Terms & Conditions - self catering and bed and breakfast accommodation, Cornwall

General - First & Last Cottages act as agent for the owners of the property. The rental arrangements are made by First & Last Cottages and the contractual relationship is directly between the owners of the property and the guest. First &fi Last Cottages will, on request, provide the name and address of the owners of any property which the guest has booked.
Reservations - Self-catering - a booking is only confirmed once we have received a deposit - we will then confirm your booking in writing. A provisional reservation will be held for 7 days and if we have not received a deposit within this time the reservation will lapse. Bed and breakfast - a booking is only confirmed on receipt of a deposit. A provisional booking will lapse after 4 days if the deposit has not been received.

Deposit - can be paid by credit card, cheque or bank transfer. Self-catering - if a booking is made 6 weeks or more before the holiday starts, a deposit of 20% is payable. The balance is payable not later than 6 weeks before the start date. If your holiday begins less than 6 weeks from the time of booking, the full rent is payable. If the balance payment is not received by the due date, as set out in the confirmation letter, then the guest will lose their booking and the deposit will be forfeit. Bed and breakfast - a deposit of 50% of the value of the first night's booking is required. The balance is payable on arrival.

Cancellation - Self-catering - in the event of cancellation less than 6 weeks before a holiday begins the whole rent is payable unless we succeed in re-letting in which case £20 will be deducted as an administration fee and the rest refunded. With more than 6 weeks notice, only the deposit will be forfeit minus a £10 administration fee. Bed and breakfast - in the event of cancellation the deposit will be forfeit, unless we are able to re-let the room. If the booking is cancelled with 48 hours notice or less, the full amount is due unless we are able to re-let the room.

Cancellation Insurance - traditionally people have not taken out insurance for UK holidays but it is strongly recommended that you do. There is plenty of choice available on the internet.

Payment options - Payment can be made by cheque made out to First & Last Cottages, by debit or maestro card at no extra cost or by credit card which attracts a 1.5% surcharge. Alternatively you can pay by bank transfer. Any charges raised against First & Last Cottages by their bank for handling dishonoured cheques, bank transfers or any other payments will be passed on to the guest who is liable to reimburse First & Last Cottages within seven days of receipt of notification.

Discounts - 5% discount is offered for a repeat booking (in the same property) within 12 months. This discount does not apply to short breaks

Overseas Bookings - Overseas guests may pay in sterling by cheque drawn on a UK bank, Mastercard, Visa, or by international electronic transfer. Any charges for payments from overseas will be passed on to the guest.

Eligibility - Bookings will not be accepted from groups of single people under the age of 25 or from all male or all female parties of more than three people.

Arrival and Departure - Self-catering - all holidays start and finish on a Saturday for Treeve Moor Cottage, Stargazey, The School House, Flats 1-5 Mercury House and Carn Scathe, a Sunday for Pisces, Top Deck, Beachcomber and Cobweb Cottage and a Friday for Sundowner, Cara, Surfers Paradise, Shellseekers and Joppa Barn (except as agreed for out of season short breaks). Tenancies commence at 1600 on the first day and terminate at 1000 on the day of departure unless otherwise notified in your confirmation letter. Bed and breakfast - arrival time preferably not before 1400, departure time is 1000, unless otherwise arranged.

Smoking - all properties are non-smoking - we would ask you not to smoke under any circumstances

Linen - Linen is changed between holidays and a change of linen is provided weekly during holidays. Towels are provided but you should bring your own beach towels. Please bring your own linen for cots

Pets - Self-catering - where pets are accepted this is on the understanding they are kept under strict control, exercised off the premises and are not permitted in the bedrooms or on the furniture. They should not be left in the property unsupervised. Please ensure your pet's flea treatment is up to date. The most common reason for owners to change their minds about accepting pets is failure to comply with these conditions. Bed and breakfast - sorry, pets are not accepted due to the resident cats. Where the description of a property states "sorry, no pets" First & Last Cottages cannot guarantee that there have been no pets previously kept at the property.

Mobile phones - Most of the properties are in remote locations and do not have a reliable mobile phone signal. Please ask for more details if this is important to you.

