Terms and Conditions - Hopevale Cottages

Please read our booking conditions below; should you have any questions or need any assistance please email us using the contact form.

These Terms and Conditions apply to Guests and all members of their party. ‘Party members’ includes any day visitors, who must be pre-approved by us. It is the Guests’ responsibility to ensure that each member of their party is aware of and accepts the Terms and Conditions and the obligations contained therein (including those relating to health and safety and fire safety).

The party leader (the individual making the booking) must be at least 18 years of age at the time of booking.
The booking form must list all names in the party.
The party leader is responsible for ensuring all members of the booking party comply with the terms.

The Owners reserve the right to cancel a booking without compensation or refund should Guests not comply with any of the Terms and Conditions outlined below.

You are strongly recommended to take out travel insurance to cover your break – it is your responsibility to ensure that you have cover. Policies are now available that cover for Covid-19 related issues.

Deposit and Payment

For bookings made less than 7 weeks before the start of the rental the total fee is payable.

For bookings made made more than 7 weeks before the start of the rental a deposit of 30% of the rental (minimum £150) must be made immediately upon receiving our BACS details. These will be emailed with the details of your booking, which will be confirmed when the deposit is received. The balance shall be payable in full by BACS transfer 7 weeks before the commencement of the rental (the Due Date).

If we do not receive payment of the balance by the due date we will be entitled to treat that as your intention to cancel the Booking. If we are forced to cancel your booking due to non-payment the deposit paid will be non-refundable.

If your Booking is made less than 7 weeks prior to the Holiday Commencement Date then your Booking will only be confirmed and our Contract will only come into force once we have received payment in full in cleared funds.

We reserve the right to cancel your booking and re-let the property if payment is not received by the due date.

No entry to our properties will be allowed without payment, in full, being cleared beforehand.

You may not under any circumstances transfer your booking to anyone else without prior consent.

Cancellations

Cancellation by You

Cancellations must be immediately notified to us and confirmed in writing via email to the address you receive with your booking confirmation.

The treatment of a cancellation will depend on

a) the date the booking was made

b) when the cancellation is made

Your inability (or the inability of any, some or all of your intended occupants) or disinclination to travel to and stay at your hired Cottage for any reason.

This includes – but is not limited to – illness (including Covid), a requirement or recommendation to self-isolate or quarantine, a call to jury duty, incarceration, change in personal or work circumstances, family emergencies, travel delays, vehicle breakdown, and delays with public transport.

These remain at your risk and do not give rise to a right to cancel or to receive a refund unless we re-let the property, other than according to the sliding scale below. You are strongly recommended to take out UK travel insurance to cover these eventualities. If you choose not to take out UK travel insurance then you accept responsibility for any loss that you may incur due to your cancellation.

Travel Insurance

It is the responsibility of the Party Leader (the individual making the booking) to acquire suitable travel insurance to cover their holiday, including Cancellation and Curtailment Protection Insurance. We strongly recommend that you take out suitable insurance which will cover you for possible cancellation of your UK holiday. There are several suitable options which include cover for COVID-related cancellation, you can look for suitable cover on comparison sites such as www.gocompare.com.

Any refunds agreed will be paid on the date of original planned check out.

Refunds

A refund will be made based on the number of days notification of cancellation given to us by the person making the booking, and whether the cottage is re-let for the period of the cancelled stay. We will apply the scale shown in the table below to determine the amount of the refund payable to you. If the accommodation is not re-let, this will be a percentage of the total cost of the holiday. If the accommodation is re-let, the amount refunded will be the rebooking value (which may be less than you paid).

Part Cancellations – If any person(s) in your party needs to cancel, this will not affect the total cost of your booking. In addition, no refunds are payable in the event that you cut short your stay.

Refunds for cancellations more than 7 weeks out will be made within 3 working days of the date of cancellation, which must be in writing (by email). Refunds for cancellations made less than 7 weeks out will be made within 3 working days of the rebooking date, or the end date of the holiday (as the refund amount will depend on the rebooking value).

