The Agreement: The rental agreement is between the ‘Guest’ and the ‘Owner’. The contract is deemed to have been made once the ‘Guest’ has paid a deposit and we have dispatched a confirmation of booking. The ‘Guest’ must be over 18 years of age at the time of booking.
Booking: The ‘Guest’ who’s name the booking is made under is deemed to have agreed to these Terms and Conditions and will be responsible for all persons included in the booking, and therefore should ensure that all other persons are aware of these Terms & Conditions. We reserve the right to decline any booking or refuse to hand over a key to any person who has not or does not comply with these Terms & Conditions. If these Terms & Conditions are deemed to have been broken during the stay, the ‘Owner’ reserves the right to (a) terminate the booking with immediate effect with no refund due, (b) retain the full Good Housekeeping Deposit amount with no exception. Details of all guests staying in the property must be given to the owner via the booking form at the time of booking or when requested, including but not limited to Full Name & residential address, before the stay commences. Minimum Stays – Weekends are subject to a 2 night minimum and weekdays a 3 night minimum. High Season & Christmas bookings are subject to a minimum of 7 nights.
Payment: For bookings made more than 6 weeks before arrival, a non-refundable deposit (part payment) 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, within 24hrs of the booking being confirmed. Payment is to be made by bank transfer or by card payment.
The ‘Guest’ agrees to pay the balance of the payment SIX (6) weeks before the holiday is due to commence. Email reminders are sent, but delivery cannot be guaranteed. Where a ‘Guest’ fails to pay their balance by the due date, the booking may be deemed as cancelled and the deposit retained.
Cleaning: The ‘Guest’ is responsible for leaving the accommodation in good order and in a clean condition; otherwise a cleaning charge will be levied. Please note that the convention for UK Holiday cottages is that ‘Guests’ are expected to leave the property in a similar state to which they find it (reasonable cleaning excepted). Please abide by this convention so we can continue to provide good value for guests.
Number of People using Holiday Accommodation: The ‘Owners’ permit the ‘Guest’ and members of the ‘Guest’s’ party (but no one else) to occupy the property for holiday purposes only. The ‘Guest’ must declare the correct number of additional guests during booking and, if this changes, must inform us before the rental commences of any change. No more than the maximum number of persons stated on the website may occupy a property unless by prior written agreement with us. Extra charges may be applicable if the number of ‘Guests’ differs from the number on the booking.
Visitors: ‘Guests’ must seek advanced permission from the ‘Owners’ before allowing any visitors onto site. The ‘Owner’ reserves the right to ask any unauthorised visitors to leave the premises without question. No visitors are permitted to stay overnight.
Arrival/Departure: The properties (unless otherwise stated in the property details) are available for occupation from 3.00 pm on the first day of the holiday and must be vacated by 09.30 am on the last day.
Pets: The ‘Guest’ may only bring such pets as are booked in by the ‘Guest’ at the time of booking. Not all properties accept pets; if property details on the website stipulate no pets then this is binding within these Terms & Conditions. Pets must be house-trained, well-behaved and should not be left unattended in the property. They are not permitted in the bedrooms or on any furniture in the property. We request all dogs have up to date vaccinations and to be up to date with flea and tick treatments. If damage or extra cleaning is caused by pets, the ‘Guest’ may be billed for that charge. ‘No Pets’ in a description, may not guarantee that pets have never occupied the property. No garden is guaranteed as secure for dogs even if described as private or enclosed. Guests must ensure they are aware of, and follow, the countryside code. Dogs must be kept on a lead in all communal areas. A gated paddock is available to exercise dogs off lead.
Some breeds of dog including those listed in the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 are not allowed. Please provide us with the details of the breed of your dog when you book.
Guest Responsibility: The supervision of children, babies, dogs and any adults requiring care remains the sole responsibility of the ‘Guest’ at all times.
We can supply travel cots and high chairs free of charge if booked in advance, subject to availability. Please bring your own cot linen. All equipment is used entirely at users risk.
‘Guests’ are responsible for making sure the cottage is locked and windows are closed when the property is unoccupied during their stay. Lost Keys: ‘Guests’ are responsible for keeping the property’s keys secure. If the keys are lost the ‘Guest’ must make the ‘Owner’ aware immediately. Depending on circumstances we may need to replace both locks & keys. There is a £40 charge payable per lock to cover the cost of replacements.
‘Guests’ should not move furniture unless absolutely necessary. Where furniture is moved, it should be returned to its original position. ‘Guests’ should not leave any items at the property and, if left, the ‘Owner’ has the right to charge for the removal, return or disposal of those items (Minimum £5 charge).
Facilities: We cannot guarantee the availability of all facilities such as Wi-Fi or the games room, at all times. In these instances we will endeavour to let the ‘Guest’ know in advance of their stay, where possible.
Wi-Fi: Free internet is provided for your reasonable use and may be subject to separate terms and conditions. You agree to reasonable and lawful usage of this service. ‘We’ will not be liable for slow connections or for any interruptions to or the failure of this service.
Damage, Loss, Theft, Breakages / Good Housekeeping Deposit: ‘Guests’ are required to pay a Breakages / Good Housekeeping deposit of £100. This must be paid at least 48hrs before arrival, via bank transfer, if the cost has not been included within the online booking payment*. (*Only bookings made via www.pittsfarmcottages.com include this payment.) Failure to make this payment will result in admittance not being granted to the property. The deposit will be held until an inspection of the property has been completed on departure day. If there are no damages to the property the £100 will be fully refunded, within 7 working days, to the account details provided by the ‘Guest’. If damage has been caused to the property (including gardens or games room) or items are missing, the deposit will be retained to the value of goods damaged. If damages cause us to cancel the next booking, the full deposit will be retained and any extra costs will be passed on to the person who’s name the booking was made under. ‘Guests’ should not remove any items from the property. If extra cleaning (see ‘Cleaning‘ section) is involved to make the cottage ready for the next guests this cost will be deducted from the deposit. Please note we do not permit the use of bath bombs, hair dye or items of a similar nature that may cause staining. Bluetac or Sellotape are not to be used on any surface.
