Guest Terms and Conditions

Reservations for accommodation by guests (the Guest) are accepted by the property Owners.

The Agreement: The agreement is between the Guest and the Owner. The contract is deemed to have been made once the Guest has paid a deposit, or in full, and confirmation of booking has been made on behalf of the Owner. The guest must be over 18 years of age at the time of booking.

Booking: The Guest who makes the booking is deemed to have agreed to these Terms and Conditions will be responsible for all persons included in the booking and should ensure that they are all aware of these Terms & Conditions. The Owner reserves the right to decline any booking or refuse to hand over a key to any person who has not complied with these Terms & Conditions.

This agreement is made on the basis that the property (“the Property”) is to be occupied by the holidaymakers for a holiday as mentioned in the Housing Act 1988 Schedule 1 paragraph 9 and the Holidaymakers acknowledge that the tenancy granted by this agreement is not an assured tenancy and that no statutory periodic tenancy will arise when it ends.

Group bookings of single sex parties are not allowed unless special arrangements are made by the agency with the Owner (safety deposits may be required).

Cleaning: The Guest is responsible for leaving the accommodation in good order and in a clean condition; otherwise a cleaning charge will be levied. Please note that the convention for UK Holiday cottages is that guests are expected to leave the property in a similar state to which they find it (reasonable cleaning excepted). Please abide by this convention so we can continue to provide good value for guests.

Number of People using Holiday Accommodation: The Owners permit the Guest and members of the guest’s party (but no one else) to occupy the property for holiday purposes only. The Guest must declare the correct number of additional guests during booking and, if this changes, must inform the Agent before the rental commences of any change. No more than the maximum number of persons (6) stated on the website may occupy a property unless by prior written agreement with the Agent or Owner. Charges may be applicable if the number of guests differs from the number on the booking.

Arrival/Departure: The properties (unless otherwise stated in the property details) are available for occupation from 3.00 pm on the first day of the holiday and must be vacated by 10.00 am on the last day.

Cancellation or Changes by the Guest: Once the holiday is booked the Guest has entered into a legally binding contract. If the Guest cancels, for whatever reason (including medical and weather related) then an alternative date may be offered subject to availability and the Owner’s discretion

Cancellations must be notified in writing (including by email) to the Owner immediately. The Owner will endeavour to re-let the property and if successful may at their discretion allow the guest to transfer to alternate dates. The expenses incurred in re-letting will be at the discretion of the Owner.

Holiday dates may be changed providing the property is available for the new dates and the Owner is agreeable to the change.

We recommend and expect that the guest will have or will take out a holiday insurance policy (which includes sickness and unavoidable reasons for cancellation) prior to their stay.

Pets: The guest may not bring pets during their stay at Stone Cottage. As such this is binding within these Terms & Conditions.

Guest Responsibility: The supervision of children/babies, or any adults requiring care, remains the responsibility of the guest at all times.

Guests should put all furniture etc back to where it was at the beginning of the rental period.

• Please ensure you lock the doors and close the windows when they leave the property unoccupied.
• Please note that in the event that any keys issued are not returned at the end of your stay, then the cost of replacement will be charged to you.
• The client may not re-let or sublet the property, even free of charge.
• The internet connection is available (at no extra cost) subject to technical availability.
• The owner shall not be liable for any temporary defect or malfunction of any equipment, machinery or appliance in the building, or grounds.
• This property is privately owned and is our home. We expect all guests to enjoy the facilities and treat the property with the same respect that they would with their own house.

Guests should not leave any items at the property and, if left, the owner has the right to charge for the removal, return or disposal of those items.

Damage, Loss, Theft: Guests agree to inform owners of any damage or loss however caused, excluding reasonable wear and tear incurred during occupation. Guests should not remove any item from the property. The Owner may ask for reasonable replacement costs.

Nuisance: Guests should not cause nuisance or annoyance to occupants of any nearby property.

If, in the opinion of the Owner, any person is not suitable to continue their occupation of the property because of unreasonable behaviour, damage or nuisance to other parties, the contract may be treated by the Owner as discharged and the Owner may repossess the property immediately. The guest will remain liable for the whole cost of rental and no refund shall be due.

