BOOKING TERMS AND CONDITIONS
Please read these carefully before booking
Bookings
Bookings and offers of bookings are all subject to availability. A contract shall only arise when your booking is confirmed in writing. We have the right to refuse any booking for whatever reason prior to issuing you with written confirmation. There must be at least one person over the age of 21 on the booking and this person must be present for the duration of the stay. No students accepted unless by prior arrangement and we do not accept stag parties. Please check all booking details carefully and inform us of any incorrect information immediately.
You may not allow anyone to stay in the property not included in the booking form, nor may you change the composition of the party without notifying us. Pricing is based on occupancy up to 7 guests. Extra guests (up to a maximum of 9 persons) to a must be notified in advance and a supplement charge of £50 per extra guest applies.
Payment for Direct Bookings through the Website
If a booking is made more than six weeks before the holiday is due to start, a deposit of 30% of the rent must be paid. Once a booking is received and accepted by us, the guest is liable to pay the full booking cost and any additional charges, six weeks before the start of each holiday. If you book less than six weeks before the start of a holiday, full payment plus all additional costs must be received at the time of booking. A refundable security deposit of £200 is paid with the final payment against any breakages or damage to the property. This will be refunded without interest after the booking is complete, less any deductions for damage. In the case of a dispute we will endeavour to resolve any issue as a goodwill gesture.
We do not charge a cleaning fee for any booking over 7 days. Stays of less than 7 days incur a cleaning fee of £75.
Note that bookings made through Airbnb or booking.com will follow their own payment and security deposit procedures.
Booking cancellation / change of booking
If you have to cancel your holiday we need to be notified as soon as possible. The amount you are liable for is set out below and depends on when you cancel. Cancellation or change of booking – number of days before holiday starts:
More than 6 weeks 30%
Less than 6 weeks 100%
If you do not pay the amount due in relation to your booking by the due date we will assume that you wish to cancel the booking, in which case we will be entitled to keep all of the deposit already paid. If we do not cancel straight away because you have promised to make payment, you will be liable for cancellation charges as per the above, depending on the date we treat your booking as cancelled.
If it comes to our attention that you are causing damage to the property or its contents and/or causing nuisance to our neighbours, we have the right to cancel the booking and ask you to vacate the property, in which case no refund will apply.
If for any reason beyond our control the property is not available on the date booked, or the property is unsuitable for holiday letting, all rent and charges paid in advance by the guest will be refunded in full, but the guest shall have no further claim against us.
Travel Insurance
We strongly advise you take out comprehensive travel insurance. If you choose not to, then you accept responsibility for any loss that you may incur due to your cancellation.
Check-in/Check-out
Check-in is any time after 3pm. It is a self check-in and you will be provided with the combination for the key safe 48 hours before your booking is due to start.
Check out is 11am - the cleaners will arrive and begin work at that time. If they are unable to start, any extra hourly charge incurred in cleaning may be taken from your security deposit. You may request an early check-in/out. This is subject to availability and an extra charge ranging from £25-100 depending on timing. We understand that international travellers and families with young children may have special requests for an early check-in or a later check-out. Please contact us and we will try our best to accommodate you. Whether we are able to do so depends on availability.
Access and permissions
You must allow us access to the property where an emergency problem needs to be remedied immediately. If you are out of contact, we may enter the property without your prior agreement. The property cannot be used for any commercial purposes.
Special occasions
No party, event or gathering may take place at the property which exceeds the maximum agreed occupancy numbers for the property without prior consent. It is also not permitted for any alcohol to be sold on the premises . Should any of these terms be breached we have the right to repossess the property without any compensation or refund due to you or your party.
Changing of linen and towels
Linen and towels are provided in all properties. Linen and towels are changed weekly in the case of stays exceeding 7 days.
Agreement to House Rules
In making a booking you are deemed to have agreed to be bound by the House Rules.
Pets
No pets are allowed on or in the property. If there is any evidence of a pet having stayed in the property without our prior consent, a £50 cleaning fee will apply and and any damage caused taken from the security deposit.
Children
Children are very welcome, however they must be supervised at all times - there are steep stairs in the house (stairgates are provided upon request) and a brook runs through the garden leading to an 8ft waterfall. Whilst we provide a number of items for babies and children to make your stay more comfortable, the cottage is not baby-proof and you are responsible for ensuring the safety of your child. Any extensive damage to walls, carpets, furniture or fittings may incur deduction from the Security Deposit or a replacement fee.
