BOOKING CONDITIONS

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In these Booking Conditions "you" and" your "means all persons named on the booking form including anyone who is added or substituted at a later date). "We" "us" “our” and "owner" means Christopher and Jacqueline Holton of Le Rigal Cause-de-Clérans 24150 Dordogne France.

1. THE PROPERTY
1. 1. The property known as Le Rigal , is offered for holiday rental subject to confirmation by Christopher and Jacqueline Holton , the owners.

2. HOW TO BOOK
2.1 You must contact us before making a booking to obtain confirmation of availability. Subject to availability, and on your request, a provisional reservation will then be made. The following must then be sent to us within 7 days:
(a) The completed and signed booking form: The person who signs the booking form certifies that he/she is authorised to agree the Booking Conditions on behalf of all persons included on the Booking Form, including those substituted/added at a later date. The signatory must be a member of the party occupying the property and must be 18 years or over. Bookings cannot be accepted from parties of young people less than 18 years of age.
(b) The payments referred to in clause 3.1 below (Failure to meet this requirement may result in a cancellation of the provisional booking)

3. PAYMENT
3.1 A non-refundable deposit of a 25% of the rental cost must be paid within 7 days of making your provisional reservation.
3.2 The balance must be paid not less than 12 weeks (84 days) prior to your arrival at the Property. This must be accompanied by a security deposit of £250
3.3 We are entitled to treat your booking as cancelled if you fail to pay the balance on time. (See Cancellation, clause 8)
3.4 Bookings taken within 12 weeks of your arrival at Le Rigal must be paid in full, including the security deposit.

4. CONTRACT
4.1 Once we have received your booking form and all appropriate payments, we will confirm your booking by issuing a confirmation invoice. This invoice will be sent to the party leader. Please check this invoice carefully as soon as you receive it. Contact us immediately if any information which appears on the confirmation or any other document appears to be incorrect or incomplete as it may not be possible to make changes later.
4.2 A binding contract between you and us will come into existence on receipt of your deposit.

5. RENTAL
5.1 The prices given are in sterling and the rental price is weekly.
5.2 Le Rigal is let fully furnished and equipped. The price for Le Rigal includes bed linen, bath towels and electricity. Additional services are clearly stated in the property description.
5.3 We reserve the right to make changes to and correct errors in advertised prices at any time before your holiday is confirmed. We will advise you of any error of which we are aware of at the time of booking.
5.4  The gite has a full central heating system powered by a wood burning boiler and an oil fired back up system.  There is also a wood burning stove in the lounge.  We provide one basket of wood on arrival.  We charge for further wood and oil consumed during your stay at the current market rate.

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6. SECURITY DEPOSIT
6.1 A security deposit of £250 is required to cover the cost of any damages or breakages to, or at the property.
This amount will be cashed 12 weeks prior to your arrival at the property, it is payable with your holiday balance.
6.2 It may take up to 2 weeks after your departure from the property to return the deposit to you. Delays can be caused whilst waiting for proof of damage.
6.3 The cost of any damage caused by you will be deducted from the security deposit and the remaining balance will be returned to you. If the security deposit paid by you is not sufficient to cover the cost of such damage, we will be entitled to recover any additional costs from you.
6.4 Some damages may not be immediately obvious to us upon your departure. We reserve the right to charge you for any damage noted in the property after your departure.
6.5 Unless otherwise specified, security deposits will always be refunded to the party leader
6.6 We reserve the right to hold the security deposit for longer than 2 weeks if there is a dispute over damage, or we are awaiting bills/proof of damage.

7. ALTERATIONS/CANCELLATION BY THE OWNER
7.1 In the unlikely event of a significant change or cancellation of your booking by us, we will inform you as soon as possible. A refund will be given of all monies paid by you within 7 days.