Access: Guests must allow reasonable access to the property by the Owner for maintenance given reasonable notice.

Wildlife: Many properties are in beautiful rural areas. Please therefore expect to meet some wildlife, including the odd spider, mouse, bird, fly, bee, wasp or other creature, which may make their way into a property unbeknownst to the owner.  Spiders in particular are not considered to be a pest and consume up to 2000 other insects per year. If this is likely to be a problem, it would be best not to book. (If any of these creatures are encountered, do not panic, but contact the owner in a calm and reasonable way – but only if the creatures become a serious menace.  Otherwise, just open a window or a door and let them out, as this is usually what they prefer.) Owners reserve the right to take no action if they do not consider the existence of the wild life to be a serious threat to health.

Complaints: The Agent inspects the standard of facilities in all properties on a regular basis but cannot accept responsibility for any changes made by the owners since the inspection, or failure by the owner to keep the property dry, clean, safe, and in good repair or to have all the items mentioned on the website.

The Agent cannot be held responsible for any perceived inadequacies in any of the properties. Property descriptions and all details both written and verbal are given in good faith and believed to be correct, but interpretation thereof can be subjective and as such their accuracy cannot be guaranteed. Property details may vary over time from photographs and descriptions on the websites.

Disputes: Any dispute arising out of the booking will be between the guest and the owner. The agent shall not be liable for any claims by the guest or the property owner. No complaints can be considered unless notified during the guest’s stay in the property. It is the duty of guests to minimize any loss to them and therefore it is their responsibility to inform the owner at the earliest possible opportunity of any problem.

The agent is not responsible for resolving any complaints arising from the holiday in question. Accidents howsoever caused during the holiday are not the liability of the Agent. The responsibility for the upkeep of the property and any relevant Health and Safety considerations lie with the Owner. Complaints received after departure cannot be accepted as the Owner thereby has no opportunity to resolve the complaint at the time.

Liability: The Agent/Owner cannot accept responsibility for any material loss, damage, additional expense or inconvenience directly or indirectly caused by or arising out of the property, its plumbing, gas, electrical services or exceptional weather.

The Owner is solely responsible for providing the accommodation and for the safety of all Guests and/or his/her invitees (jointly known as “the Holidaymakers”). The Agent accepts no responsibility for personal injury to, or death of, any Holidaymakers, or loss of or consequential loss or damage to their property, or for other matters over which the Agency has no control, except to the extent such personal injury or death is caused by the negligence or wilful default of the Agent.

No responsibility is accepted for loss or damage of property, (including pets), vehicles or vehicle contents belonging to the guest or any member of the party during their occupancy.

The maximum liability accepted by the agent/owner will be the total cost of the holiday as paid by the guest to the agent. No other expenses such as travelling costs or alternative accommodation will be accepted.

Cancellation by Owners: The Agent/Owner reserves the right to refuse any booking and to cancel any bookings already made if the property is unavailable (eg through fire, flood, etc) for any reason whatsoever, subject to a full refund of all monies paid (but no further liability). Neither the Agent nor the Owner shall be under any other liability if such cancellation occurs or for accommodation if required.

No Smoking: Stone Cottage has a No Smoking policy within this property and within the garden area.

Force Majeure: The Agent or Owner cannot accept responsibility or liability for any alterations, delay or cancellation or any other loss or damage caused by war, civil strife, terrorist action, industrial disputes, fire, sickness, bad weather, epidemics, acts of any government or public authority, or any other event outside our control.

Waiver: The failure of the Owner to enforce or exercise, at any time or for any period of time, any term of, or any right pursuant to this agreement does not constitute and shall not be construed as a waiver of such term or right.

Miscellaneous: The guest agrees that the contract with the Owner is made at the Owner’s premises and that any proceedings between the parties shall be conducted in the County Court nearest to the owner.

Use of our websites and services are bound in accordance with these guest terms and conditions and our privacy policy which outlines how we use and protect your data in delivery of these services.

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.

The Booking Conditions will apply to all confirmed bookings, and these Website Booking Conditions supersede all previous editions.