Idyllic Cottages Guest Terms & Conditions
These terms and conditions apply to all properties that are listed on www.idylliccottages.com with the exception of The Ark, Belchamp Hall: Mill; Stables; Hayloft; and Coach House. Please see ‘The Ark and Belchamp Hall’ below for more details.
Reservations for accommodation by guests (the Guest) are accepted by Idyllic Cottages (the Agent) on behalf of property owners (the Owner).
The Agreement: The rental agreement is between the Guest and the Owner. Idyllic Cottages acts only as an Agent for the Owner. The contract is deemed to have been made once the Guest has paid a deposit and the Agent has dispatched a confirmation of booking, on behalf of the Owner. The Guest must be over 18 years of age at the time of booking.
Booking: The Guest who makes the booking is deemed to have agreed to these Terms and Conditions and will be responsible for all persons included in the booking and should ensure that they are all aware of these Terms & Conditions. The Owner/Agent reserves the right to decline any booking or refuse to hand over a key to any person who has not complied with these Terms & Conditions. The Agent will issue a Booking Confirmation once the Guest has either made a booking directly with the Agent or successfully completed their online booking process and in all cases all money due at the time of booking has been received in cleared funds. The Guest should check the confirmation form carefully and notify the Agent immediately in case of any discrepancy or mistake. The booking is not intended to create any relationship of landlord and tenant between the Guest and Owner. Guests are not entitled to any tenancy, or to an assured shorthold tenancy or to any statutory protection under the Housing Act 1988 or to any other statutory security of tenure now or when the license to occupy ends.
Payment: For bookings made more than 4 weeks before arrival, a deposit (part payment) of 25% of the total cost of the holiday, is required. The booking is taken on a provisional basis until the deposit has been paid in full and funds cleared through the banking system (where appropriate). The booking then becomes confirmed. Until the booking is confirmed, it can be cancelled at any time without prior notice. The balance is due 4 weeks before the holiday commences. For bookings made less than 4 weeks before arrival, the total amount is payable in full on booking. The Guest agrees to pay the balance of the payment 4 weeks before the holiday is due to start. 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 cancelled and the deposit retained. Where payments are taken by the Agent, the balance payment will be taken using the same card that was used to pay the deposit unless the Guest specifically requests an alternative card is used in advance of the payment due date.
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 4 weeks of the holiday no refund will be due. The Agent will however endeavour to re-let the property and if successful may at their discretion either provide a full refund, or allow the Guest to transfer to alternate dates and/or accommodation subject to availability. If the Guest cancels more than 4 weeks before the holiday any deposit will be refunded except for bookings across the Christmas and New Year periods deposits will not be returned if the Guest cancels within 8 weeks of the booking. A holiday cancellation protection plan should be taken out to cover forced cancellations. Cancellations must be notified in writing (including by email) to the Agent immediately. Once a booking has been accepted by the Agent, it can only be changed to another property by treating the original booking as a cancellation. Holiday dates may be changed providing the property is available for the new dates and the Owner is agreeable to the change. A £20 re-booking charge may be payable at the discretion of the Agent. We recommend and expect that the Guest will have or will take out a holiday insurance policy (which includes cancellation insurance covering sickness and unavoidable reasons for cancellation) prior to their stay.
Cancellation by Owners: The Owner will endeavour to make sure the stated property is available for the dates contracted. The Agent/Owner reserves the right to refuse any booking and to cancel any bookings already made if the property is unavailable (e.g. through fire, flood, etc.) for any reason whatsoever, subject to a full refund of all monies paid (but no further liability). Neither the Agent nor the Owner shall be under any other liability if such cancellation occurs. Note: in the unlikely event of a cancellation the Agent will make every possible effort to secure alternative accommodation if required. No compensation or consequential losses shall be paid.
Cleaning: The Guest must ensure that the Selected Property is left in a clean and tidy condition on departure at the end of the Rental Period (including removing all refuse to the designated refuse collection bins or local recycling point, and cleaning up after any animals which you have been permitted to bring to the Selected Property). The Agent may charge you for the reasonable costs of any additional cleaning, including BBQ cleaning, and refuse removal if this is reasonably considered necessary.
