Terms & Conditions

1. BOOKING

Before completing and signing your booking form, please take the time to read and understand the following terms and conditions. If after reading them you have any queries please do not hesitate to contact us (hereafter called the Owner) for clarification.

a. PRICE GUARANTEE. Whilst the Owner reserves the right to alter the rates quoted for our villa without notice, the price you will pay is that which is quoted at the time your booking is confirmed. This cost is fully guaranteed subject to our terms and conditions of payment being met and providing that you do not make any further amendments to your holiday arrangements.

b. WHAT THE COST COVERS. The cost of your villa rental is inclusive of the cost of gas, water and electricity and local sales taxes.

A telephone is available in the villa for the use of our guests with all incoming calls free of charge, as are local calls and International calls to over 100 countries (including the UK). You will need to purchase a ‘phone card locally, in order to make calls within the US.

c. CONFIRMATION OF YOUR BOOKING. Your booking will be confirmed in writing (or by Email) by the owner, following the receipt of a signed Booking Form, complete with a cheque for the deposit.

The person who is signing the Booking Form must have authorization to agree to the booking Terms and Conditions on behalf of all persons included on the Booking Form. This will also apply to any amendments made at a later date. The signatory must be a member of the party occupying the property and must be 21 years of age or over. Bookings cannot be accepted from party leaders under the age of 21 years.

d. DEPOSIT AND PAYMENT OF BALANCE. A deposit of 20% of the total rental price must accompany bookings. This deposit is not refundable under any circumstances. The balance of your account is payable 10 weeks prior to the date of your arrival at the villa. At the time of balance payment a SECURITY DEPOSIT of £200/US$350 is payable. This will be returned to the Guest within 28 days following the completion of the rental period, provided that no loss from, or damage to the villa is reported to the Owner by the management company, and all keys to the property have been left at the villa. If damage or loss is reported which incurs costs in excess of the security deposit, the Owner reserves the right to claim from the Guest any, or all, additional costs incurred in rectifying the situation.

e. FAILURE TO PAY THE BALANCE INCLUDING THE SECURITY DEPOSIT by the due date (10 weeks prior to arrival) may result in the loss of your booking and initial deposit. The Owner reserves the right to cancel your booking in these circumstances.

f. THE LEAD GUEST MUST FULLY INSPECT THE HOME and report any damage or deficiency to the owner’s manager within the first twenty four (24) hours of their stay. Thereafter any damage or deficiency found following the guests departure will be attributable solely to the lead guest and their party and may lead to a reduction in the amount of security deposit returned.


2. CANCELLATION

a. IN THE EVENT OF CANCELLATION BY THE GUEST the following penalties will apply:

Cancellation Notice
Cancellation Cost

10 or more weeks before departure Initial deposit only
6 to 10 weeks before departure 50% of the rental charge
4 to 6 weeks before departure 75% of the rental charge
less than 4 weeks before departure 100% of the total charge (not including the security deposit)

If the security deposit has already been paid at the time of cancellation it will be refunded in full.

b. IN THE UNLIKELY EVENT OF CANCELLATION BY THE OWNERS due to circumstances beyond reasonable control of the owner, the Owner will inform the guest as soon as possible. The Owner reserves the right to cancel the booking, at any time, and shall only be liable to refund any monies already paid by the Guest, without interest or compensation. The owner will make every possible effort to relocate the guest(s) in a property of comparable or superior quality.

c. FORCE MAJEURE. The Owner cannot accept, be responsible for, or be liable in respect of loss, damage or changes caused by Force Majeure and will not refund monies paid to them if cancellation is due to “Force Majeure “.



‘Force majeure’ means unusual and unforeseen events such as; strikes, riots, political unrest, governmental action, war or threat of war, terrorist activities, industrial disputes, fire, flood, adverse weather conditions (including hurricanes), natural disasters, technical or weather problems with airports or aircraft or closure of airports.




3. THE PROPERTY AND FACILITIES

a. CHANGE IN FACILITIES. No liability is accepted by the Owner for loss of mains services or failure of appliances (including the pool filter and heater), nor for the consequences of the actions or omissions of persons who may control the supply of a mains service, nor any action taken in the vicinity of the property by any authority over which there is no control by the Owner. In addition the Owner can accept no responsibility for the changes to availability of facilities which from time to time occur between booking and the rental period commencing. The Owner will however make every attempt to inform a guest if a facility has been withdrawn.

b. AVAILABILITY OF PROPERTY The villa will normally be available from 4 pm on the first day of rental until 10 am on the day of departure. Failure to vacate the property on time, without prior agreement of the Owner may result in a surcharge to the Guest, which the Guest agrees to pay.

c. VILLA ACCOMMODATION. The villa is licensed for the maximum occupancy of 8 persons, plus one infant in a cot, and is determined by the authorities within strict guidelines for fire safety. Only persons listed on the Booking Form are allowed to stay in the villa as Florida State law prevents sub- letting, sharing or assigning. Failure to comply with these terms will result in the immediate eviction of the guest(s) from the property without recompense or refund.

The Guest is responsible for the care of the property during the rental period and as such is charged with taking good care of furnishings, fixtures and fittings. The Guest will be responsible for any breakages or damage to the property howsoever caused and the Owner reserves the right to deduct any costs for repair or replacement from the security deposit. In the event that the security deposit does not cover the cost of repair or replacement, the Owner reserves the right to reclaim from the Guest any additional costs involved. The Owners Management Company will be responsible for determining any loss or damage.


