We do not charge booking or service fees.
Payment transaction fees:
UK and international bank transfer: free
(customers paying in £ Sterling by international bank transfer are liable for all bank charges)
UK personal debit and credit cards: free.
European personal debit and credit card: free
Corporate / Business / Commercial Cards: 3.25%
Non-European debit and credit cards: 3.25%
Sorry, we do not accept American Express.
Please note: All payments by card are in GBP Sterling
Payment in Euros;
€ Euros accepted by bank transfer to a French bank account for French properties.
COVID 19 Booking Information
The Coronavirus pandemic means that travel advice is constantly changing and we will do our best to support you should your plans be affected.
If the owners are prohibited from accepting guests due to a local or national lockdown we will offer to transfer your payment to alternative dates subject to availability and any price difference or provide a refund.
You should ensure that you have sufficient travel insurance cover in place for your requirements as soon as you have made a financial commitment to book accommodation through us.
Booking terms and conditions
When making a reservation with Holiday Cottages and Villas, you agree to the terms and conditions as stated below. Please ensure that you read them carefully and understand them before entering into an agreement.
Definitions and interpretations
In these Booking Terms and Conditions “HCV” shall mean Holiday Cottages and Villas whose office address is 5 Donet Close, Gillingham, Kent, ME8 9NX, England.
“We”, “us” and “our” shall mean Holiday Cottages and Villas (HCV)
“The Client”, “you” and “your” shall mean the person whose name the booking is made and shall include the person or persons on whose behalf the booking is made.
“Owner” shall mean the legal owner of the property being rented.
“House Keeper” shall mean the person or persons who are locally responsible for maintaining and managing The Property and are not employees or representatives of HCV.
“The Property” shall mean the accommodation that has been rented for the duration of your stay.
“Force Majeure” shall mean any event outside the control of Holiday Cottages and Villas and/or the Owner, which prevents the performance of their obligations, including but not limited to war or threat of war, riot, civil strife, industrial disputes, terrorist activity, natural disaster, fire, epidemic, outbreaks of illness, or adverse weather conditions.
The singular shall include the plural and vice versa and the masculine shall include the feminine where the context so requires.
1. General Information
Use of the HCV website and the services associated with it, including the submission of a booking form/rental contract is an acknowledgement by you of your acceptance of these terms and conditions.
HCV act only as the Owner’s booking agent to administer rental Client reservations including rental payments and security bond transactions.
Any rental contract entered into for the letting of any of the properties advertised on HCV’s website is between you and the Owner of the property. No agreement or rental contract relative to the letting of a property is or can be entered into with HCV. HCV is not linked legally by any of the rental contracts concluded through their website or other available methods other than for the performance of their booking/reservation services as detailed in this document.
The above services are the only services provided to you by HCV who shall have no responsibility or liability to you other than for the performance of the above services. The following agreement is made directly between you and the Owner and is a legally binding contract.
These terms and conditions detail the agreement of temporary property rental between the Client and the Owner.
The lead Client is 18 years of age or more.
Where the Client is two or more people, each Client will be liable for all sums due under this agreement and not just a proportionate part.
The Client and Owner hereby agree as follows:
2. Booking and payments
A reservation is not final until a booking form (manual or online) has been completed and received by HCV, deposit monies paid and confirmation issued by HCV. In the event that a booking is made within 8 weeks of rental commencement, the full balance and security bond are payable immediately.
HCV has the right to refuse to accept any bookings at our discretion, refunding any deposit received, without necessarily specifying a reason.
A booking deposit of 25% of the basic rental cost is required to secure a reservation and is payable to HCV within 48 hours of confirming your intention to book. In the event that we do not receive payment within 48 hours, we reserve the right to offer the Property to another Client.
The currency in which rental rates are advertised; and payment options are detailed on our website. Should you wish to pay for a Property in £ sterling that is advertised in another currency, we will accept this subject to the prevailing high street exchange rate as advised by us at the time each payment is due.
The full balance (including any additional supplements or charges) is payable 8 weeks prior to rental commencement. HCV will issue a reminder prior to this date to the lead Client. If any part of the balance of the holiday remains unpaid by the due date, HCV reserves the right to regard the booking as cancelled and to re-advertise the Property.
HCV reserves the right to make an administrative charge of £25 to the Client in the event of late payment.