Time from Cancellation to Arrival	Cottage not rebooked	Cottage rebooked
	We Refund to you	We Refund to you

More than 7 weeks	Deposit amount	Deposit amount
36-49 days	60% of total cost	Rebooking value
29-35 days	50% of total cost	Rebooking value
22-28 days	40% of total cost	Rebooking value
15-21 days	30% of total cost	Rebooking value
8-14 days	20% of total cost	Rebooking value
0-7 days	10% of total cost	Rebooking value

Cancellations by us for reasons beyond our control (“Force Majeure”)

We won’t be deemed to be in breach of this Contract, or otherwise liable to you, by reason of any delay in performance or non-performance of any of our obligations in this Contract to the extent that such delay or non-performance is caused by circumstances beyond our reasonable control (for example if access to and use of our property is prevented by fire, flood, exceptional weather conditions, epidemics, pandemics, destruction/damage, internet or other communications failure, blocked roads, war/terrorism, nuclear/radioactive disaster affecting us or our property) (these are sometimes referred to as “Force Majeure Events”)

If for any reason beyond our control we are forced to cancel your Booking (or bring it to an end early) due to a Force Majeure Event affecting us or our property we will refund you the full amount of your remaining rental costs based on the time of your booking remaining. This will be the full extent of our liability and no additional compensation, expenses or costs (such as travel or replacement lodging costs) will be payable.

General

You may access the property from 16.00 on the day of arrival. We need this time to ensure that the accommodation is ready for your arrival after the previous guests.

Departure time on your final day varies by property:

Cotton Cottage: 09:00
Townhead Farm: 10:00
Calico Cottage: 11:00

Please ensure you leave by the time stated so we can ensure the accommodation is ready for the next guests.

You must not use the property except for the purpose of a holiday during the holiday period, and not for any other purpose or longer period. The agreement to stay in the property for the holiday period does not create the relationship of Landlord and Tenant between the parties. You shall not be entitled to a new tenancy, or to any assured short hold or assured tenancy or any statutory protection under the Housing Act 1988 or other statutory security of tenure now or at the end of the Holiday Period.

On departure, you are requested to leave the accommodation in a clean and tidy condition. This includes:

washing up
placing rubbish in bin liners and putting in outside bins
ensuring ovens and and supplied barbeques are clean and free from grease
Sign out of Netflix etc on the TV

You will vacate the property and return the keys to the designated key-safe on the day of departure and will settle any outstanding accounts prior to your departure.

We do not accept pets in Townhead Farm or Calico Cottage as these properties are not suitable for them. One large or two small dogs are permitted in Cotton Cottage, subject to the following rules:

Dogs should be kept on a lead at all times on the property.
Dogs must not be left unaccompanied in the property.
Dogs are not allowed upstairs or on furniture.
Guests are responsible for clearing up after their dog outside and should ensure that all bagged waste is disposed of in the appropriate bin.

The Owners do not accept responsibility for breakdown in public or local supplies, including water or electricity, nor any claims against inconvenience caused by such incidences, or by building works or road works on access roads that may be deemed as necessary. In the case of any breakdown Guests are asked to notify the Owners immediately. We will try our best, in conjunction with the service company concerned, to correct the fault as soon as possible.

Maximum guests

Hopevale cottages may only be occupied by those guests listed on the booking form and must not exceed the maximum number stated for each accommodation. In the event of non-compliance, we reserve the right to terminate your booking immediately, in which case our responsibility to you ceases immediately and there will be no refunds, no payment of compensation and no reimbursement of any cost or expenses you may incur as a result.

Ensuring everyone’s enjoyment of their holiday

We live in a quiet, rural farming community and expect that our guests respect and maintain the tranquility of our setting. It is your responsibility to ensure that no members of your party behave in a way which causes offence or danger or annoyance to others or which risks damage to property belonging to others.

In such circumstances we reserve the right to terminate your booking immediately, in which case our responsibility to you ceases immediately and there will be no refunds, no payment of compensation and no reimbursement of any cost or expenses you may incur as a result. Furthermore, you will be liable to reimburse us for any expenses incurred as a result of you and your party’s behaviour.