Laundry and mid stay clean: For bookings of longer than a week the Guest is entitled to a change of bedding and towels along with a light superficial clean of the property’s communal areas. For this to happen the Guest must remove all their belongings from the property and request this service from the Owner giving at least 24 hours’ notice. If the Guest would prefer not to remove their belongings, they can request that the Owner provides a bag of fresh bedding and towels enabling the Guest to change the beds themselves.
Bed configuration: As specified on descriptions of certain selected properties, some King-sized beds can be split and made up as two single beds. If the Guest wishes a King-size bed to be split they must notify the Agent or Owner at least 24 hours before they check-in or the default King-size configuration will be provided. If the Guest does not make this request, the Agent/Owner will not be able to split the beds after the Guest has checked-in.
Number of People using Holiday Accommodation: The Owner permits 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 the Agent 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 the agent or owner.
Arrival/Departure: Every effort will be made to have the property (unless otherwise stated in the property details) available for occupation from 4.00pm on the first day of the holiday and must be vacated by 10.00am on the last day. Late departure may result in an additional charge being made. Information about keys and how to collect them will be provided once full payment has been received.
Pets: The Guest may only bring such pets as specified at the time of booking. A charge of £25 will be made per pet. 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 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. No gardens are to be used as toilets. If damage or extra cleaning is caused by pets the Guest may be billed for that charge. ‘Pet Free (or ‘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. Our properties are non-smoking and pets are not permitted in some, however, while every effort is used to enforce these rules the Owner cannot guarantee that no one has smoked or taken a pet into a property.
Guest Responsibility: The supervision of children, babies, dogs and any adults requiring care remains the responsibility of the Guest at all times. Guests should put all furniture and contents etc. back to where it was at the beginning of the rental period. 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. The Guest agrees to keep the property and its contents in the same condition and repair as found on arrival and shall procure that all guests shall also take such care of the property and its contents. The Guest shall abide by all instructions with regard to the use of the property and its fixtures and fittings as notified to by The Agent or the Owner from time to time. The Guest must ensure the property is always left secure, securing doors and windows as needed, and keeping the property keys under their control at all times, or by depositing the keys in the key safe (if provided) during the Rental Period.
Damage, Loss, Theft: The Guest agrees to inform the Owner of any damage or loss however caused, excluding reasonable wear and tear incurred during occupation. Guests should not remove any item from the property. The Owner may ask for reasonable replacement costs. If any vomit or urine stains, including smells, are caused by any guests £200 will be charged for the necessary intensive cleaning. The Agent reserves the right to charge further sums if it is not possible to re-let the property as a consequence of the damage. The Guest may be required to pay a security deposit at the time of booking. If this applies to the property the Guest will be advised of the amount at the time of Booking. The security deposit will be refunded at the end of the Rental Period (less any reasonable costs for loss or damage). The Guest is fully responsible for the costs of any loss or damage caused by themselves or any of their guests or accompanying animals that exceeds the security deposit amount. The Agent reserves the right to charge any responsible damage costs to the Guest.
Nuisance: Guests should not cause nuisance or annoyance to occupants of any nearby property. If, in the opinion of the Agent/Owner, 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 the Agent/Owner as discharged and the Agent/Owner 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 by the Agent/Owner for maintenance given reasonable notice.
Wildlife: Many properties are in beautiful rural areas. Please therefore 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 any of these creatures are encountered and become a serious concern contact the Owner, otherwise, just open a window or a door and let them out. Owners reserve the right to take no action if they do not consider the existence of the wildlife to be a serious threat to health. Properties in rural locations can experience some animal noise and occasionally noise from grass cutting or other farm machinery or activities.