Where applicable, a security bond is payable to HCV (usually 8 weeks but at least 2 weeks prior to the rental commencement date or on arrival at the Property to the Owner or House Keeper as specified on our website. This payment is held to cover the cost of any damage or breakages to the property and facilities, or if additional cleaning is required should the property be left in an unacceptable condition on departure. This will be refunded within 7 working days of the last day of your stay; subject to a satisfactory inspection of the property. Any deductions made will be reasonable, however, the value of this bond does not limit the guest’s liability to the Owner should the cost of damage or loss be greater than the sum of the deposit. Breakages will be charged for on a new for old basis where repair is not possible. You may also be liable for costs incurred by the Owner associated with repairing or replacing items e.g. House Keeper/Owner’s time, travel expenses.
Lost, damaged or unreturned keys will be charged at £20 sterling per key plus any additional costs incurred by the Owner (e.g. House Keepers charge for time/mileage). If it is necessary to have the locks replaced, the guest is liable for the full cost of replacement.
HCV will act as an arbitrator and point of contact for both the Client and Owner in the event of any dispute arising as a result of a deduction from a security bond. HCV accepts no responsibility or liability for losses incurred by the Client in respect of the security bond. HCV shall have the final decision as to the amount of any deductions made.
All payments made to HCV will be held in a Client Account and paid to the Owner of the Property booked.
Where applicable, Taxe de Sejour (Tourism Tax), will be paid by the Client on arrival unless otherwise stated. The Owner is responsible for all administration of Taxe de Sejour required by the relevant authority.
HCV is not liable for any bank, foreign currency or card charges incurred when payment is made. It is the Clients responsibility to ensure that the amount received by HCV is the full and correct payment due.
3. Alterations by the Client
Once your booking has been confirmed; any changes requested and agreed by HCV may be subject to an administration fee of £25 per amendment to cover costs incurred. Any request for changes must be in writing by e-mail or letter from the lead Client who made the booking.
In the event of an amendment charge arising under this clause, the Client must pay the amount due to HCV within 7 days, or immediately if arrival at the Property is within 7 days of the amendment.
If a Client chooses to modify or abandon the arrangements after the commencement of rental (e.g. change accommodation or the duration of stay), you will be deemed to be breaking your contract and HCV nor the Owner cannot accept liability for any loss, damage or additional expenses resulting therefrom and no refunds for utilised services or accommodation in full or part will be made.
4. Cancellation by the Client
If it is necessary for you to cancel your reservation, the lead Client who made the booking must inform us in writing by e-mail or by recorded delivery letter at the earliest opportunity. Cancellation is effective from the date of receipt by HCV. The following charges will apply:
More than 8 weeks prior to rental: loss of deposit
8 weeks or less prior to rental: loss of full rental cost.
Cancellation charges also apply to partial cancellations (e.g. A Client books 2 weeks but later amends to 1 week. In this scenario cancellation charges will apply to the week or dates being cancelled).
In the event of a cancellation charge arising under this clause, the amount must be paid by the Client to HCV within 7 days, notwithstanding the fact that the Clients travel insurance policy may cover the cancellation fee. It is the responsibility of the Client to claim any insurance monies as HCV cannot claim on the Client’s behalf.
5. Cancellation by the Owner
Should it be necessary for the Owner to cancel your holiday due to unusual or unforeseeable circumstances, the Owner will be responsible for reimbursement to the Client of any amount paid in respect of your reservation or will seek to offer alternative dates subject to availability. Neither the Owner nor HCV will be liable to pay compensation or reimburse you for any costs you may have paid in connection with your villa only holiday (including but not limited to fees for travel, additional or alternative accommodation, entertainment, activities or insurance.) The Owner’s liability will not exceed the amount of any sum paid for the Property rental. HCV have no liability to refund any monies paid once payment has been forwarded to the Owner.
6. Insurance
We strongly recommend that you take out an appropriate travel insurance policy for your needs; which includes but is not limited to:
Medical, cancellation cover and full cover for your personal belongings, as the Owner provides no such cover.
Personal liability and accidental damage insurance for all members of the party to cover against accidental or negligent damage to the Property, and against loss in the event of a deduction from the security bond (this is usually included as part of a comprehensive travel insurance policy).
Breakdown and motor insurance cover for driving abroad if taking your own car on holiday.
The Owner nor HCV accepts no liability or responsibility whatsoever for any accident on the Property.
7. Prices
We reserve the right to vary our prices at any time prior to booking and you will be informed of the up to date price of your chosen accommodation before you book.
From time to time we may promote special offers or discounts for new bookings. Any such discounts cannot be applied retrospectively to existing bookings.
