Ts and Cs

BOOKING AGREEMENT

Contract of hire:

A contract shall only arise when your booking form has been returned to us by email or post and once the deposit has been received.  The contract is for the hire of the property for short term holiday letting and will be formally entered into between HC and the Hirer. We do not accept bookings from Hirers under 18 years of age.

Initial payment:

Bookings will be reserved upon receipt by HC  of the required deposit payment of 25% of the holiday cost. If the required deposit is not paid within 3 days, the booking will be cancelled and the dates released. If the booking is made within eight weeks of the holiday commencement date, the full accommodation rental will be required at the time of booking. Deposits can be paid by BACS transfer. If the deposit is not paid within 3 days, HC will contact the Hirer to establish if the booking is still required. No response from the Hirer will result in the booking automatically being forfeited. 

Balance of payment:

The Balance of the Hire will be due for payment eight weeks before the holiday commencement date. A week before arrival advice on key collection arrangements and directions to the property will be sent to the Hirer. Failure to make full payment of the balance in the time period stated above will result in the booking being cancelled and the deposit being forfeited unless pre-arranged between the Hirer and HC..

Method of payment:

Payments can be made by bank transfer and all necessary payment details will be supplied on the booking form..

Bank transfers - please allow 72 hours for these to be acknowledged but in most cases this will be confirmed by return.

Confirmation of booking:

Once HC has confirmed receipt of the booking form, the Hirer is responsible for the total published price of the holiday let and extras. Amendments to bookings, where applicable, need to be made as soon as possible. HC reserve the right to adjust prices quoted on our website or on details to properties, due to errors or omissions or changes in VAT.

Booking cancellation:

If you are forced to cancel your holiday you must inform HC as soon as possible. The day we receive your notice to cancel is the date on which we will cancel your booking.

We are not able to offer refunds or changes of dates if you find you are unable to take the holiday you have booked therefore HOLIDAY INSURANCE IS HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. If you are unable to make your holiday please inform us immediately so that we can provide you with any written evidence required to enable you to make a claim on your holiday insurance. If we are not able to honour your booking for circumstances beyond our control, eg. Pandemic reasons, then we will be offer you a selection of alternative dates or refund. 

Pets:

Bookings that include pets are taken on the understanding that all flea and worming treatments are up to date. Please remember that they should not be left unattended in properties. You, as pet owner, will be responsible for removing any evidence left by your pet and reimbursing the owner for any damage caused. Please show consideration for guests visiting after you have gone home and bear in mind that some popular beaches do not permit dogs during the summer months.  

Customers with allergies should be aware that we cannot guarantee that a dog has not stayed in the property recently. We cannot accept responsibility for any suffering which may occur as a result of such animals having been present. Further, although all of our properties are cleaned between lets and regularly ‘deep cleaned’, we cannot guarantee that the property will be completely free from pet hair.

Amenities:

HC will not be liable to you, any member of your party or person visiting the property during the period of your hire of it for happenings outside its reasonable control, such as breakdown of domestic appliances, plumbing, wiring, temporary invasion of pests, building works at adjacent properties, damage resulting from exceptional weather conditions or other unforeseeable circumstance.

Party numbers:

In no circumstances may more than the maximum numbers of persons, as stated in the brochure/website, occupy a property. HC reserve the right to refuse admittance if this condition is not observed. No refunds will be given if admittance has been refused for this reason. The person who completes the booking, i.e. the lead name, certifies that he or she is authorised to agree to the Booking Conditions on behalf of all members of the party, including any changes. The lead name must be over 18 years and a member of the party occupying the property. The lead name agrees to take responsibility for all members of the party. HC reserves the right to refuse or revoke any bookings from parties that may in our opinion (and at our sole discretion) be unsuitable for the property concerned.