Smoking
Please note that in accordance with current legislation, smoking is not permitted at any of our properties. A fine of the full security deposit amount will be incurred if you or your party smoke inside any part of the cottage/s to cover dry cleaning of all fabrics. If you smoke in the garden, please ensure cigarette butts are properly disposed of otherwise an additional cleaning charge will apply.
Liability
We shall have no liability for any death or personal injury unless this results from our negligence. It is a condition of booking that you sign a Waiver which states that you understand that a brook runs through the property, leading to an 8ft waterfall and that this is not fenced off and further, that entering the brook is not permitted. One waiver must be signed by each guest. In the case of children, the Waiver must be signed on their behalf by a parent or legal guardian. The Waiver must be received prior to arrival.
In addition, we accept no responsibility for the safety of, or the loss or damage to the tenants’ possessions whilst on the property or land. Exception to this is if damage or loss is caused by our negligence.
CCTV
CCTV is installed on the doorbell and on cameras installed outside the property for security. There is no CCTV inside the house and your privacy is respected.
Loss and damage
Loss or damage incurred by any member of your party during your holiday must be paid for. Before you arrive, the property will have been thoroughly cleaned and checked. If you find any discrepancies with the state of the property please notify us as soon as possible and certainly within 24 hours. Any loss or damage caused after this will be your responsibility and it may be worth checking with your own insurance company whether they will cover you in these circumstances. If a loss or damage does occur to the property while you are staying there, please inform us as soon as possible to agree the level of charges to be paid. Charges will be deducted from your security deposit. Damage in excess of the deposit may be payable. We are not responsible for any lost property left behind in the cottages, if we find items left behind we can post them to you at your own risk, with the postage costs incurred to be deducted from your security deposit, or you can collect from us within 10 days.
Surcharges
Please note we avoid making deductions from security deposits where possible. As we do not charge a cleaning fee, the following are examples of incidents that we will charge for extra cleaning time required: leaving the kitchen full of dirty plates, moving furniture to different rooms and not replacing, leaving bathrooms and rooms in an unhygienic state, treating soiled towels or linen, picking up rubbish from the garden, sorting and separating recycling and disposing of waste.
We do not charge for the odd broken glass - we understand that accidents happen. The following are examples where a replacement charge may be levied (this may be more than the security deposit) : staining of carpets, damaging quartz countertops, furniture rugs or soft furnishings, losing keys, breaking appliances.
Act of God
We will not be liable for our respective obligations under this agreement in circumstances amounting to Acts of God. An Act of God means any unusual and unforeseeable events beyond our control, including but not restricted to war, threat of war, civil strife, natural or nuclear disaster, fire, epidemics, terrorist activity, governmental action, acts of God. We shall only be able to rely on Acts of God after taking all practical steps to remedy the cause of Acts of God.
Website details
We make every effort to ensure that the information provided is presented accurately on our website and in any other promotional material we may use. However, details and prices may be subject to change and errors do occasionally occur, so you must check all the details and arrangements with us at the time of booking. Sometimes changes to services or facilities at the property may occur after the booking has been made and in this instance we will let you know as soon as possible.
Complaints
We want you to be happy and to enjoy your stay. If anything is not up to the standard you would expect, please let us know immediately to give us a fair opportunity to recitify it. In no circumstances will compensation be made for complaints raised after the holiday period has ended, or when the holidaymaker has denied us the opportunity of investigating the complaint and endeavouring to put matters right during the holiday period. If you are unable to make contact with us or are unhappy with the response we give, then you must put your complaint in writing to us within 30 days of the end of your holiday. Any assistance provided in resolving a complaint in relation to your booking is provided on a goodwill basis.
Communication
In order to process your booking, we will need certain information from you about you and your party. Some of this will need to be passed on to other personnel involved with your holiday, such as the credit card company. It may also be used for administration purposes. Names, addresses and email addresses may be used by us for sending you future promotional or marketing literature. We can guarantee that any information will remain confidential and is protected under the Data Protection Act 1988. You are entitled to ask us how we are using your details. We undertake to reply to any such requests in writing within 40 days and a fee will be charged for this. In some circumstances we may refuse such a request.
Law
The contract between you and Walnut Tree Cottage is governed by the law of England & Wales. Any dispute you have with us shall be dealt with in an English or Welsh Court of Law. Your statutory rights are not affected by anything contained within these booking conditions. By confirming and on receipt of the 30% deposit you automatically agree to the Booking Terms and Conditions.