Complaints: The Agent inspects the standard of facilities in all properties on a regular basis but cannot accept responsibility for any changes made by the Owner since the inspection, or failure by the Owner to keep the property dry, clean, safe, and in good repair or to have all the items mentioned on the website. Every endeavour is made to ensure your stay is memorable for all the right reasons. However, we do recognise that from to time things do go wrong. In these circumstances, it is the responsibility of the Guest to make any such problem known to the Agent or Owner immediately it becomes apparent, thereby giving the Owner the opportunity to correct the situation. Please note any complaints raised after your holiday will not result in any form of compensation. Unless this procedure is followed, no subsequent claim will be entertained. The Owner will make every endeavour to rectify any identified problems as soon as is reasonably possible. The Agent cannot be held responsible for any perceived inadequacies in any of the properties. 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 the websites.
Disputes: Any dispute arising out of the booking will be between the Guest and the Owner. The Agent shall not be liable for any claims by the Guest or the Owner. No complaints can be considered unless notified during the Guest’s stay in the property. It is the duty of the Guest to minimise any loss to them and therefore it is their responsibility to inform the Owner at the earliest possible opportunity of any problem. The Agent is not responsible for resolving any complaints arising from the holiday in question, though will endeavour to achieve a resolution where possible. Accidents howsoever caused during the holiday are not the liability of the Agent. The responsibility for the upkeep of the property and any relevant Health and Safety considerations lie with the Owner. Complaints received after departure cannot be accepted as the Owner thereby has no opportunity to resolve the complaint at the time.
Liability: The Agent/Owner 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 property, (including pets), vehicles or vehicle contents belonging to the Guest or any member of the party during their occupancy. The maximum liability accepted by the Agent/Owner will be the total cost of the holiday as paid by the Guest to the Agent. No other expenses such as travelling costs or alternative accommodation will be accepted.
No Smoking: The Agent has a No Smoking policy within all properties.
No Fires or Candles: If there is a wood-burner or commissioned open fireplace at the property it may of course be used, though any other type of flames are not permitted under any circumstances. Candles are therefore not permitted.
Force Majeure: The Agent/Owner 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, including electricity power cut or mains water restriction. The Agent/Owner cannot be held responsible if the Guest is not able to reach the property because of adverse weather or travel problems.
Waiver: The failure of the Owner to enforce or exercise, at any time or for any period of time, any term of, or any right pursuant to this agreement does not constitute and shall not be construed as a waiver of such term or right.
Miscellaneous: County Court: 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. Building work: The Agent/Owner cannot be held responsible for any building or road workings which may be carried out close to a selected property. Where the Agent/Owner are aware of any anticipated works they will endeavour to advise the Guest in advance. Special requests: Special requests may be made prior to travel and while the Agent/ Owner will endeavour to meet them, this cannot be guaranteed. Under no circumstances will requests accepted by the Agent form part of their contractual obligations. Unless agreed in writing by the Agent on behalf of the Owner, the Agent does not accept liability for special requests that are fulfilled. WiFi and mobile phone signals: Neither the Agent or Owner can be held responsible for the non-availability or poor quality of WiFi or mobile telephone signal at or around a property as these are matters beyond their control. Where a property is advertised as having WiFi, neither the Agent or the Owner give any guarantee as to availability or usable speed.
The Ark and Belchamp Hall: Idyllic Cottages and Suffolk Hideaways are separate companies who work in close partnership on the marketing of selected properties and use the same booking software to enable seamless integration. If a Guest books either The Ark, Belchamp Hall Mill, Belchamp Hall Stables, Belchamp Hall Hayloft or Belchamp Hall Coach House then their booking will be completed through Suffolk Hideaways whose terms and conditions will apply. As at 20th February 2025 please be aware that Suffolk Hideaways require a 33% deposit at time of booking and that 100% of the rental fee that has been paid (i.e. the deposit) is refundable if a booking is cancelled more that 57 days before its start; and 50% is refundable if the booking is cancelled between 29 and 56 days before its start. Please see their full terms and conditions here: www.suffolkhideaways.co.uk/terms-and-conditions.pdf.
