West Cornwall Cottage Holidays

Cornish Cottage Booking Conditions and General Information

We want you to really enjoy your holiday home so we would ask you to kindly spend some time carefully reading the booking conditions and general information.

1. GENERAL

   West Cornwall Cottage Holidays is the trading name of Cornish Home Holidays Ltd. The company is registered in England - number 4669946 and the registered address is 4 Albert Street, Penzance, Cornwall, TR18 2LR

   - Please note West Cornwall Cottage Holidays reserves the right to change the terms and conditions at any time

   - All bookings are subject to the following terms and conditions and will be considered an effective contract upon payment.

2. BOOKINGS

   West Cornwall Cottage Holidays (hereinafter referred to as WCCH) act as agents on behalf of property owners. A booking confers upon the hirer, the right to occupy the property only for a holiday within the meaning of Paragraph 9 of schedule 1 of the Housing Act 1988, or any act that supercedes it.

    
   
   

   • All contracts of hire shall be between the owner and the hirer. West Cornwall Cottage Holidays only act as a booking and marketing agency.

   • Rentals are for a maximum of four weeks and commence at 3pm on the first day of the rental and end at 10am on the day of departure unless otherwise notified.

3. DEPOSIT

   If a booking is made eight weeks before the start of the holiday, it must be accompanied by a deposit of 25% of the rent together with a refundable security deposit of £50 and a booking fee of £28. If a booking is made less than eight weeks before the start of the holiday, it must be accompanied by the rental payment in full together with the refundable security deposit, booking fee and any other additional charges.

4. FINAL PAYMENT

   Once a booking has been confirmed by WCCH, the full cost of the accommodation will become payable not less than eight weeks before commencement of the holiday, the date of which will appear on your Confirmation of Booking form. Failure to do so will result in the booking being cancelled and the deposit forfeited. The security deposit will of course be returned. NB - PLEASE NOTE THAT WCCH DO NOT SEND REMINDERS

5. SECURITY DEPOSIT

   Security deposits are held on behalf of the owner of the property until two weeks after the holiday. The deposit will be returned in full except where deductions become necessary for excess cleaning, damage or breakage's, loss of keys, international banking charges and postage and packing for any large items left in the property. Retention of the deposit does not limit the liability of the hirer for any greater sum. Deposits will be paid on the date indicated on your Confirmation of Booking either directly into your bank account from the details supplied on your original booking form, by credit card refund or cheque depending on the original method of payment. Details of appropriate deductions will be posted to you on the same date. At least three working days must be allowed for payments to reach bank accounts or by post.

6. BOOKING FEE

   A booking fee is payable per booking and is non refundable.

7. TO CHANGE A BOOKING

   Once a booking has been accepted by WCCH, the holiday cannot be changed to another property without treating the original as a cancellation. (This is providing that the new property is available and that the owners are in agreement) Should this be the case, appropriate adjustments will be made in terms of the cost of the rental plus or minus. However an additional £50 admin fee will be required.

8. CANCELLATION

   A booking can only be cancelled prior to the start of the holiday.

   In the event that you are unable to occupy the property you should inform us immediately by telephone and then in writing.

   Upon receipt of the cancellation notice, WCCH will post a cancellation form, if relevant, which must be completed and returned to WCCH within 28 days.

   All cancellation transactions will incur a £30 administration fee

   In the event of cancellation for reasons not covered under the cancellation refund terms and if the property cannot be re-let, you will be liable for the full cost of the holiday.

   WCCH shall endeavour to re-let the property for the whole or part of the holiday period. Should this prove successful, the 25% deposit is forfeit. The actual hire charges realised for any period re-let will be refunded (minus the original deposit of 25%) to a maximum of any monies already paid

9. CANCELLATION REFUND TERMS

   
   
   

   11.1

   For the purposes of clause 11 the following words have the following meanings

   "You/your" means the person to whom the West Cornwall Cottage Holidays booking confirmation is addressed

   “Booking party” means each person named on the booking confirmation.
   
   "Relative" means spouse, father, mother, grandparents, father-in-law, mother-in-law, brother, sister, child or stepchild and includes a partner with whom you are living at the same address

   11.2

   Subject to the conditions set out in 11.3 to 11.5 we will reimburse you in respect of all rent paid where the holiday is cancelled as a direct consequence of any of the following events

   • Death, serious personal injury, serious sickness, hijacking or kidnap of you, a relative, or any member of the booking party.
   • Jury service or witness summons of you or any member of the booking party.
   • You or a member of the booking party being made redundant (provided that such redundancy qualifies for payment under the United Kingdom's Redundancy Payments Acts).
   • The Police requesting your presence following a burglary at your home.

