Booking Terms & Conditions
Elm Tree Farm Cottages – the following terms apply:
“Owner” or “We” shall mean Geoff and Lizzy Snell
“You” or “Your” shall mean the individual who made the booking
1. YOUR BOOKING
You must be at least 21 years old when you book your accommodation. When we issue our written confirmation to you we enter into a contract with you, the party leader, which is subject to these Booking Conditions. The party leader will assume responsibility for the whole party and the compliance with these rules of all party members. The owners have the right to refuse any booking prior to the issue of our written confirmation, and if we do this we will tell you in writing and promptly refund any money you have paid us. When your confirmation is received, the details must be checked carefully & if anything is not correct you should tell us immediately. You may not add to the party size stated on your booking form without prior consent from the owners. The accommodation is booked strictly on the basis that it is used for holiday accommodation only and there is no right to remain on the property after the expiration of the rental period.
2. PAYING FOR YOUR ACCOMMODATION
A deposit of 30% of the booking price is payable at the time of booking. Bookings can only be regarded as firm when the full deposit has been received and written confirmation issued. The balance of the booking cost must be received by us no later than 42 days before your arrival date, together with an additional £150 breakage deposit. If the balance of payment is not received by the stated date, the dates will be marketed again and the deposit forfeited. If you book less than 42 days before the arrival date, payment of the total cost, including the breakage deposit is due straight away. If your bank returns your payment to us unpaid, we reserve the right to make an administration charge of £25.
3. CANCELLATION OF BOOKING BY YOU
If you need to cancel your booking you must contact the owners as soon as possible in writing. The booking deposit is non-refundable, however we will make every effort to re-let the property once formal cancellation has been received and if we are able to re-let at the same price the balance will be refunded to you. If we are only able to re-let at a reduced price the reduced balance will be refunded. If we are unable to re-let the full balance will remain payable by you. It is recommended that you take out cancellation insurance within your own travel insurance policy to protect you against cancellation due to ill-health, bereavement etc as the above refund terms are non-negotiable.
3A CHANGING THE DATE OF A BOOKING
We will do our best to move your booking from one date to another and to minimise the cost of doing so. If you wish to change the booking date you will have to cancel the original booking and the normal cancellation policy will prevail unless the cottage is re-let to another party.
4. CANCELLATION OF BOOKING BY US
In the unlikely event of cancellation of the reservation due to unavailability of the accommodation, the owner will endeavour to provide suitable alternative accommodation. In these circumstances, if the alternative accommodation offered is not acceptable to you, we will provide a full refund of the rental paid.
5. DAMAGE TO PROPERTY
You are responsible to the Owner for the actual costs of any breakage or damage in or to the accommodation, along with any additional costs that may result, which are caused by you or your party. These costs may be deducted from your £150 deposit, but are not limited to that amount. You may be billed for the difference between this and the actual cost of the repairs. Any damage must be reported immediately to the owners and you should never use any chemical, including stain devils on carpets. Damaged or irreparably stained carpets are always replaced. No repairs of any kind to the property or contents must be attempted by you or your party.
6. ACCIDENTS, INJURY AND PERSONAL PROPERTY
The Owners shall have no liability to you for the death or personal injury to you or any member of your party. Please remember this is a working farm, you should not enter farm buildings or storage areas and it is your responsibility to make your children aware of the potential dangers and to make sure they are supervised at all times. It is your responsibility to ensure the safe storage of cleaning materials, particularly in the presence of children. You are expected to take all reasonable care of the cottages, including ensuring that they are fully secured when leaving them. No windows should be left open and all locks must be secure. No liability to you is accepted in respect of damage to or loss of belongings.
7. ADVERTISING
The Owners have taken every care to ensure the accuracy of property descriptions in their literature, advertising, web sites, etc. However, changes to the details may be necessary from time to time and the Owners reserve the right to make any changes without notice. Where changes are fundamental to a booking, notification will be made in writing by post or email. Occasionally, problems mean that some facilities or services become unavailable, and if this is the case we will tell you as soon as reasonably practical after we have been made aware of the situation.
8. DURING YOUR STAY
You can arrive at your accommodation after 3pm on the start date of your booking and you must vacate the property by 10:30am on the last day. The Owner is entitled to refuse to hand over to you or to repossess the accommodation if they reasonably believe that any damage is likely to be caused by you or your party or can repossess the accommodation if damage has been caused. You cannot allow more people than you have booked to stay in the accommodation. You may not carry out any form of trade or business from the property, nor may you sub-let any part of the buildings. The properties are entirely non-smoking and candles are not permitted to be lit inside. The use of the Cottages includes Council Tax, Gas, Electricity, Water Heating, Under floor Heating, Bed Linen and Towels, soap and bathroom toiletries, use of digital Colour TV/DVD, Docking Stations and wi-fi broadband. Towels are supplied but are strictly for use within the Cottages and must not be removed.
9. NOISE
The cottages are located on a working farm where the owners also live. We therefore have a zero-tolerance policy on late-night noise. All outside music is prohibited in consideration of us and the other guests staying at Elm Tree Farm. The cottages are in a rural area and are surrounded by animals and wildlife, so fireworks are strictly forbidden.
10. PETS
Please contact us if you wish to bring a pet to the cottage.
11. CLEANING ON DEPARTURE
You agree to keep the accommodation clean and tidy as found and leave the accommodation in a similar condition. It would be a great help if, on departure: Cookers and ovens are clean and fat-free; floors are be swept /carpets vacuumed; crockery and cutlery washed and put away; obvious spills and stains removed & furniture moved back to original positions. Bins should be emptied into wheelie bins and recycling placed in the appropriate containers.
12. DAMAGE AND BREAKAGES
For breakages, any lost, damaged or stolen items will be paid for in full. You should report any deficiency which you notice on arrival and any which occurs during your stay. Where appropriate, you will be liable to pay the replacement cost of the item broken, lost or damaged. There will be a £50 administration charge, if the item is stolen or the cottages have been misused.
13. PROBLEMS & COMPLAINTS
If you are not entirely satisfied with the accommodation offered, you must contact the Owners immediately, and every effort will be made to resolve the problem. If the situation cannot be resolved to the satisfaction of both parties, the Owner will attend as soon as possible to inspect the property. The Owner will not consider claims for problems notified to them after the hire period has ended.
14. STATUTORY RIGHTS
This does not affect your statutory rights.