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Guest Information

1. Cancelling your holiday
You are automatically covered for cancellation as a result of certain events when you book a cottage and you are advised to read carefully the details in condition 6 of the Booking Conditions. Essentially, you are covered for a full refund of your rent if you should cancel your holiday for medical reasons or because of Jury Service. The cover terminates when your holiday starts. We do ask for certification of any medical problem from your doctor. This should confirm that you are unable to take your holiday because of your illness and that this condition was not known at the time of booking. For cancellations as a result of events not covered and listed above, we operate a graded cancellation charge which depends upon the time remaining to the holiday date – please refer to the booking conditions. We do not cover redundancies or job relocation (for example HM Forces posting), so you are advised to seek cover for these or any other additional risks.
2. Losses and damages
The occasional accident is bound to happen and any losses or damages during your holiday must be paid for. Before you arrive, your cottage will have been cleaned, the inventory checked, and any missing items noted or replaced. If you find any deficiencies or damages on arrival which have not been noted, it is in your interest to notify the Owner or Housekeeper, or failing that, our own office as soon as possible and at the latest by midday on the Monday following your arrival. You should also realize that you have a legal liability to pay for any damages you may cause to the property during your holiday. We ask all Owners to insure the property in respect of the usual risks covered by a building and contents policy and, whilst these policies will vary in detail, the major perils should be covered. However, in certain circumstances, if you should cause any loss or damage by negligence, you could become liable and you would probably not be covered by the personal liability section of your own household policy. Equally, the Owner’s insurance will not cover your personal possessions. You would therefore be well advised to check on these points with your insurers you may find that providing they are given notice, they will extend your normal cover to include your holiday home.
3. Pets
We always try to persuade Owners to take pets when the property is suitable and you will find they are allowed in several of our cottages; however, we cannot accept responsibility for their safety. Pets are only accepted on the strict understanding that they are kept under control, exercised off the premises, and are not permitted in the bedrooms or on the furniture. Nor should they be left in the property unsupervised as this can result in considerable damage to the property and distress to the pet. We would ask everyone bringing a pet to follow these instructions implicitly since any abuse will inevitably result in pets being banned in future. To help you in your choice of properties we indicate in the description if a property has an enclosed garden, however this does not necessarily mean that it is totally escape proof to all pets as very few gardens would pass this test. Before deciding to bring your pet in the summer you should bear in mind that they are not permitted on many beaches at this time. Not more than two pets are allowed, unless otherwise specified, and do remember to include them on your Booking Form. We should also point out that pets may have been in a property despite a notice in the description to the contrary.
4. Old properties
Many of you will be looking for the character and atmosphere of an older property and we have several of these on our books. These properties may well be over 100 years old and were built a long time before the days of damp-proof courses and cavity insulation. As a result they sometimes have a tendency to feel damp and despite the fact that we take special care when inspecting an old property, the occasional damp patch may appear - particularly after a long wet winter. Another problem in an older property is the West Country climate. The air can be very warm and moist at times, leading to heavy condensation, especially in those properties featuring natural stone walls. The problem can usually be alleviated by leaving one or two windows open and letting the air circulate. However, as a general rule, we would advise against taking elderly people, very young babies, or anyone particularly susceptible to damp, to an older type property particularly between the months of October and April.
5. Access for all
Please notify us if you have any special requirements, particularly, if one of your party has mobility problems. Each of our properties is very individual so please draw on our personal knowledge in order that we can ensure the property is suitable for your needs.
6. Linen
All cottages provide linen so this is not mentioned in the descriptions. Where towels are provided it will be stated in the description. They must not be removed from the property and you must remember to bring your own beach towels. A change of linen will be provided weekly for bookings of two weeks or more.
7. Total number in party
In no circumstances may the number of people stipulated for the property be exceeded, and only those listed on the booking form may occupy the property. A cot may only be occupied by a child aged 24 months or less.
8. Composition of parties and age limits
We are essentially providing family holidays and it is company policy not to accept bookings from groups of young people under the age of 25 and/or large all-male or all-female parties. This policy is not intended to be discriminatory, but is merely to protect our Property Owners’ interests.
9. Access and parking
If the parking is a bit tight we will include a phrase such as ‘private parking for one medium sized car only’ in the description. Equally, many of our properties are in unique settings, so the access may not be on a properly surfaced road. If the access to the property is down a track, we will state this in the description. Some tracks will be challenging or unsuitable for vehicles with low ground clearance. If you have such a vehicle or have any other concerns about parking or access to the property, please enquire and we will endeavour to provide you with more details.
10. Discounts
We rarely offer discounts for late bookings as most of our properties are fully booked by Easter. However, we may be able to offer substantial discounts on last minute cancellations. Most Owners are prepared to offer a 5% discount to those who re-book the same cottage within a period of eighteen months.
11. Arrival and departure times
The majority of rentals commence at 3.00pm on the first day of your holiday and end at 11.00am on the day of departure unless otherwise specified in the description and on the Reception Details. This ensures that the Owner or Housekeeper has time to prepare the cottage for incoming guests and your co-operation in this matter will contribute towards a trouble free changeover.
12. Satellite television and mobile telephones
Satellite television is available in some properties, but the number of channels will vary according to subscription package. Many of our properties are in remote locations and may not have mobile telephone reception. Please ask for more details if these are of importance.
13. Property ownership
We market the properties on this web site on behalf of the owners. We take great care in selecting the properties for inclusion in our portfolio and in working with Owners who share our views. However, it is important that you are aware that, as with all holiday cottage agencies, the rental agreement is directly with the Owner. In the unusual circumstance that the Owner or Housekeeper is unable to sort out any problems you may encounter with the property, we are at hand, but our role is that of an arbitrator. In that capacity we will do our utmost to ensure that any problems are resolved quickly and to your complete satisfaction.