No candles, fireworks, drones or Chinese lanterns are permitted at any time.
No pets, with the exception of Cotton Cottage when one large or two small dogs are permitted when agreed at time of booking (see rules above).
We do not accept bookings of single sex groups for hen or stag celebrations or similar occasions.
For safety reasons and the comfort of other guests, we have adopted a strict no smoking policy. There is no smoking or vaping allowed on the premises; this includes the outside grounds.
Please park your vehicles in the designated parking area, ensuring cars do not block access to other properties. Parking is limited to: Townhead Farm (3 cars), Cotton Cottage (2 cars) & Calico Cottage (2 cars).
Domestic electric vehicle chargers (commonly known as a ‘granny charger’ or a ‘trickle charger’) are not suitable for use at the property and are strictly forbidden. You are liable for any damage or loss suffered by us due to your unauthorised use of domestic chargers. There is a charging point in the village car park opposite the fuel station.
Visitors are welcome by arrangement (please email us before their arrival) but are not permitted to stay overnight. They must adhere to the terms and conditions of the property. We cannot accept responsibility whatsoever for their safety, well-being or possessions. Guests shall be held responsible for their visitors’ actions. We request that visitors leave no later than 10.00 pm.
You must not use the Cottage or the site for any illegal, dangerous, offensive, noxious or noisy activities or behave in a way that may be a nuisance or annoyance to us, other guests or our neighbours. We are in a peaceful location and we ask that you respect that and our other guests. As such, the playing of music, singing or other excessive noise that can be heard outside of your cottage after 9 pm is not permitted.
Please take care of our property. You are responsible and liable for any breakages or damages that you cause to the accommodation or its contents. Please report these as soon as they occur so we can replace them both for you and for the next guests. We do not normally charge for minor breakages, but we reserve the right to charge you for repair or making good if the damage or breakage is significant.
Please let us know about any problem with any appliance or fixture or fitting as soon as possible and we will ensure that, within a reasonable time, this is repaired, or alternative arrangements are made.
Visitors are asked to take care at all times while on our property. Parents in particular are asked to ensure that children are safe, accompanied by a responsible adult and not left unattended. Due to the nature of the property we only accept children over 8 years old in Townhead Farm and Cotton Cottage and children are not accepted in Calico Cottage.

We do not accept responsibility or liability for injury or damage to and loss of guest’s property, cars and contents and you agree to indemnify and hold us harmless from and against all actions, claims, costs and proceedings (including reasonable legal fees incurred in defending the same) arising from your acts or omissions (and those in your party) while on our property. In the event of guest misbehaviour or other necessary cause, we reserve the right to terminate the let without any refund of letting monies.

We (or our representative) reserve the right to enter any property at a reasonable time for the purpose of emergency maintenance or repair or any other need.

Free Wi-Fi 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.

Health and Fire Safety

It will be the responsibility of the party leader (the person booking) to ensure that on arrival all guests (including any approved day guests) are familiar with the layout of the property and with the exit routes to use in the event of emergency. All guests should ensure that they are familiar with the contents of the welcome pack in the cottage in this respect.

We reserve the right to make changes to the property, including any relevant enhancements to décor, furniture, fixtures and fittings, etc. We endeavour to ensure that all changes are in keeping with the style of the property. We shall not be liable for any such alterations to the property.

LIABILITY

Hopevale Cottages, its employees and representatives shall not be liable to you or your party for loss or damage to property howsoever arising unless demonstrably caused by our negligence or wilful misconduct or that of those for whom we are legally responsible. You must take all necessary steps to safeguard yourselves and your property.

Third Party Services – If you wish to engage any third party to perform any service (including for example private catering, beauty therapy, childminding or entertainment services) at the site or the Cottage you must obtain our written permission. Such permission should be requested in advance of your stay with details of the entity you intend to use to perform the service, the service to be performed and details of their public and employer’s liability insurance. Consent will only be given where we and our insurers are happy that the appropriate risks have been covered. We will not accept liability for the services provided (or failure to provide such services) by any third party supplier or business used by you in the course of your Stay (regardless of whether they are recommended or referred by us). This will not apply where we have been negligent or dishonest in this regard.

‘Owners’ refers to the proprietors of Hopevale Cottages. ‘Party leader’ refers to the person making the booking. ‘Guests’ refers to all persons listed on the booking form. ‘Visitors’ refers to any persons visiting guests at Hopevale Cottages.

If Guests or any member of their party, has, or has just had an infectious or contagious medical condition the Owners have the right to refuse the booking, cancel the holiday or ask the Guest to leave immediately should it be considered necessary, to protect the health of other guests and/or staff. The Owners should be informed immediately should any condition develop within four weeks of arrival date, or during the holiday at Hopevale Cottages.

Privacy statement

When you book with us, we collect your personal data via our booking form as we have a legitimate interest in these details under Article 6(b) of the GDPR 2018 in order to complete bookings and organise your holiday. We use your data in order that we can contact you in respect of your holiday and ensure that the cottage is set up for the appropriate number of guests. We will hold your booking information within our booking system. We will not share your data with any other third parties and we will not send you marketing emails without your consent which you may retract at any point by emailing us. For the purposes of demonstrating to the UK tax authorities the legitimacy of our bookings and income, we will store your data for 7 years.