We endeavour to ensure that our website(s) and any supporting material displays the most up to date information and prices. In the event that an error is found, we will correct this in a quick and timely manner and will notify you of any significant changes.
In the event of a change to the property or its facilities that HCV considers significant, we will inform you as soon as is reasonably possible if there is time before your departure. In these circumstances, you will have the option to accept the change and any proposed reduction in price if applicable, consider an alternative property of comparable standard from us subject to availability and any price difference, or cancel your booking and receive a full refund from the Owner.
8. Complaints
We understand that occasionally things can go wrong. In the event that the Client wishes to make a complaint about the accommodation or facilities, you must contact the Owner or local Housekeeper immediately during your holiday and allow sufficient time for them to make every reasonable effort to resolve the matter. Where neither are available and in the event of an emergency, please contact HCV who will endeavour to assist on your behalf. It is unreasonable to take no action and complain at a later date or on return, as the Owner/House Keeper will have been deprived of the opportunity to investigate and rectify any complaint. HCV will not accept any complaints made retrospectively.
9. Pets
We understand that pets form an important part of many families and we try and cater for these requirements where possible. Where pets are allowed at the Property, they must be disclosed at the time of booking to HCV. Acceptance of pets is wholly at the discretion of the Owner/HCV and is subject to the following;
The type, breed and age of the animal must be provided to HCV prior to booking
A maximum of 2 pets for any booking
An additional charge of £50 per animal, per booking, will apply
An additional Security Bond of £250 will be added to the standard Security Bond of the Property.
The Client must ensure that the Property and grounds are kept free of faeces and excess fur/hair at all times. Pets are not allowed on any soft furnishings or in the bedrooms.
If additional cleaning is required at the end of the stay a charge may be deducted from the Security Bond paid.
10. Use of services and facilities
The Client acknowledges that the property is privately owned accommodation being solely let for the purpose of a self-catering holiday.
Use of the entire accommodation and facilities; including any swimming pool or Jacuzzi is entirely at your own risk. HCV or the Owner shall not be liable for; death or injury whilst occupying the Property, swimming pool or Jacuzzi or other facilities. Children/minors must be supervised at all times by an appropriate adult.
The Client shall take full responsibility for the safe enjoyment of the facilities; diving into the swimming pool is not permitted. No glass or sharp objects are to be taken into the pool or surrounding area.
HCV or the Property Owner’s cannot be held responsible for loss or theft of property belonging to the Client, including vehicles, or any impediment caused to the full enjoyment of the property and facilities resulting from force majeure, adverse weather conditions, storms, fire, flood, accident, warfare, strikes, and governmental or administrative decisions. Please respect the character of the property and any house rules, and take reasonable care whilst occupying it.
Where the swimming pool is heated, the temperature is influenced by several factors including weather conditions and the use of any pool cover; therefore water temperatures cannot be specified or guaranteed.
A domestic Internet connection is provided at most Property’s free of charge and is subject to reasonable usage and varying connection speeds, and cannot be guaranteed. The service is not necessarily available in all rooms of the Property. The Client is responsible for providing his own devices to access this service and agrees to use the facility in a legal manner. If you have specific requirements for an Internet connection please check with HCV before booking, as service in rural areas can be slow or regularly disrupted.
Some properties provide a landline telephone for incoming or local telephone calls. Calls to premium rate, non-geographical numbers or foreign countries are not permitted.
Excessive or abusive use of these facilities may incur additional charges.
The Owner or HCV shall not be liable to the Client for any temporary defect or stoppage of facilities or services to the Property. The Owner and/or House Keeper shall use his best efforts to have such facilities reinstated. Neither the Owner nor HCV can take responsibility for any delays in effecting such reconnection, nor any Client recompense.
HCV is not responsible for the maintenance of the facilities or Property.
If provided by the Owner, the use of any bicycles provided at the Property is not recommended by HCV as there is no guarantee of the safe maintenance of such facilities. Any use is entirely at your own risk.
11. Property descriptions and photographs
The descriptions and photographs published on our website(s) and any supporting material are shown in good faith as accurately as possible at the time of publication. These are intended to provide an overall impression of the Property and are approved by the Owner as an accurate representation of the Property.
We will endeavour to advise the Client in advance if the Owner notifies us of any material changes to the Property. This will not necessarily entitle the Client to cancel the booking without penalties as described in Section 4.
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The Property does not necessarily have any internationally recognised standards or categories.