   11.3

   Clause 11.2 does not apply to cancellations as a consequence of the following

   • Government restrictions which prevent access to the County of Cornwall or your property.
   • The failure of any transport or accommodation provider, their agent or anyone who is acting as their agent.
   • The failure of the accommodation provider.
   • Cancellation of normal transport services due to riot, civil disorder, strike or lock-out.
   • Cancellation due to the fear of an epidemic or pandemic
   • Cancellation due to an act of God (fire, flood, marine contamination or force majeure).
   • Death or illness of any pets or animals.
   • Disinclination to travel.
   • Pregnancy or associated illness.
   • Illness or medical conditions pre-existing at the time of the booking.

   11.4

   • At the time of booking, you must disclose all facts likely to have a bearing on our assessment of your risk of cancellation, such as your state of health at the time the booking was made, or that of any relative or booking party member in respect of whose state of health the cancellation was made. If you are in doubt as to whether a fact is likely to have a bearing then you should disclose such facts;
   • You must not make any fraudulent or misleading statement prior to or whilst arranging your booking;
   • You or any booking party member must not have booked or started the holiday contrary to medical advice or after a terminal prognosis has been made or if any circumstances known to you at the time you booked your holiday could reasonably have been expected to give rise to cancellation or curtailment of the holiday;
   • Certificates, information and evidence to support a cancellation shall be provided by you at your expense. You shall, if necessary, submit to medical examination at our expense;
   • Reasons for cancellation must be given in writing and where requested, a medical certificate provided. In the event of curtailment, reasons must be given for curtailment supported by a medical certificate, (if due to medical reasons), confirming that curtailment of the holiday was necessary.

   11.4

   We shall not be liable to you in respect of any consequential or indirect loss whatsoever and any costs, monies or claim recoverable under any other insurance policy you may have taken out.

   11.5

   This cancellation refund promise should not be relied upon as a replacement for comprehensive travel insurance.

10. ELIGIBILITY

    As a condition of booking, properties will not be let to groups of single sex parties comprising of four or more or to groups of single people under the age of 25.

    • Should WCCH not accept or reject a booking request, the rent and any additional charges paid by the Guest will be refunded immediately

11. OPTIONAL EXTRAS

    All WCCH properties are fully inclusive of linen to include duvet covers, bottom sheets, pillowcases, towels and tea towels unless otherwise stated. In addition, all utilities are included such as electricity, gas and all forms of heating (unless otherwise stated). The only optional extras will be for pets.

12. PETS

    West Cornwall is the ideal place to bring a pet and we try to encourage as many owners as possible to accept them however, it is worth noting that during the summer season, a large majority of the accessible beaches do not accept dogs. A £25 fee per dog, per week is payable and whilst we do not wish to appear negative towards pets, the following conditions apply.

    • No more than two dogs are allowed in any one property
    • Suitable bedding must be provided
    • All pets must be pest free before entering a property
    • Pets are not allowed on furniture or beds
    • Pets must be not be left alone in the property or the garden
    • Owners must ensure that pets do not foul gardens
    • Owners must ensure that they remove as much pet hair as possible from the property on the day of departure, failure to do so will incur additional cleaning costs
    • In the event that pets are brought to a property that does not accept them, the holiday will be cancelled with immediate effect and without refund.

    NB - Allergy suffers, Please note that WCCH cannot guarantee that a property which states "Pets are not accepted" is 100% pet free.

13. BROCHURE DESCRIPTION

    All properties detailed in this brochure have been inspected by WCCH and every effort has been made to ensure that the particulars are as fair and accurate as possible. However WCCH cannot be held responsible for any actions of the owner or previous hirers which may have rendered the said details inaccurate.

14. NON-AVAILABLITY OF PROPERTY

    In the event that a property becomes unavailable due to reasons beyond the control of either WCCH or the owner of the property, the liability of WCCH shall be limited to the offer of alternative accommodation or a full refund of all monies paid. No liability will lie with WCCH thereafter.

15. INJURY/LOSS ETC

    WCCH or the owner of the property cannot be held responsible for any accident, damage, loss, injury, expense or inconvenience suffered by the hirer or any other person connected with the letting, or to personal belongings whilst in the property or the grounds of the property.

