East Fife Holiday Homes Ltd.

Booking Terms and Conditions

Please read these Booking Terms & Conditions carefully. Your booking and payment for your short-term holiday rental constitutes acceptance of them.

CONTRACT The contract for a short-term holiday rental shall be made between you, the client(s), and East Fife Holiday Homes Ltd, as agents acting on behalf of the proprietor(s). The Contract is only effective once the transaction has been approved by us via email or by telephone, the required payment has been received, and confirmation has been sent to you, the client(s).

SHORT TERM LET LICENSING
From 1 October 2022 – New hosts must not operate without a license
From 1 October 2023 – Existing hosts can operate without a license for the accommodation that they used as short-term let before 1 October 2022, but only if they have submitted an application and it has not been determined. Bookings are conditional on compliance with the licensing scheme. Existing hosts must cease operating within 28 days if their license application is refused (guests should be asked to leave immediately if they are at serious risk of harm). Guests with affected bookings will be offered a full refund.

BOOKINGS AND PAYMENT The simplest and most efficient method of booking is on our website using our on-line booking system. Bookings can, however, be made by telephone if preferred. When submitting a booking, you will be presented with details of the total rental charges which will include a non-refundable booking fee of £15 to £45 (depending on the property). A deposit of 25% – 33% of the rental (depending on the property), plus the booking fee, will be due at the time of booking. The balance of the rental, plus any supplement (fuel, dog etc.), is payable 8 weeks prior to arrival. At this time, a Refundable Damage Deposit (see conditions below) will also be charged, the cost of which will be displayed on the booking page. For bookings made fewer than 8 weeks in advance, the total amount is payable at the time of booking. Provisional bookings can only be held up to 48 hours and will be cancelled if not confirmed within this time.

PAYMENT METHODS On-line bookings – We accept most standard credit and debit cards, the use of which incurs no charge.

Bank Transfers (BACS) – Please call us for details.
By Telephone – We accept card payments by telephone.
Cheques – Cheques are no longer acceptable. Please telephone and pay by card or arrange a bank transfer.
Please do not send cash in the post.

CANCELLATION Any cancellation made by you, the client(s), for whatever reason, must be in writing or by email. On receipt of notice of cancellation, we will make every effort to re-let the property for the whole period of the booking. If we succeed in re-letting the property for the whole period, we will refund the rental paid, less the booking fee and an administrative charge of £50.00 plus VAT per booking. If we only succeed in re-letting the property for part of the period booked, we will refund an amount equal to the monies paid less (1) the rental for the period that is not re-let and (2) the booking fee and an administrative charge of £50.00 plus VAT per booking. If we are unable to re-let the property before the final payment is due, you, the client(s) still remain liable for the final payment on
the due date as indicated in the Payment section. If we are successful in re-letting the property for the whole or part of the period of the booking after you, the client(s), has made the final payment, you will be reimbursed in accordance with the refund conditions above. You are strongly advised to take out a separate holiday cancellation insurance.

PERIOD OF HIRE Unless otherwise specified (i.e., short breaks etc.) rentals commence at 4pm on the day of arrival and terminate at 10.00 am on the day of departure. Weekly bookings (unless otherwise stated) will be either from Friday to Friday, or Saturday to Saturday, depending on the property chosen. Please advise if arrival time is expected to be after 5pm for key collection arrangements. Short break bookings can be more flexible and can be discussed when booking.

NUMBER OF GUESTS PER PROPERTY The number of persons occupying a property must not exceed the maximum number stipulated on our website and/or in your booking confirmation. Children over the age of 2, not sleeping in a travel cot, count towards the total number of guests.

PROVISION OF TRAVEL COTS AND HIGHCHAIRS We recommend, where possible, that clients bring travel cots and highchairs if required, as these are rarely provided by proprietor(s) as standard. By request at the time booking, East Fife Holiday Homes Ltd can arrange the use of a travel cot and/or highchair for the duration of the Let (subject to availability) at an additional charge of £15 + VAT per item.

NO SMOKING POLICY Clients are reminded that all of the properties are non-smoking. All traces of smoking must be removed from patios/gardens etc. by you, the client(s), by the end of occupancy. Please note: An extra cleaning charge will be levied on the refundable Damage Deposit, if smoking has taken place in a property.

CARE OF PROPERTY You, the client(s), are responsible for leaving the accommodation as you found it, tidy and organised and in a clean condition. Beds which have been used should be stripped prior to departure. It is important to ensure that all members of your party behave in a responsible manner in relation to the property and are considerate to neighbours. Refuse should be bagged and disposed of in accordance with instructions in the individual properties. Details of the nearest recycling centres are also provided. A charge will be levied for disposal of excess bottles and excess refuse. We do ask clients to report accidental breakages to the office immediately and, where deemed necessary, leave payment for replacement/repairs at the end of their stay. Faults or failure with any equipment within the property (which may have been unreported by previous visitors) should also be reported immediately, in order that steps can be taken to remedy. We aim to ensure that all properties are maintained to a high standard. In the event of a breakdown, a repair/replacement shall be found/fitted within 48 hours, where possible. We cannot be held liable for a breakdown of any facility which is beyond reasonable control (e.g., breakdown or failure of any electrical equipment, facility or plumbing) or from any misuse or negligence by you, the client(s), using the equipment.