Damaged or missing items should be reported to the Management Company within the first 24 hours of the Guest’s arrival at the property. Failure to do this will make any subsequent claim invalid.

All rubbish should be placed in rubbish bags, sealed and placed in waste bins prior to leaving the property. Failure to do so may lead to a charge being deducted from the Security Deposit.

d. STRICTLY NO SMOKING is allowed in the villa or garage at any time, although we do allow smoking on our pool deck. Please note that contravention of the above will render your booking void and all monies will be forfeited. The Owner or the Owner’s management company have sole responsibility for determining if smoking has occurred inside the villa or garage. If smoking is suspected any cost incurred in the neutralization of odors and making good any damage to the property (including, but not limited to, burn marks, discoloration or disfiguration) will be deducted from the security deposit paid by the Guest. In the event that the security deposit does not cover the cost of repairs the Owner reserves the right to reclaim from the guest all additional costs incurred.

e. NO PETS are allowed in the villa or garage at any time. If a pet is found in the villa or garage it will render the booking void. All monies will be forfeited and all occupants will be asked to leave the villa immediately without compensation. The cost of a thorough clean of the property will be deducted from the security deposit. In the event that the security deposit does not cover the cost of the clean the Owner reserves the right to reclaim form the Guest all additional costs incurred.

f. ENTRY TO THE PROPERTY by the Owners, their Management Company or other authorized personnel may occur at any time without notice, for the purpose of protection and /or maintenance. However, wherever possible notice will be provided to our Guests prior to such entrance.

g. VEHICLES such as commercial vehicles, campers, mobile homes, recreational vehicles, motor homes, house trailers or boats are not permitted to be parked or to be stored at any place on the property.





4. CODE OF CONDUCT



Hampton Lakes is a residential Community. The behavior of all Guests should not cause distress or annoyance to other local residents. It is a condition of the rental that you should be considerate in your behavior and keep noise to a reasonable level so as not to disturb our neighbors. The homeowners Association may impose fines on Guests where these conditions are not met. Payment of any such fines is solely the responsibility of the Guest.



5. PESTS AND INSECTS



Florida has a sub tropical climate and therefore pests, such as insects and small creatures, are to be expected. The villa is treated regularly as part of a pest and termite control programme and so we cannot accept any liability for the presence of any pests. In order to reduce the possibility of any entering the villa please ensure that the external doors, and the internal garage door, are kept closed when they are not being used and that no food is left lying unwrapped. Please contact the Owner’s management company promptly if any pests are discovered so that they may be dealt with speedily. Any added cost for pest control, which occurs as a direct result of lack of care on the part of the Guest, may be deducted from your security deposit.




6. THE SWIMMING POOL

a. THE POOL is used entirely at the Guests’ own risk. All guests using the pool must observe and abide by the safety rules listed in the Information Book held in the villa, and abide by the pool safety rules displayed in the pool area. Please ensure that the safety fence is left in position when there are non-swimmers / young children in your party.


Children using the pool and pool deck must be supervised at all times.
Guests using the pool toys, floats and other pool recreational items do so entirely at their own risk.


There is strictly no glass allowed in the pool area, Guests must use the plastic items provided.


The pool is cleaned and chemically balanced every week for the safety and comfort of pool users. However, on rare occasions it may be necessary to apply extra chemicals to the pool to maintain correct and safe chemical levels. If this situation should occur during your stay it may be necessary for you to stay out of the pool for a period of 12-24 hours for safety reasons. Guests must follow additional instructions given by the Owner, the Owner’s management company or their appointed pool technicians.


b. POOL HEATING is available at your request. Pool heating will commence on the day of arrival and may take up to 24 hours to heat the pool to the optimum temperature, depending on the air temperature. The pool cover should be used especially at night in order to maintain the pool heat.


The heater is a mechanical device and, as with any mechanical device, it can be subject to electrical or mechanical failure. In the event of a breakdown every attempt will be made to repair the heater as quickly as possible.



The owners do not accept liability for failure to provide pool heating via the electrical pump, when the outside temperature falls below 55 degrees Fahrenheit. Electrical heating pumps do not operate effectively below this temperature and failure of such devices to heat the pool is outside the Owners control and as such is regarded as an act of nature.


The pool heating must only be switched on and off by a technician authorized either by the Owner or the Owner’s management company. The Guest must not tamper with, interfere with, or attempt to change any of the pool heater settings. Charges will be incurred if this happens.



7. LIMITATION OF LIABILITY

The Owners and the Owner’s management company cannot accept any liability whatsoever for any injury, accident, death or loss of property or personal effects sustained by the Guest(s) caused by any reason, or for any such claim by a third party as a consequence of actions by the Guest(s) and other people occupying the property during the period of the let. This also applies to any persons not listed on the booking form who may visit the property at the Guest’s invitation. Guests should ensure that they have adequate insurance to cover any such eventuality.

The Guest is responsible for taking out adequate insurance to cover all risks. As with all insurance policies there are exclusions, so it is important to read the certificate carefully and ensure that the insurance matches your needs.



8. COMPLAINTS

In the unlikely event of a complaint or problem relating to the villa, or its facilities, please contact our management company immediately. They will make every attempt to resolve the matter promptly. If the matter cannot be resolved to your satisfaction by the Management Company, or you are dissatisfied with the outcome, please put the complaint in writing within 14 days of your departure from the villa. If, however, the complaint has not been notified to the management in the first instance then the Owner can accept no responsibility.



9. LAW AND JURISDICTION


These Terms and Conditions, and any matters arising from them, shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of England and the parties hereby submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the English Courts.