8.CANCELLATlON BY YOU
8.1 Any cancellation by you (for whatever reason) must be in writing. (Including email or fax). The effective date of cancellation is the date we receive written notification.
8.2 If you cancel  you will lose your deposit.
8.3 If you cancel less than 12 weeks before your arrival at the property and have paid in full (deposit and balancing payment) we will endeavor to obtain a replacement client. If a replacement is obtained, we will then refund the balancing payment, less any difference between the price you paid for the property and the price paid by the replacement client.
8.4 If the reason for your cancellation is covered under the terms of your insurance policy, you may be able to reclaim these charges. Claims must be made direct to the insurance company concerned.

9. YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES
9.1 You must keep the property and all furniture, fittings, facilities, equipment and grounds in the same state of repair and condition as at the commencement of the holiday, and in the same state of cleanliness and general order in which it was found. You will be responsible for the payment for any breakages, loss or damage to the property caused by you. (We recommend that you take out adequate insurance cover to cover this). The Owner reserves the right to make deductions from the security deposit for any extra cleaning, over the number of hours committed to departure cleaning, and to claim against you for damage or loss, the cost of which exceeds the security deposit.
9.2 You must report to us, without delay, any defects in the Property or breakdown in the equipment, plant, machinery or appliances in the Property and garden, and arrangements for repair and/or replacement will be made as soon as possible.
9.3 The parking of caravans/pitching of tents at the property is strictly forbidden. Should you require storage of a caravan whilst using the gite, we will be pleased to do so in one of our barns, at no extra charge.
9.4 Smoking is strictly forbidden inside the gite at Le Rigal, around the swimming pool area and play area.

10. NUMBER OF PEOPLE USING THE PROPERTY
10.1 Only the number of persons stated in the booking form may use the property unless otherwise agreed with us. The maximum numbers of people, including infants allowed at the property may not be exceeded. The Owner has the right to terminate hire without prior notice and without refund or compensation if the numbers are exceeded. A pro rata sum will automatically be deducted from your security deposit for any additional adults/children.

11. ACCESS
11.1 We shall be allowed access to inspect the property prior to your departure. We also have a right to access the property during your stay to carry out maintenance and cleaning. Gardeners and pool maintenance may enter the grounds during your stay, normally early in the morning.

12. BEHAVIOUR
12.1 The person signing the contract is responsible for the correct and decent behaviour of the party. Should you or a member of the party not behave in such a manner, we may use our absolute discretion to terminate the holiday of the person(s) concerned. In this situation, the person(s) concerned will be required to leave the accommodation. We will not have any further responsibility toward such person(s) including any return travel arrangements. No refunds will be made and we will not pay any expenses or costs incurred as a result of the termination.

13. ADDITIONAL SERVICES AT THE PROPERTY
13.1 Payment for services such as additional cleaning and babysitting is normally made on location.

14.LINEN
14.1 Linen is included in the property. Linen is automatically changed once a week. If you require more frequent changes you should request this at the time of booking. (There may be an additional cost)
14.2 Beach and pool towels are not provided and therefore you should take these towels with you.
14.3 We recommend that you take your own cot linen for your baby's comfort. If you do not wish to take your own, please tell us so we can provide it.

15. SWIMMING POOL AND GROUNDS
15.1 The swimming pool is not open all year round. If your rental period is outside May to September please check with us that the pool is open, filled and ready for use. We cannot be responsible for low water temperatures at any period.  Please note the swimming pool is solar panel heated, therefore, the water temperature is dependant on the amount of daily sunshine.
15.2 Please note that swimming pools carry dangerous risks. Upon arrival at the property you and all members of your party must take time to familiarise yourselves with the location, layout and depth of the swimming pool. Please take note of any pool warning signs, depth markings and other instructions for use, which may be displayed. Pool safety is of the utmost importance. Children must be supervised by an adult at all times. You and your party agree to take full responsibility for the safety of all members of your party in and around the swimming pool.
15.3 No glass or china is to be taken or used in the pool area. Plastic glasses are provided. Should any glass or china fall into the pool, we may need to empty, clean and re-fill the pool. This can take a number of days. You may also lose your Security/ Damage Deposit as a result.
15.4 Young children must not be allowed to wander unaccompanied in the grounds of the property.