RECYCLING AND REFUSE DISPOSAL Please come prepared to recycle refuse. Follow instructions given in individual houses on how to dispose of refuse. In most cases colour coded refuse bins are supplied for plastics, cans, paper/cardboard and household rubbish. As uplift of these is now only once a fortnight (or month in the case of the recycling bins) it is IMPORTANT that you dispose of excess refuse at the nearest recycling centre at the end of your stay and leave enough room in the bins for the next guests. if the bins are not due for uplift for a further week. In a handful of cases there is no facility to leave refuse of any kind behind due to lack of storage for bins and refuse must be disposed of yourselves at the nearest recycling centre. In all cases please dispose of your own bottles at the end of your stay.

PETS Only where stated are pets accepted by prior arrangement provided that they have their own sleeping bed/basket and are not left unattended in the property. They must be house trained, well behaved, kept off the soft furnishings/beds and exercised away from the cottages. You, the Client, are responsible for ensuring that you clear up after your dog both in gardens and whilst out walking in the area. In most cases there is a surcharge per dog. For those guests with pet allergies, it is always best to ask our advice on property choice prior to booking, as our no pets policy on certain properties does not necessarily mean that pets have not been present in the past.

FUEL Your rental includes the provision of heating and hot water. During the months of November to April, owners may supply a complimentary bag of logs and/or coal, kindling, and firelighters as a starter pack but this is not guaranteed. Where the property has a log burner or open fire, guests are expected to come prepared – please ask our office for nearest supplier. Where fuel is included, this is based on reasonable and normal usage using the facilities within the house, and does not cover extra appliances brought by guests such as electric heaters etc. Most properties have smart meters now and fuel consumption can now be monitored.
N.B. Between 1st November and 30th April a daily gas & electricity supplement will apply to the majority of properties. Please ask our office in advance of making your booking, or check your booking summary if booking on-line, before provisionally making your booking.

WI-FI / INTERNET ACCESS Please note that in the properties where Wi-fi/broadband is provided, this is for recreational purposes and is not meant for business use. This service cannot be guaranteed at all times (subject to third party service provider) and the speed may vary depending on the package obtained by the proprietor. Neither the proprietor nor East Fife Holiday Homes will be held responsible, nor will compensation be given as a consequence of loss of service or slow speed.

CHARGING ELECTRIC OR HYBRID VEHICLES Where it is stated on the property information (provided on our website) that a property has an external EV Charger installed, this does not mean the proprietors will make it available for guests to use. If you require to use the EV charger during your stay, please e mail us at info@eastfifeholidayhomes.co.uk to arrange this separately. Under no circumstances can domestic electricity be used to charge an electric or hybrid vehicle using a home charging lead. If this is abused, an overnight charge of £15 per night will be levied for the full duration of the booking.

REFUNDABLE SECURITY DEPOSIT (RDD) A refundable security deposit is applicable to all bookings and is held in case of unreported breakages, loss or damage to items, any excess cleaning or refuse disposal required at the end of occupancy. This will be refunded to the card used to make the balance payment, or via BACS payment, within 7 working days of departure.

PERSONAL INJURY & LOSS OF CLIENT PROPERTY The client or members of his/her party cannot hold the proprietor or agents responsible for injury sustained or the loss or damage to any belongings during their stay. The proprietor, or agent, accept no liability for accident, injury, loss or damage sustained by any residents, their family, visitors, animals, vehicles or personal effects however caused.

CIRCUMSTANCES BEYOND OUR CONTROL If for any reason a cottage is not available or has been rendered unsuitable for holiday letting (e.g., water damage/fire damage) on the date booked, we will endeavor to offer alternate accommodation or alternate dates or offer a refund of all monies paid by the client. There shall be no further claim against the proprietor or East Fife Holiday Homes. Your stay at our properties should be an enjoyable break. Nevertheless, should you have cause for complaint, please advise us immediately, as it is difficult to investigate complaints of any nature once a client has returned home. Regrettably, therefore, it is unlikely that complaints can be accepted and investigated at the end of the hiring period or after the client has departed.

YOUR DATA Information you have given us in connection with your booking is treated in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulations.

ADDITIONAL TERMS & CONDITIONS In addition to the terms and conditions stated here, there may be specific terms and conditions which applies to the individual properties. These will be prominently displayed in the cottage information folders, and constitute part of these general Terms & Conditions