Booking Terms and Conditions
1. INTRODUCTION
1.1 Definitions. To make these Booking Terms and Conditions easier to read, we use a number of definitions. We refer to:
‘Property’ as the rental property and its contents, including any gardens, outbuildings etc.
‘Group’ as all members of the party staying at the Property
‘Guest’, ‘you’, ‘your’ as the person(s) who enter into the short-term rental contract (the ‘Agreement’) for the Property, and that have agreed to be bound by these Terms and Conditions. The Guest holds primary liability under the Agreement, and is responsible for ensuring that all members of the Group also abide by these Terms and Conditions.
‘Owner’ as all owners of the Property where the Property is held jointly or severally.
‘Agent’, ‘we’, ‘us’, ‘our’ as W. H. Leach & Sons (Ivinghoe) Limited of Town Farm, Ivinghoe, Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire, LU7 9EL.
‘Agreement’ means the short-term rental contract that is entered into between the Guest and W. H. Leach & Sons (Ivinghoe) Limited (either in their own right, or on behalf of the Property Owner). The Agreement includes these Terms and Conditions and any supplementary conditions that may be agreed with the Agent or the Owner in relation to this specific booking or Property. Where the Agreement has been signed by several members of the Group, then it is agreed that the responsibilities and liabilities under the Agreement will be shared jointly and severally by those persons.
‘Short-term’ rental contract means where Guests are not using the Property as their primary residence and are staying temporarily for a period of no more than 6 months.
‘In writing’ shall include confirmations and notifications by email. If you have supplied us with an email address, it is your responsibility to check your emails regularly, and to let us know about any change to your email address.
1.2 Before booking through us, please read these booking terms and conditions carefully in conjunction with all other information relevant to your individual booking. A confirmed booking is a legally binding contract. The rental contract is governed by the Terms and Conditions herein, and shall be governed by English law.
1.3 The Guest making this booking must be at least 18 years old at the time of booking and s/he must have appropriate authority to make the booking on behalf of the Group (if more than one guest).
1.4 The Owner reserves the right to refuse a booking without giving any reason.
1.5 The Owner or our representatives reserve the right to enter the property at any time to undertake essential maintenance, repairs or for inspection purposes.
2. GUEST RESPONSIBILITIES
2.1 If any of the Group does not comply with any rental terms as outlined, we reserve the right to suspend the occupation of the Property and ask the Group to leave (in serious cases), or make a reasonable charge to cover the cost of the default and any related administrative costs incurred.
2.1.1 The Guest agrees that the Guest and all members of the Group will be bound by the following rental terms:
2.2 Arrival and departure. The accommodation is reserved for your occupation for the dates agreed on the booking form.
2.2.1 The Property will normally be available for occupation from 3.00pm on the start date of your rental, through to your departure and checkout which is required by 10.00am on the final day.
2.2.2 We require you to adhere to these termination times so that we can ensure properties are adequately cleaned and checked ready for any subsequent booking.
2.2.3 It may be possible to vary arrival or departure times by prior arrangement – if, for example, there are no immediately following bookings, but any variation should be agreed and confirmed with us in writing within 7 days of your arrival date.
2.2.4 Late departure or early arrival by arrangement only will usually be charged at £30.
2.3 Purpose of stay. The terms of this contract require that the Property is to be used during the occupation for short-term private rental use only. The Guest must inform the Agent if the Property is to be used for any other purpose (ordinary private residential use or for commercial or business purposes).
2.4 Occupancy. The Property is let for occupation for the number of persons stated in the booking confirmation.
2.4.1 We reserve the right to suspend the contract or make a supplementary charge if the permitted occupancy level is exceeded.
2.4.2 Guests agree not to sell or transfer the booking to another party, or sublet the Property without the prior written consent of the Agent.
2.5 Conduct. To be responsible that all members of the Group comprising the booking behave in a reasonable and responsible manner during the occupation, in regard to the terms of this agreement, and with regard to neighbours of the Property.
2.5.1 Members of the Group and any friends or visitors are also asked to keep noise to a minimum and refrain from any activity that may disturb neighbours before 8am and after 11pm, especially when leaving or returning to the Property.
