report to the Owner any damage or breakages made during the holiday occupancy and pay for damage (wear and tear accepted);
not smoke at the Property nor allow anyone else to smoke at the Property;
not allow more than the maximum number of people or pets to stay at the Property as stated on our Website (4 people and 1 pet);
at all times comply with any applicable laws and local or Government guidance, and ensure that no Holidaymaker or their guests or pets do anything which is illegal, or may cause unreasonable damage, noise, behaviour or disturbance;
not enter the Property before the stated arrival date and time and will leave the Property before the stated departure date and time;
treat people with respect and not act in a way which is abusive, violent, destructive, menacing, or harassing towards ourselves, any member of our team, any member of the community in which the Property is situated, or any of our employees, directors, consultants or other party acting on our behalf;
secure the Property (including all windows and doors) whenever leaving the Property.
We will be entitled to make a reasonable charge where Holidaymakers have failed to comply with these responsibilities. In serious cases, Holidaymakers may have to leave the Property early without any compensation or refund.
7. Our responsibilities:
We will ensure that:
the Property is cleaned and ready for the Holidaymakers by the stated arrival date and time;
suitable arrangements are made for you to access the Property;
We will treat all Holidaymakers with respect and not act in a way which is abusive, violent, destructive, menacing, or harassing towards any Holidaymaker at our Property;
we can be easily contacted (at reasonable times) or we will provide you with an alternative first point of contact should you have any concerns or queries during your stay;
we, and the Property, comply with all applicable laws and regulations (including health and safety regulations);
adequate liability insurance is in place in respect of the Holidaymakers’ stay; and
all Holidaymakers will have exclusive access to the Property for the duration of the holiday (although all Holidaymakers will allow the ourselves or any representative access to the Property if reasonably required).
8. Pets
One well behaved pet will be allowed at the property.
Registered assistance dogs are allowed in the Property.
You must notify us of the intended presence of any assistance dogs, with evidence of registration, prior to making a booking.
If any Holidaymaker has an allergy to dogs, please be aware that neither our Owners nor we can guarantee that a dog has not stayed in the Property. We can accept responsibility for any suffering which may occur as a result of such animals having been present in a Property.
The following dog terms apply:
Dogs must be under strict control at all times while in or at the Property;
Any fouling must be cleared up without delay;
The dog owner must bring the dog”s bed or basket for sleeping in;
Dogs must not be left alone in or at the Property or elsewhere at any time;
Dogs must not lie on beds or furnishings, and hair must be cleared up before departing;
Dog owners must ensure that their pets are free from parasites and fleas before they occupy the Property. Failure to do so may incur subsequent charges;
Young dogs (e.g. puppies less than 6 months’ old) must be declared to us at the time of booking and authorised by ourselves;
You will be liable for any damage caused by any dogs. Any damage is to be reported to the Owner immediately. Any additional cleaning required, that may incur an additional charge, will be at our discretion.
Pets other than dogs may be allowed at the Owner’s discretion. This must be approved prior to making a booking and can be arranged by telephoning ourselves.
If you break these terms, we may notify you that you have broken these terms and may cancel the booking and ask that the Holidaymakers leave the Property before the end of the holiday period without compensation, or that they pay an additional reasonable charge.
9. Confirmation should be requested prior to booking if there is any particular detail or facility that is important to you. When you make a booking the Holidaymakers accept that minor differences between text/photographs/illustrations on the Website and the actual Property may arise.
10. Complaints procedure
If you have any complaint concerning the Property, the matter should be taken up with ourselves at the earliest opportunity and reasonable allowance should be gived for us to rectify any valid issues.
11. Limitation of Liabilities and Legal
The contract to occupy the Property is made on the basis that the Property is to be occupied by the Holidaymakers for a holiday (as mentioned in the Housing Act 1988 Schedule 1 paragraph 9 or similar legislation in other jurisdictions).
When making a booking, you acknowledge on behalf of all Holidaymakers that the tenancy granted by these terms and conditions is not an assured tenancy and that no statutory periodic tenancy will arise when it ends.
Once you have made a booking there is no “cooling off” period as the contract you have made is for accommodation services for a specific period of performance.
We accept no responsibility for personal injury to, or death of, Holidaymakers or anyone they invite to the Property, or loss of or consequential loss or damage to their property, or for other matters over which we have no control.
Nothing in these terms and conditions will limit our liability or an Owner’s liability to you where it would be unlawful to do so. This includes liability for death or personal injury caused by our or the Owner’s negligence or the negligence of our or their employees, agents or subcontractors, or for fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation.
Any dispute, claim or other matter which may arise in relation to your booking will be governed by English law and you agree that any dispute will be dealt with exclusively by the courts of England and Wales.