16.SECURITY AND VALUABLES
Any valuables left at the property are left at your own risk. We are not responsible for any loss. Proper care must be taken against theft and burglary. It is essential and your responsibility to ensure all doors, shutters, windows are closed and locked when leaving the property, or when by the poolside/in the grounds. No refund can be given should you decide to vacate the property as a consequence of a burglary.

18. ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE
18.1 Arrival is after 16.00 hrs local French time (Normally GMT + 1 hour). If your arrival is delayed you must inform us. Our details will be noted on the directions sheet you will receive upon payment of the balance.
18.2 You must vacate the property by 10.00am on the day of departure. If these times cause you difficulty, please advise us at the time of booking. It may be possible to arrange for luggage to be left at the property.

20. INFORMATION
20.1 We reserve the right to make modifications to the property specification that are considered necessary in light of operating requirements. In the interest of continual improvement we reserve the right to alter furniture, amenities, facilities, or any part of any activities, either advertised or previously available, without any prior notice. See also clause 7.
20.2 If we become aware of material changes after your booking has been confirmed we will advise you before departure.

21. PETS
Pets are welcome only with our explicit permission. We reserve the right to charge a supplement, and/or increase the security deposit. The number of pets must be agreed prior to acceptance of booking. If you do not inform us of any pets, we reserve the absolute right to request either the pet is placed in kennels in France for the duration of your stay or your removal from the property without refund or compensation.

22. OUR LIABILITY
22.1 We cannot be held responsible for noise or disturbance originating beyond the boundaries of the property or which is beyond our control. In the event that a source of reasonably obvious noise has been in existence prior to your arrival and we are aware of this, we will contact you to inform you of the disturbance. See clause 7.
22.2 We cannot be held responsible for the breakdown of mechanical equipment such as pumps, boilers, swimming pool filtration systems, nor for the failure of public utilities such as water, gas and electricity.
22.3 We shall not be liable for any loss, breach or delay due to any cause beyond our reasonable control including, though not limited to act of God, explosion, tempest, fire or accident, war or threat of war, civil disturbances, acts, restrictions, regulations, bye-laws, or measure of any kind on the part of the government or local authorities, strikes, lockouts, or other industrial actions or disputes or adverse weather conditions. In any case we shall be entitled to treat the contract as discharged
22.4 We cannot accept responsibility for events out of control e.g. bad weather, delay caused by carrier company, breakdown of domestic equipment.
22.5 We cannot be held responsible for any injury, loss or damage to you personally, your belongings or your vehicles when using the accommodation, grounds, equipment or other amenities. The use of these amenities is entirely at the your own risk and we accept no responsibility.
22.6 In the event of discharge our liability shall be limited to the return of the sums paid to us in respect of the unused portion of the holiday calculated on a pro rata daily basis.

23. INSURANCE
23.1 We strongly advise that all your party have comprehensive travel insurance and that E111 forms are carried.

24. LAW
24.1This contract and all matters arising out of it are governed by English law and shall be deemed to have been made in England . We both agree that any dispute, claim or other matter which arises out of or in connection with your contract will be dealt with by a court of competent jurisdiction in England.

25. DATA PROTECTION
In accordance with the 1998 data Protection Act we will ensure that:
25.1 The collation of personal information is fair and lawful.
25.2 We take responsibility for all personal information held and used and that appropriate security measures are in place to protect this information.
25.3 We request full details of all party members on our booking form as a safety measure whilst you are on vacation.
25.4 Please let us know if you would like your personal details to be removed from our database, after your holiday. We may use this data to update you Le Rigal .

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26. NOTES
26.1 In common with most of rural France, we are serviced by a septic tank. It is important that no sanitary or baby items are flushed down the toilets and only French toilet paper is used (English toilet paper is apparently indigestible to the septic tank flora!) Only toilet cleaners suitable for septic tanks may be used. However, we will supply 1 toilet roll for each en-suite and cleaner for you during your stay.
 

THESE BOOKING CONDITIONS WILL BE INCLUDED WITH OUR BOOKING CONFIRMATION