2.6 Acceptance of the Property. It will be assumed that the Property has been accepted in good and clean condition. Any issues, items missing, damages or concerns with the condition of the property must be reported immediately, so that we can take appropriate action.
2.7 Care and Condition of the Property. The Guest is required to leave the Property in good, clean order and repair, in the same, clean condition in which it was found at the start of the occupation.
2.7.1 To maintain the condition of the Property, reasonable regulations to maintain the standard of the property must be followed, including but not limited to;
-Following rubbish disposal instructions.
-Removing footwear at front door to protect floors and carpets.
-When leaving the property close windows, close and lock doors, turn off lights and heating.
-Inventory must remain in the property and not be taken elsewhere, or to another property. Any lost or broken inventory must be reported to the Owner.
2.7.2 If there has been any damage or breakages during your stay, you must report them promptly, especially before check-out. The accommodation will be inspected at the end of the holiday and you may be charged for any loss, damage or excessive cleaning costs.
2.8 Access. To allow the Owner, the Agent, or any authorised workmen entry and reasonable access for the purposes of inspection and repair on 24 hours’ notice, other than in an emergency in which case less notice may be given.
2.9 Security. To comply with the security and safety precautions imposed for the secure management of the Property. All windows and doors should be secured and locked whenever the Property is left unoccupied.
2.9.1 Keys will be issued at the outset of the letting, and should be returned to where found upon departure. One key is left in the property, and there will be a key in the key box, outside the front door, the code of which is given to you before arrival.
2.9.2 Please note, that if any keys issued are not returned at the end of your stay, then the cost of replacement of locks will unfortunately be charged to the Guest.
2.10 Bills, Utilities and Energy Usage. Some bills and utilities may be billed separately. Any additional bills and utility costs (such as electricity, heating oil, gas, council tax/business rates, TV license, VAT, internet, water etc.) for the Property will be detailed on the relevant property information pages on the website and you will be made aware within your booking confirmation where applicable.
2.10.1 Whilst we pass on the best possible energy rates to our customers (and do not make any profit on these), we cannot guarantee that utility rates will not increase during the period of the Guest’s stay and we reserve the right to increase the Guests rates mid-stay to reflect any increases from our suppliers.
2.10.2 We do not allow plug in air conditioners to be used in the Properties.
2.10.3 Please note that some rentals usually include either a GB30 or GBP30 electricity credit allowance per week, any extra electricity credit is charged as required. We do not offer refunds for unused credit.
2.11 Electric Vehicle (E.V.) Charging. Guests with electric vehicles can recharge them at a communal pay-as-you-go charger situated on site.
2.11.1 Electric Vehicles must not be connected to the individual properties. Domestic electric vehicle chargers (commonly known as a ‘granny charger’ or a ‘trickle charger’) are not suitable for use at the property and are strictly forbidden. You are liable for any damage or loss suffered by us due to your unauthorised use of domestic chargers.
2.11.2 The charging point is for the use of Guests only. We do not guarantee availability and unavailability shall not constitute a breach of our booking contract.
2.11.3 Use is at the owner’s own risk and we do not accept any liability for loss or damage sustained by you or your E.V. as a result of using the charger.
2.11.4 You shall be responsible to us for any damage to the charging point or loss suffered by us caused by your use of the charging point.
2.12 Parking. Some properties will have parking restrictions or regulations attached and, where applicable, Guests are required to adhere to these regulations.
2.12.1 Details of any parking restrictions or other parking information will be given in the booking details or supplied to the Guest prior to occupation.
2.12.2 Those with commercial vehicles (work vans, sign-written vehicles, trailers etc.) must mention these prior to booking. Such vehicles must be parked outside of the farm courtyard.
2.12.3 Vehicles are left at their owners risk and we do not accept responsibility for damage to, or theft from vehicles parked at the Property or any related parking facility.
2.12.4 A maximum of two cars per property unless agreed with written consent of the Owner.
2.13 Pets. Guests are not to keep any pets at the Property unless this has been agreed in writing. Where pets are permitted at a specified Property, the Guest shall only be permitted to bring the pet(s) designated on the booking form. A supplementary charge, increased damage deposit and other additional restrictions are to be imposed where permission has been granted for a pet to stay at the Property.