Your responsibilities:

For the whole of the period included within your booking, you will be responsible for the property and will be expected to take all reasonable care of it. The property and all equipment and utensils must be left clean and tidy at the end of the hire period. If a property is not left clean and tidy, any additional cleaning costs will be charged to the hirer. Should there be any specific health or mobility difficulties which may affect a party member; this must be pointed out at the initial reservation stage so that the suitability of the property can be assessed. The property must be vacated by 10.00 am on the day of departure, along with any parking provision. If you do not vacate the property by the designated time, costs may be incurred. The Hirer must not use the property or allow its use for any dangerous, offensive, excessively noisy, illegal or immoral activities or carry on there any act that may be a nuisance or annoyance to the property neighbours. This would be deemed a serious breach of the terms of the Contract and HC has the right to terminate the Contract with immediate effect in this instance. OTC and its employees and its representatives shall not be liable to the Hirer or any member of the Hirer's party for loss or damage to their property howsoever arising. You must take all necessary steps to protect and safeguard your personal property.

Damage:

All damages and breakages are the legal responsibility of the Hirer and should be reported immediately and before the end of the holiday. It is ESSENTIAL part of the Contract that all damages/breakages/problems should be reported as soon as they occur to OTC. This will enable the us to attend to the problem during your stay or plan for repairs/maintenance/replacement during the changeover at the end of the holiday. Problems that are not reported during the booked period will have no validity after the booking period. The reasonable costs of miscellaneous repairs to and/or replacement of and/or additional cleaning of furnishings, kitchen equipment, crockery, glass, keys, bedding and towels damaged or soiled otherwise than by usual wear and tear during the period of Hire by you or other members of your party shall be payable on demand to the HC who may also, at their discretion, refuse further bookings. Any Security Deposits charged will be cashed on receipt to allow for bank clearance and reimbursed promptly after the holiday (less any deductions which may be incurred). HC has the right to enter the property (without prior notice if this is not practical or possible) if special circumstances or emergencies arise (for example if repairs need to be carried out). HC reserves the right to repossess the Holiday Home at any time where you or any member of your party has caused damage, and in such circumstances the HC shall not be liable to make a refund of any remaining portion of the hire terms paid.

Fire Regulations: 

i.  The use of candles, tea lights and ethanol burners in properties is strictly prohibited and no properties will have these on site.  

ii. Deep fat friers in the cottages are strictly prohibited.  

iii. The charging of e-bikes and e-scooters is strictly prohibited. 

iv. If any guests have limited mobility, properties with upstairs bedrooms may not be suitable in the event of evacuation in an emergency.  Please also consider this in respect of steps. 

v. If there is anything that you feel would impact your ability to exit the property in the event of a fire / emergency, please do make me aware as soon as you can..   Our property has an individual Fire Risk Assessment in place

SecurIty deposit:

The Security Deposit is due with the balance of your holiday, it will be cashed on receipt and held by HC to be applied against the reasonable costs of miscellaneous repairs to and/or replacement of and/or additional cleaning of furnishings, kitchen equipment, crockery, glass, keys, bedding and towels damaged or soiled otherwise than by usual wear and tear during the period of Hire by you or other members of your party. The balance of the Security Deposit will be processed to be returned to you within 7 working days* of the departure date, PROVIDING, you have provided the correct details to transfer the funds back to you. Where such costs exceed the Good Housekeeping Deposit you will pay such excess to the Owner within 14 days of being notified.

*If you have paid your balance by a bank transfer, we will request your transfer details within 7 days to return this to you. Once we have received these details, payment is normally made within 2 working days.

Literature:

HC takes every care to ensure the accuracy of the property descriptions. All information here and on the HC website is given in good faith and is believed to be correct at the time of going to press, but the HC cannot be held responsible for changes beyond their control, which may become known after publication of this literature.. y.

Availability:

The Hiring Contract is made on the understanding that the holiday home 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 HC then HC may be forced to cancel the booking and you will be advised as early as possible. Where possible, you will be offered suitable alternative accommodation, which, if not acceptable, will entitle you to a refund of all monies due. You will not as a result have any further claims against HC or the owner. Please note that reservation requests taken via our website are not confirmed bookings until we have contacted you and accepted a deposit.

