Booking Conditions
The contact name and person booking Esmé's Cottage(the 'Licenced Occupier') must be over 21 years of age and agrees to be responsible for the party occupying the property. This person is authorised to agree to all conditions of licenced occupation on behalf of all members of the party and, on receiving a booking confirmation from the Owners, is deemed to have accepted these terms & conditions. No booking is binding until confirmed in writing by the Owners. Confirmed bookings are not transferable. We do try to ensure that our property is suitable for your party, but the ultimate responsibility is yours. If you are unsure about any aspect of Esmé's Cottage, please phone or email us for advice before finalising the booking. We reserve the right to refuse to accept bookings at our discretion where we believe that such a booking would not be in the best interests of the Owner and/or the Licenced Occupier. All bookings are accepted on the clear understanding that the property is used for holiday purposes only, is not used for any other purposes, and will be vacated by the agreed time and date. The Licenced Occupier will be liable for any costs incurred for unauthorised extension of occupation. The number of people occupying the property must not exceed the number shown on the booking confirmation. Names and contact details for all party members should be provided as part of the booking process. The Owners reserve the right to refuse admission to the property and may enter the property at any time to end the occupancy if, in the opinion of the Owners, any of the terms of this agreement have been breached. A charge will be made for any unauthorised persons making use of the property or facilities.
PaymentsOn booking, a Booking Deposit of 30% of the total cost is required. Booking deposits paid are not refundable unless the conditions of the cancellation terms below are met. The Owners may, at their discretion, request a refundable 'Security Deposit' in lieu of the repair cost of damage to the property and its contents, time required to return the property to a reasonable state of cleanliness, or any breach of the terms of occupation by the Licenced Occupier. On satisfactory inspection of the property after the property has been vacated, the Security Deposit will be returned to the Licenced Occupier. Once the Booking Deposit has been received and receipted in writing by the Owners, the balance will be due 6 weeks before the licenced occupation commences. If the balance payment has not been received by this date, the Owners reserve the right, after taking all reasonable steps to contact the Licenced Occupier, to re-sell the booking and the booking will be treated as a cancellation under the cancellation terms defined below. The Owners will not cover the cost of any charges incurred by the booking party for our bank requesting re-presentation, referral to drawer or refusal of cheques paid to us. For HolidayLettings/TripAdvisor bookings, the booking & payment terms defined by HolidayLettings/TripAdvisor apply. All other terms & conditions of use defined herein continue to be applicable to all lettings of Esmé's Cottage.
ResponsibilityThe Owners are responsible for providing holiday accommodation in a clean and tidy condition, taking all reasonable steps to ensure that all facilities advertised are provided. The Licenced Occupier of the property is responsible for ensuring that the property is left in a clean and tidy condition. This includes washing up all used cutlery, crockery and cooking utensils, emptying the dishwasher and fridge before leaving the Cottage and complying with the rules for refuse collection as described to the Licenced Occupier by the Owners. Failure to do so may result in an additional charge &/or the withholding of part or all of the Security Deposit. The Licenced Occupier is responsible for the replacement of any articles broken or damaged during their occupation of the property and for the cost of repair of any damage to the property itself.
LiabilityThe Owners and their staff/representatives, do not accept any liability for any neglect, default or act on the part of the Owners nor for any inconvenience, injury, accident or loss suffered by any person or to any vehicle or possessions in or about the property or in any way arising out of the property from any cause whatsoever. All the facilities of the accommodation, including the baby's cot and high chair, are used entirely at the Licenced Occupier's own risk. We aim to ensure that the details provided on or hyperlinked from the Esmé's Cottage website are correct. Any changes to facilities, descriptions or events which may materially affect your stay will be notified to you as quickly as possible. However, we do not accept responsibility for errors contained on the website nor for any mis-description made by us or any third party. Nor will we accept responsibility or claims for compensation in regard to advertised local events, facilities or services which, for any reason, become unavailable. If, at any time and for any reason, Esmé's Cottage becomes unavailable or is deemed by the Owners to be unsuitable for letting to the Licenced Occupier, all monies paid will be refunded in full and this is the extent of the liability of the Owners. No further claims will be acknowledged. The Owners do not accept any liability for any disruption of occupation due to surrounding or neighbouring properties of any sort whatsoever. This includes building works, impairment of views and noise. The Owners do not accept liability and will not pay any compensation where a property becomes unavailable due to 'force majeure'. This describes any event which the Owners could not avoid. These events include, but are not limited to, storm or weather damage, criminal damage, break-in, explosion, fire, flood, which causes destruction or damage to the property making the property unavailable for letting. Also included are adverse weather conditions, riots, industrial action, civil strife, natural disasters, nuclear disasters, oil spills, war or threat of war, actual or threatened terrorist activity and all similar situations beyond the control of the Owners.
ComplaintsAll complaints should be notified to the Owners immediately. We will not entertain a complaint once the property has been vacated. We will do our best to resolve issues as quickly as possible. In doing so, we reserve the right to investigate and resolve any problems during occupation without refund or compensation.
SmokingEsmé's Cottage is a non-smoking property, and is equipped with a system of sensitive smoke & fire alarms. Smoking inside the property is forbidden, constitutes damage to the property and is a breach of these conditions of use.
PetsThe Owners must agree to accept pets as part of the Licenced Occupier's party, in advance, during the booking process. Pets must be kept under control and should, under no circumstances, be left alone in the property, be allowed onto furniture or beds or be allowed upstairs. The Licenced Occupier takes full responsibility for any pets brought on to the property, agrees to pay a surcharge specified by the Owner per pet per week (or part week), and agrees to pay for the cost of any damage or repair work caused by their pets.
InternetWireless internet access will be made available on the clear understanding that the service is a 'Lite' service, available primarily for occasional surfing, checking email, etc. and is NOT suitable for online gaming, video streaming or other high-bandwidth applications. A fair use policy therefore applies. The Owners may, at their sole discretion, withhold part or all of the Licenced Occupier's security deposit &/or charge the Licenced Occupier retrospectively for excessive usage, and may disconnect the service at any time.
Lost propertyThe Owners accept no responsibility for items left behind in the property after it has been vacated. Any unclaimed items of property will be disposed of after 4 weeks.
Termination of ContractIf the booking party fails to adhere to any of the conditions set out above, the Owners reserve the right to enter the property, terminate the letting and remove the Licenced Occupier's belongings from the property.
CancellationsThe Owners must be telephoned or emailed immediately the Licenced Occupier is aware they cannot take their holiday. Email notification is deemed not to have been received until a written cancellation confirmation or email Read Receipt has been received by the Licenced Occupier from the Owners. Cancellations made up to 6 calendar weeks prior to commencement of the holiday will forfeit the deposit paid. Cancellations made less than 6 calendar weeks prior to commencement of the holiday incur the full cost of the booking. Any outstanding amounts, including the cost of extra services, become immediately payable in full. Thereafter, the Owners will use their reasonable endeavours to re-book the booking period on the Licenced Occupier's behalf, and will refund to the Licenced Occupier the amount paid for the re-booked letting period less any discount, the cost of extra services, any booking fee, a £50 administration fee and any other costs incurred in the re-booking process. Retrospective claims will not be entertained.
In case of dispute, the Owner's interpretation of these Terms is binding & final.