Older properties - Many of you will be looking for the character and atmosphere of an older property. These properties may well be over 100 years old and were built a long time before the days of damp-proof courses. As a result they sometimes have a tendency to feel damp and the occasional damp patch may appear. The air can be very warm and moist at times, leading to heavy condensation. The problem can usually be alleviated by leaving one or two windows open and letting the air circulate. We would advise against taking elderly people, very young babies or anyone particularly susceptible to damp, to an older property, particularly between the months of October to April.

Electricity, central heating, fuel for woodburner - Electricity and central heating are included in the rental. A starter pack of firelighters, matches and smokeless fuel is provided for the woodburner in Treeve Moor Cottage, Cobweb Cottage and The School House for a fire on the first evening in the winter months.

Parking - if parking is a bit tight or access is down a lane unsuitable for vehicles with low ground clearance, this will be specified.

Website Descriptions - some of the information on the website relates to matters beyond the properties such as shops and pubs. Closure of such premises and other changes to external facilities are outside First & Last Cottages' control.

The Guests' Obligations - The guest agrees:-

a. to pay for any losses or damage to the property unless the cost can be recovered under any household insurance held by the owner
b. to take good care of the property and leave it in a clean and tidy condition on departure. First & Last Cottages reserves the right to make a charge for extra cleaning if the property is not left in a satisfactory condition. Should the owner be dissatisfied with the condition of the property, they may refuse to take a booking from that guest again. If a guest has been excluded from two or more properties by owners then First & Last Cottages has the right to refuse any more bookings from that guest at any other property.
c. to permit the owners and their agents reasonable access to the property
d. not to part with possession of the property, or share it, except with members of the party listed when booking
e. not to exceed the total number of people stipulated in the property description
f. not to sell or transfer the booking to another party without First & Last Cottages' agreement
g. not to cause an annoyance or become a nuisance to occupants of adjoining premises
h. not to smoke in a non-smoking property
i. not to bring a pet to a property which stipulates no pets
j. to pay any excess telephone charges incurred

Non-availability of property - If for any reason beyond the owners control the property is not available on the date booked (owing, for example, to fire damage) or the property becomes unsuitable for holiday letting, all rent and charges paid in advance by the guest will be refunded.

Liability - First & Last Cottages 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 of 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 First & Last Cottages is responsible. In addition, the owners and First & Last Cottages accept no liability for loss of or damage to the guest's possessions on the owners property or land. Nothing in these conditions excludes or limits the liability of First & Last Cottages or the owners for death or personal injury caused by First & Last Cottages' or the owners negligence or for any matter which it would be illegal for First & Last Cottages or the owners to exclude or attempt to exclude their liability.

Breach of Contract - If there is a breach of any of these conditions by the guest or any of their party, the owners of First & Last Cottages reserve the right to re-enter the property and end the holiday and ask the guest and their party to leave. If there is a breach of any of these conditions by First & Last Cottages or the owners, then the guests have the right to end their holiday and leave.

Complaints - All complaints must be notified to First & Last Cottages as soon as reasonably practicable, as First & Last Cottages may be required to carry out an on-the-spot investigation followed by remedial action. Guests have a legal obligation to mitigate their loss. If First & Last Cottages or the owners are denied the opportunity of investigating the complaint within a reasonable time or denied the opportunity to put matters right during the holiday, then the guest will waive all rights. It is important that you are aware that, as with all holiday cottage agencies, the rental agreement is directly with the owners. In the unusual circumstance that the owners or housekeeper are unable to sort out any problems you may encounter with the property, we are at hand, but our role is that of an arbitrator. In that capacity, we will do our utmost to ensure that any problems are resolved quickly and to your complete satisfaction.

Losses or Damages - You should be aware that you have a legal liability to pay for any damages you may cause to the property during your holiday. We ask all owners to insure the property in respect of the usual risks covered by a building and contents policy and, whilst these policies will vary in detail, the major perils should be covered. However, in certain circumstances, if you should cause any loss or damage by negligence, you could become liable and you would probably not be covered by the personal liability section of your own household policy. Equally, the owner's insurance is unlikely to cover your personal possessions. You would therefore be well advised to check on these points with your insurers and you may find that, providing they are given notice, they will extend your normal cover to include your holiday home.

Governing Law - Any dispute will be governed by the non-exclusive law and jurisdiction of the English or Scottish Courts.