The Agreement

The conditions of rental are between the "guest" (the person who makes the booking) and the "owners" (Timothy Richards and Rosalind Arscott). The contract is deemed to have been made once the guest has paid a deposit and the owner has despatched a confirmation of booking. The guest must be over 18 years at the time of booking.

Booking

The guest will be responsible for all persons included in the booking and should ensure that they are aware of the booking conditions. The owners reserves the right to decline any booking or refuse to hand over a key to any person who has not complied with the booking conditions. The Guest must check the confirmation of booking and notify the owner of any errors immediately.

Payment

For bookings made more than 6 weeks before arrival, a deposit of 25% of the total cost of the holiday is required. The balance is due 6 weeks before the holiday commences. For bookings made less than 6 weeks before arrival, the total amount is payable in full on booking.

Final Payment

The guest agrees to pay the balance of the payment 6 weeks before the holiday is due to start. We are under no obligation to remind you that payment is due. We will attempt to contact you by email only and accept no liability in the event that the email address listed for you does not deliver a message to you. Where a guest fails to pay their balance by the due date the booking will be automatically cancelled and the deposit retained. Once cancelled we may remove any discount value from your booking and require you to pay the full list price to reinstate your holiday.

Prices

We reserve the right to change our prices, without prior notice. We guarantee that the price we quote for your holiday and subsequently ask you to pay will not increase once we have agreed to accept your booking.
All- inclusive price; The price charged by the owner is fully inclusive of electricity, central heating, towels, linen and duvets. The price includes free, the first basket of logs for the wood-burner.

Number of People using Holiday Accommodation

The owners permit the guests (but no one else) to occupy the property for holiday purposes only. No more than FIVE (5) persons may occupy Mill Cottage.

Arrival/Departure

The property is available for occupation from 4.00 pm on the first day of the holiday and must be vacated by 10.00 am on the last day.

Keys; Detailed instructions are given to guests, prior to arrival.

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 then no refund of the deposit will be due and within 6 weeks of your holiday no refund of the full balance is due. A holiday cancellation protection plan should be taken out to cover this eventuality. If the cancelled booking, within 6 weeks, is not re-let the guest is liable to pay for the booking in full, even if the owner has not yet received the balance. Once the owner has accepted a booking, it can only be changed to other dates by treating the original booking as a cancellation.

Cancellations must be notified in writing (email is acceptable) to the owner immediately. The owners will endeavour to re-let the property and if successful will make a refund to the guest, this is subject to an administration fee of £20. If successful in re-letting, the owner may at their discretion allow the guest to transfer to alternate dates, providing the property is available for the new dates and the owner is agreeable to the change, a £20 re-booking charge will be payable.

Cancellation Insurance

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

Pets

Pets are not permitted to stay at Mill Cottage with the exclusion of guide dogs.

Access

The property is not suitable for any persons unable to cope confidently and safely with steps. It is the guest’s responsibility to satisfy themselves that Mill Cottage is suitable. The supervision of children, infants, or any adult requiring care remains the responsibility of the guest at all times.

Security deposit

A security deposit is required. This must be received at least 6 weeks prior to arrival at the same time as the balance of the rental cost. The deposit is fully refundable within 7 days of departure, provided the following provisions are met:

• Any damage or defects noted on arrival were reported to us immediately.
• The property was left in a clean and tidy state.
• No damage was done to property or its contents.
• No charges were incurred by the guest due to illegal activity, pets or services rendered during the stay.
• All debris, rubbish and discards were placed in the rubbish bin, and soiled dishes and kitchenware were cleaned and returned to their respective cupboards/drawers.
• Keys left on departure.
• No linens or towels were lost or damaged.
• Any items that were damaged or broken during the stay were reported to the owners as soon as possible. The cost of repairs or similar replacements will be deducted from the security deposit before it is returned.
• If the cost of damage or breakage rectification should exceed the deposit held the balance will become immediately due.

Other conditions

Guests should not cause nuisance or annoyance to occupants of nearby properties. Guests should allow reasonable access to the property by the owner for maintenance given reasonable notice. 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.

Complaints

The owner cannot be held responsible for any perceived inadequacies in the property that are not as such faults. The property description 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.

Complaints procedure

No complaints can be considered unless notified during the guest’s stay at the property. It is the duty of guests to minimise any loss to themselves and therefore it is their responsibility to inform the owner at the earliest possible opportunity of any problem.

Accidents howsoever caused during the holiday are not the liability of the owner. Complaints received after departure cannot be accepted, as the owner had no opportunity to resolve the complaint at the time.

Liability

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

Cancellation by Owners

The owner reserves the right to refuse any booking and to cancel any bookings already made if the property is unavailable (e.g. through fire, flood, etc) for any reason whatsoever, subject to a full refund of all monies paid (but no further liability). Neither shall the owner be under any other liability if such cancellation occurs. Note; in the unlikely event of a cancellation the owner will make every possible effort to secure alternative accommodation if required.

No Smoking

Mill Cottage has a strict no smoking policy within the property. Guests may smoke in the terrace as long as they use the ash tray provided.

Personal Details and Privacy

The owner requires some of your personal details when making a booking in order to communicate with you in regard to your holiday. We take reasonable steps to ensure the security and privacy of your personal data. We require a correct address to safeguard your payment card against fraud. We require a correct and valid email address. All payment reminders and our arrival instructions are sent by email.

Force Majeure

The 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, changes imposed by re-scheduling of airlines 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.