Access to houses
Access to properties varies enormously. Some may have well maintained drives leading from public roads – others may have rough tracks making them totally unsuitable for some cars, particularly after bad weather. Please ask our staff for advice as this is an important consideration when hiring a car or driving from home.
Dogs
Most of our property owners in Great Britain and Ireland accept dogs by prior arrangement, on the condition that they are kept in the kitchen / living room areas, however other properties do not accept dogs. Where dogs are accepted, it is usually free of charge, however there are some houses which charge for dogs. For full details of the terms for dogs at each Great Britain and Ireland property please visit our website. Guests should enquire at the time of booking if they plan to bring their dog(s) with them.
Choosing the Right House
Renting a holiday house can be likened to buying your own house – it is a very personal choice. Therefore, no one description will suit each individual. The standard and style of our Great Britain and Ireland properties varies within each region. With this in mind, we therefore endeavour to meet the challenge of trying to identify our clients’ requirements and to recommend properties without our clients actually seeing them.
Public Holidays 2012
Before booking your holiday, please remember that many public holidays, particularly those coinciding with arrival/departure days, may cause some disruption. In addition, shops and restaurants may be closed. The main public holidays in England are 2nd January, 6th and 9th April, 7th May, 4th and 5th June, 27th August, 26th and 27th December. Please note these may also vary for Wales, Scotland and Ireland.
Child Facilities
Many of our Great Britain and Ireland properties are well equipped with toys and games for babies and children of all ages. Toys and games may include a library of books and DVD’s, a separate games room in the house with pool table, extensive lawned gardens providing a safe space for children to play, or an ipod docking station. Guests should enquire at the time of booking if they wish to have a cot or highchair provided.
Tenancy Times
Under no circumstances can tenancies commence before 1600 hours and no later than 1900 hours, and all houses must be vacated no later than 1000 hours. Arriving or departing outside the agreed tenancy times causes distress to owners and housekeepers who need the short time between tenancies without feeling compromised by their clients being there. It also contravenes our contractual agreements with owners, some of whom may apply extra charges. Clients arriving independently must ensure they comply with these times, taking into account driving time to/from home or airports.
Occupancy of Your House
Our contractual arrangements with owners are to the maximum occupancy stated on the website and under no circumstances can this be exceeded. Only those persons named on the booking form may occupy the house, to a maximum occupancy of the number of beds stated. If guests are unknown at the time of booking, your invoice will detail them as TBA to the maximum occupancy.
Infants (children under 2 on date of return) are not included in occupancy figures. However, many owners limit the number of infants/toddlers, so please ask for details. If a child over 2 is in a cot they will still be counted as part of the villa occupancy.
Extra beds are available only if within the maximum occupancy of the villa, or by agreement with the owner, and a charge will be made. The exception to this may be when double beds may make child occupancy difficult. They may consist of a sofa which converts into a divan, or a simple fold up Z-bed type, more suitable for a young person. Remember, no shelf/hanging space will be available.
Rental durations
The season for holidays in Great Britain and Ireland is throughout the year, the peak seasons being school holidays at Easter, Summer and Christmas time. During school holidays rentals are normally a minimum of one week, however outside of school holidays many owners will accept short breaks from a minimum of 2 night stays.
Changeover days
Changeover days are usually on a Friday or a Saturday for Great Britain and Ireland properties. For full details of the changeover day at each Great Britain and Ireland property please look at the individual property pages on this website. Short breaks usually run from a Friday to Monday, or a Monday to Thursday.
Whilst on holiday
We do expect our clients to behave reasonably whilst on holiday and we reserve the right to terminate the holiday of any clients who indulge in serious misconduct or break any laws. This includes wilful or reckless negligence or damage of any property or means of transport. Should this happen, we can have no further liability and we may require to be compensated for any loss we may suffer, including our legal costs.
House Security
It is an unfortunate but thankfully very rare occurrence that a break-in or attempted break-in may occur at you villa during your stay. We ask all our clients to be vigilant at all times. Please ensure that doors are kept locked and shutters closed at night or when spending time away from the villa. As a precautionary measure, some villa owners also recommend that the house is locked when guests are at the pool, especially if this is some distance from the house. Always leave valuables, money and passports hidden from view, or make use of the safe(if one available).
House damage and breakage
We do appreciate that sometimes accidents can happen and all damage or breakages should be reported to your representative or house manager as quickly as possible. Credit card details for damages are taken at time of booking and the cost of repairs or replacement items will need to be paid for in full by deduction from your credit card (we will write to you in advance to advise you of any monies owed). We are always pleased to assist with any subsequent insurance claim.
Smoking
All of our houses have a no-smoking policy within the property at the request of our owners. If you wish to stay in a house where smoking is permitted, please ensure that you raise this point at time of booking so that we can advise you accordingly.
House Facilities
Heating
Heating is included in the rental for all Great Britain and Ireland properties. This includes any under floor heating, central heating, wood burning stoves and open log fires. Full details of heating at each Great Britain and Ireland property are listed in the villa facts. Most properties include logs in the rental where there is an open log fire.
Mobile Phones
We highly recommend clients bring a GSM telephone. However, as many of our houses are in very rural locations, we cannot always guarantee whether your chosen villa has a mobile telephone signal.
Internet Access
Most villas have internet access. This can be Wi-Fi, ADSL, or dial-up and can sometimes be broadband. Connections can be unreliable in rural areas and vary from region to region. Please enquire at the time of booking whether internet access is available.
Television/Satellite Television
Most of our Great Britain and Ireland properties have a television. Satellite and/or cable television, where advertised, does not include access to subscription channels such as Sky Movies or entertainment channels and Sky Sports unless indicated.
Swimming Pools
A small number of our Great Britain and Ireland properties have swimming pools. These may be outdoor, indoor, heated or unheated. Guests should refer to the individual property pages on this website for full details of pools at each property. Few pools have pool covers or fencing, and children must be supervised at all times. Pools are maintained by the owner’s staff or contractors who will endeavour to clean and maintain the pools unobtrusively.
Pools – Opening/Closing Times
Pools are generally open for use from April to September. Guests should refer to the individual property pages on this website for full details of pool opening times at each property.
Pool Heating
Where Great Britain and Ireland properties have heated pools this is usually included in the rental, unless otherwise stated on the website.