HCV offers no warranty or endorsement of individual Property’s and is not responsible for the final presentation of the Property, or for the on-site management and maintenance provided by the Property Owner and/or his house manager or other staff.
12. Data Protection
Your personal data will be processed, stored and used only in connection with your booking made with HCV and under GDPR. Please refer to our Privacy Policy for full details; as published on our website.
13. General
For the comfort and safety of all guests, we operate a strict no smoking policy at all Property’s. Smoking outside of the Property, within the grounds, is permitted; however, the Client is to take sensible precautions to prevent the start of a fire and must not leave evidence of cigarette butts.
The Client will undertake to allow maintenance personnel and the Owner or their representative’s access to the property for the purposes of repair, maintenance or inspection. The House Keeper, Owner or HCV will endeavour to contact guests in advance, wherever possible, to advise of any visits/work to be carried out. It will be the aim to keep any disturbance to a minimum so as not to impact the enjoyment of your holiday.
The Client is responsible for maintaining the property, furniture, fixtures, fittings and equipment in the same rooms and in the same condition as they were found on arrival. The Client shall report all breakages and damage to the House Keeper, Owner or HCV immediately in order that facilities can be maintained to a high standard for all guests. Replacement of any broken or damaged items will be payable by the Client. Minor breakages of items such as crockery may be waived at the discretion of HCV or the Owner.
The Client is strictly not permitted to tamper with or change any pool settings or equipment.
The property must be left in clean and tidy condition. Although a full clean will be conducted at the end of the rental period, we reserve the right to make a deduction from the security bond if the property is left in an unacceptable condition or additional cleaning is required.
The Property must be kept locked at night and when unattended. The Client will be wholly liable for any loss or damage incurred by the Owner if this clause is breached.
The Client agrees to be a considerate tenant, to take good care of the Property and its facilities and to act in a manner that will not cause disturbance or nuisance to residents of any neighbouring properties. We reserve the right, at our absolute discretion, to terminate your holiday if your behaviour is likely, in our reasonable opinion or that of the Owner’s / House Keeper’s, to cause distress, damage, annoyance or danger to any third party or The Property. The Client will be requested to vacate the Property within 24 hours upon notification of unacceptable behaviour. If you are prevented from travelling or have to return home early for this reason; we nor the Owner, will have no further responsibility for your holiday, including any arrangements for your return home. No refunds will be made and the Owner nor HCV will have no obligation to pay you compensation or cover any costs that you may incur as a result of having to make alternative arrangements.
The Client shall report to the Owner / House Keeper without delay any defects to the Property and facilities, or breakdown of any equipment or appliances provided as part of the rental of the Property. Arrangements for repair or replacement will be made as soon as is reasonably possible.
The rental period will commence from 4 pm on the day of arrival and finish at 10 am on the day of departure unless otherwise stated on our website, or by prior arrangement in writing with HCV. The Client will not be entitled to occupation before or after these times. Late departure may be subject to a charge of £50 per hour.
We regret that requests for arrangements outside of these times cannot be considered during peak season (July & August).
The Client is not authorised to allow additional guests other than those stated on the Booking Form to occupy the Property and may not exceed the maximum number of guests as advertised on our website. Any other persons may not enter the Property/grounds or use its facilities.
The client acquires no rights whatsoever over the Property except as occupation as a holiday let for the period stated in your confirmation e-mail. Sub-letting of the property is strictly forbidden and will be considered a breach of this contract.
HCV or the Owner shall not be liable for any building work, disturbance, noise or nuisance caused by third parties beyond our control outside of the Property. Where HCV is made aware of any potential disruption that could impact your holiday we will inform you as soon as possible.
If requested by the Client, you will be responsible for paying all reasonable costs associated with the return of any personal belongings left at the Property at the end of the rental period. If you do not wish for any items to be returned; you are also liable for any costs incurred by the Owner for the disposal of such items where applicable. The Owner may dispose of any items left behind by the Client after a period of 14 days if the Client makes no claim. The costs of disposal or return of the items may be deducted from the security bond and if there are any costs remaining they will be the liability of the Client. Item’s left behind may delay the return of the security bond being refunded.
Completion of the booking form (online or manually) and payment of the deposit is acceptance of the above terms and conditions by the lead Client on behalf of all named guests in the party.
Any changes to your booking must be notified to HCV immediately in writing by the lead Client.
This contract shall be governed by English law in every respect. No other law shall apply.