16. LIABILITY

    16.1

    West Cornwall Cottage Holidays will not be liable for any act, neglect or default on the part of the Owners or any other person not within their employ or otherwise under their control, nor for any accident, damage, loss, injury, expense or inconvenience, whether to person or property, which the Guest or any other person may suffer or incur arising out of, or in any way connected with the rental unless West Cornwall Cottage Holidays are responsible. In addition, the Owners and West Cornwall Cottage Holidays accept no liability for loss of or damage to the Guest's possessions on the Owners' property or land.

    16.2

    Nothing in these conditions excludes or limits the liability of West Cornwall Cottage Holidays or the Owners:

    1. for death or personal injury caused by West Cornwall Cottage Holidays' or the Owners' negligence;
    2. for any matter which it would be illegal for West Cornwall Cottage Holidays or the Owners to exclude or attempt to exclude their liability.

    16.3

    WCCH cannot be held responsible for any construction, building or repair work carried out to an attached or adjacent property during the rental period.

17. ARRIVALS AND DEPARTURES

    All bookings commence at 3:00 p.m. on the day of arrival and terminate at 10:00 a.m. on the day of departure, unless otherwise stated. Early access and extended departure will not be granted without written approval of WCCH. The hirer will be liable for any additional costs if this condition is not adhered to.

18. OBLIGATIONS OF THE HIRER

    • Not to exceed the number of persons indicated for the property or on the booking form.
    • Not to sell or transfer the booking to another party without the consent of WCCH.
    • To ensure that the property is left in a clean and tidy condition and that all utensils, equipment etc to be cleaned and that all furniture is returned to its original location.
    • To grant access to the owner, WCCH or any other person as directed by the aforementioned to the property for whatever reason (this would only be in exceptional circumstances such as emergency repair etc)
    • To behave in a manner so as not to offend or cause a nuisance to occupants of adjoining properties

19. DISABILITY POLICY

    West Cornwall Cottage Holidays are committed to a policy of equal opportunities both for staff and clients. In relation to the service we provide, we recognise our responsibility under the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 ("DDA") not to discriminate against disabled people in any way and to take reasonable steps to improve accessibility to properties offered for holidays. For the purposes of this policy, disability is understood in its broadest sense and, in addition to mobility and sensory impairments, includes mental health problems, specific learning difficulties and medical conditions which may have an impact on day to day activities. We will not unreasonably refuse our services or provide our services on less favourable terms on the grounds of disability.

20. COMPLAINTS

    In the event of any dissatisfaction with the property, the hirer shall report the matter to WCCH as soon as possible. WCCH staff will investigate immediately and undertake whatever action is necessary to solve the problem.

    • Under no circumstances will a compensation claim be honoured if access to the property was denied during the letting period or the opportunity to rectify the matter.
    • WCCH or the owner cannot be held responsible for the likes and dislikes of the hirer.
    • A charge may be made if a call out by an engineer or technician is considered unjustified.
    • Under no circumstances will correspondence be entered into after the letting period has taken place if WCCH were not informed of a problem or given the opportunity to solve the matter.

21. ERRORS

    WCCH reserve the right to amend prices quoted in the brochure and/or website due to omissions or errors.

22. BOOKING A TRADITIONAL COTTAGE

    The majority of Cornish cottages and houses date back well over 100 years and were constructed from granite, which is a porous stone. Many of the properties can be prone to damp, particularly in wet weather and between October and March. In spite of every effort by the owner to continually monitor this problem, you may well find the odd damp patch. In general, this is unlikely to affect you however it is advisable not to take the very young, infirm or anyone suffering from a complaint that may be aggravated by this problem. To those unused to such properties, it may seem illogical to open windows, but older cottages do require a certain amount of ventilation, in particular to alleviate condensation and musty smells and therefore windows should be left open as much as possible to allow the air to circulate. We do not of course suggest that you leave windows wide open during wet weather or when not occupying the property however some ventilation is necessary. The older properties are extremely popular as they offer a great deal of character and charm however your enjoyment will not be disturbed if you understand their special needs.

23. BREACH OF CONTRACT

    If there is a breach of any of these conditions by the Guest or any of their party, the Owners or WCCH reserve the right to enter the property and end the Holiday and ask the Guest and their party to leave.

24. BOOKING CONDITIONS

    The terms and conditions are correct at the time of going to press. However the terms and conditions displayed on WCCH website will supersede any printed material.