Photographic evidence will be provided in the event of a claim.
‘Guests’ agree to inform the ‘Owners’ of any damage or loss however caused, excluding reasonable wear and tear incurred during occupation
Nuisance: ‘Guests’ should not cause nuisance or annoyance to occupants of any nearby property. We do not permit large group gatherings / parties or the use of glitter, confetti, fireworks or items of a similar nature. If in our opinion, 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 us as discharged and we may repossess the property immediately. The ‘Guest’ will remain liable for the whole cost of rental and no refund shall be due.
Access: ‘Guests’ must allow reasonable access to the property & gardens by the ‘Owner’ for maintenance & or gardening, given reasonable notice. Please note in ‘high season’ access is required to gardens once a day to water the plants.
Wildlife: As the cottages are in beautiful rural area you may expect to meet some wildlife, including the odd spider, mouse, bird, fly, bee, wasp or other creature, which may make their way into a property unbeknownst to the ‘Owner’. Spiders in particular are not considered to be a pest and consume up to 2000 other insects per year. If this is likely to be a problem, it would be best not to book. If any of these creatures are encountered, do not panic, but contact the ‘Owner’ in a calm and reasonable way – but only if the creatures become a serious menace. Otherwise, just open a window or a door and let them out, as this is usually what they prefer. ‘We’ reserve the right to take no action if ‘we’ do not consider the existence of the wildlife to be a serious threat to health.
Complaints: Property descriptions 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. Property details may vary over time from photographs and descriptions on our websites.
Disputes: Any dispute arising from the booking will be between the ‘Guest’ and the ‘Owner’. No complaints can be considered unless notified during the ‘Guest’s’ stay in the property. It is the duty of ‘Guests’ to minimize any loss to them and therefore it is their responsibility to inform the ‘Owner’ at the earliest possible opportunity of any problem.
The responsibility for the upkeep of the property and any relevant Health and Safety considerations lie with the ‘Owners’. Complaints received after departure cannot be accepted as the ‘Owners’ have had no opportunity to resolve the complaint at the time.
Liability: The ‘Owners’ 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 ‘Guests’ property, (including pets), vehicles or vehicle contents belonging to the ‘Guest’ or any member of their party during the occupancy.
The maximum liability accepted by the ‘Owners’ will be the total cost of the holiday as paid by the ‘Guest’. No other expenses such as travelling costs or alternative accommodation will be accepted.
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 (including medical and weather related) within 6 weeks of the holiday no refund is due. A holiday cancellation protection plan should be taken out to cover forced cancellations.
Cancellations must be notified in writing (including by email) to ‘us’ immediately. We will confirm the receipt of your cancellation by email.
Holiday dates may be changed providing the property is available for the new dates and we are agreeable to the change. A £20 administration fee will be payable.
Holiday accommodation may be changed providing the new property is available and we are agreeable to the change. A £20 administration fee will be payable.
We recommend and expect that the ‘Guest’ will have or will take out a holiday insurance policy (which includes cancellation insurance covering COVID-19 sickness and unavoidable reasons for cancellation) prior to their stay.
Cancellation by ‘us’: ‘We’ reserve the right to refuse any booking and to cancel any bookings already made if the property is unavailable (eg through fire, flood, etc) for any reason whatsoever, subject to a full refund of all monies paid (but no further liability). ‘We’ shall not be under any other liability if such cancellation occurs.
For all bookings: If you have to vacate your holiday cottage earlier than your expected check out date no refunds will be made & you must inform the ‘Owners’. If you have not arrived at your property by 12.00pm the day after your holiday start date, and you have not advised us you will be late, we will deem the holiday to have been cancelled.
No Smoking: There is a No Smoking policy within all of our properties. Smoking is only permitted in the cottage gardens, provided that the ash trays are used.
Force Majeure: ‘We’ 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, pandemics, acts of any government or public authority, or any other event outside ‘our’ control.
Waiver: The failure of ‘us’ to enforce this agreement, at any time or for any period of time, does not constitute and shall not be construed as a waiver of such term or right.
Miscellaneous:
Pitts Farm Grounds: ‘Guests’ are welcome to walk around the grounds during their stay but are not permitted in private garden areas. Please be aware an electric fence is operational around the chicken enclosure. Occasionally there may be items of machinery being used around the grounds, ‘guests’ must ensure that caution is taken when they are moving around. Whislt idle, these are not to be touched or climbed on, especially by children.
Deliveries: We are happy for ‘guests’ to have parcels / shopping delivered to the cottages but this must be discussed with us before you place the order as the cottages do not have a street address.
Electric Vehicle Charging: Please note we do not have charging points for electric vehicles. We do not permit the use of extension leads to charge EV’s via a 3 pin plug or the charging of E-Bikes. Any ‘guest’ doing so will be asked to leave immediately.
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’.
These booking conditions supersede all previous issues.
Use of ‘our’ websites and services are bound in accordance with these ‘Guest’ terms and conditions and ‘our’ privacy policy which outlines how ‘we’ use and protect ‘Guest’s’ data in delivery of these services.
August 2023