The Countryside:

Please remember our properties are in the country and do attract mice, spiders and therefore cobwebs. It does not mean that the cottage is dirty or has not been cleaned as cobwebs can be spun almost as quickly as they have been cleaned away! As we are in a rural location, please be tolerant of the sounds and scents that you may encounter, they are all a part of the countryside experience!

Complaint procedure:

If the Hirer wishes to make a complaint about anything connected with its hire of the property it should contact HC as soon as reasonably possible prior to departure. In the event the Hirer does not have phone reception at the location where they are staying, the Hirer must make reasonable efforts to make a call from a nearby public telephone, send us an email or visit our farmhouse. HC will then consider the complaint and take action to resolve this itself as soon as reasonably practicable. In no circumstances can compensation be made for any complaints that are made after the hire has ended, or where the Hirer has denied HC the property the opportunity to address the issue during the Hirer’s stay. OTC do not accept responsibility for work taking place outside the boundary of the property, or for noise or nuisance resulting from third party activity over which HC have no control.

Best Price Guarantee

We guarantee you always get the lowest price when you book your holiday property directly through us. To qualify for our Best Price Guarantee, you must find the same property, for the same party size, over the same date period and notify us within 24 hours of your booking, in writing by post or email. The lower price must be viewable by anyone prior to booking and bookable by anyone, i.e. not a negotiated rate, a member rate, an offer applicable to only part of your stay or an offer which requires a credit card number or code to see. This offer does not apply to any optional extras, service charges or other fees and excludes changes in currency conversion rates. We will then validate your claim within 48 hours. The same property must be available for booking at a qualifying lower price in the same currency when we validate your claim. If your claim is successful, we will notify you in writing by post or email and refund the difference or adjust your outstanding balance. Only one claim may be submitted per booking. HC reserves the right to deny claims if we believe that the Best Price Guarantee is being intentionally abused or manipulated to circumvent its intent. A claim may be invalidated if you make any changes to the reservation after the claim has been submitted and approved.

Data Protection:

HC will process your data in accordance with its Privacy Policy and which also details your rights and how to contact us in relation to any data protection queries. At all times your data will be held securely and protected in line with HC’s obligations under UK data protection legislation. Your party names and contact details will not be shared with anyone outside of HC.

Privacy Policy:

Specifically, this privacy policy provides you with details about the personal information we collect and hold about you, how we use your personal information, and your rights regarding the personal information we hold about you. Please read this privacy policy carefully – by continuing to access or browse our websites, or by requesting the provision of services from us, you confirm that you have read and understood this privacy policy in its entirety.  We collect, store and use your personal details as outlined above for our legitimate business interests, so that we can fulfil both your immediate and any potential future holiday booking or enquiry needs. This storage and use of your personal information allows you to be contacted about both your current booking or enquiry, and also allows us to update you with offers, opportunities and developments which could be both interesting and beneficial in the future. We do not believe that this storage and use will unduly prejudice your rights or freedoms. We retain information (including personal information) for the minimum reasonable time period to allow us to provide our services and will delete it after that time. The only exceptions are in cases where we need to keep limited personal information to comply with our legal obligations, resolve ongoing disputes, or enforce our agreements..

Legal:

In the event of any dispute between parties it shall be referred to the jurisdiction of the English courts only and any actions shall be heard in the court for the area in which the property is situated. Any contract between the parties shall be governed by English law and jurisdiction. Any disputes arising between you and HC, if not mutually resolved, shall be referred to a single arbitrator agreed, or in the default of such agreement, to the President for the time being of the Law Society or Institute of Arbitrators. In either case, such arbitration would be subject to the provisions of the Arbitration Act of 1996 or any statutory modification thereof for the time being in force. All parties will contribute equally to the cost of Arbitration. These Booking Conditions supersede any previous issues.