2.13.1 Dogs and cats must be booked in and are usually charged at £25 per week, per pet.
2.13.2 Where permission has been given for pets to accompany the Guest, the following special conditions will apply (failure to do so may result in you being asked to leave without compensation).
2.12.3 Please note that properties which do not accept pets as standard may have on occasions had guide dogs in them.
2.14 Smoking, Candles and Naked Flames. We operate a non-smoking and non-vaping policy throughout all properties. No smoking or vaping is permitted inside any of the properties.
2.14.1 Candles and naked flames are strictly prohibited in line with our fire safety policy. Guests must read and adhere to our fire safety policy and make themselves aware of emergency procedures.
2.14.2 A link to the fire safety policy will be provided within the arrival email, but a printed copy can be provided upon request.
2.15 WiFi. We operate a “fair usage policy”. This should be more than enough to keep in touch with the office or home via email and for regular web browsing.
2.15.1 Connection and speeds may be variable and we cannot guarantee ability to stream video etc. Though unlikely, we cannot guarantee there will not be a disruption to the WiFi service, though we always do our best to resolve any outages as soon as possible if it is within our control to do so.
2.15.2 Wifi Broadband is available free of charge but is subject to the following restrictions:
– You agree to abide by the “fair usage policy”
– You agree to use the internet responsibly and not to access illegal or offensive websites.
– Parents are responsible for supervising their children’s use of the internet.
2.16 Furnishings. The Properties are fully furnished and equipped, guests cannot bring their own furniture into properties as there is the risk of damage to the properties.
2.16.1 This includes mattresses as there is a risk of bed bugs when moving mattresses between properties.
2.16.2 Guests should not move furniture within Properties, as house-keepers may be unable to move furnishings back into their original place upon departure of the Guest.
2.17 Extras. Linen and towels are provided and included in rental. For bookings of 14 days or more, linen and towels will be delivered fortnightly, unless otherwise arranged. Linen is supplied for the number of occupants on the booking form.
2.17.1 If Guests require additional linen, it will be charged at the rate that the hire company charges. Please enquire for current rates.
2.17.2 Cleaning during the Guest’s stay can be arranged through the Owner if required and is charged by the hour. Please enquire for current rates.
2.17.3 Highchairs and cots are available to borrow upon request, for an extra charge. Please enquire.
2.18. Cleaning The Property should be left clean and tidy on departure, and any rubbish should be either removed from the Property or left according to the directions in the property information provided prior to arrival.
2.18.1 We reserve the right to make a charge if the Property is left in a dirty condition or additional cleaning is required.
2.18.2 Please do not leave any unwanted items in the Property, including food items. Please notify us if you have left any belongings at the Property after your departure. We reserve the right to make a postage and packing charge for any items that are required to be forwarded, and to dispose of any items unclaimed within 28 days of departure.
2.19. Children. Most of our holiday properties welcome children, but some properties are deemed as unsuitable for children for various reasons (this will be clearly stated in the Property details).
2.19.1 You are responsible for the supervision of all members of your party under the age of 18. You must supervise your children and babies at all times.
2.19.2 This is particularly important in all children’s play areas, in licensed areas, close to ponds and waterways, whilst cycling and in swimming pools.
2.19.3 Where children’s facilities and furniture are provided, we shall not be held liable for any damages or injuries that may occur as a result of their use.
2.20 Reporting breakages and damages. The Guest must report any breakages or damage caused to the Property as soon as possible, and shall be liable for any breakages or other loss caused by any member of the Group, or their visitors or invitees.
2.20.1 Any faults or breakdowns in the Property or with its contents or appliances should be reported to the Owner as soon as possible so that repairs or maintenance can be carried out.
2.20.2 The Agent and the Owner reserve the right to make a charge where guests have contravened an Owners request for their property to be smoke free. (In order to comply with the Unfair Terms in Consumer Contracts Regulations 1999, the amount of such a charge will not be more than the cost of the cleaning).
3. PAYMENT TERMS
3.1 For bookings of 28 nights or less, if the booking is made:
3.1.2 Within 8 weeks of the date of arrival, the total amount is payable upon booking (non-refundable).
3.1.3 More than 8 weeks prior to the date of arrival, to secure your booking, 33% of the total amount is required (non-refundable) upfront. At 8 weeks prior to the arrival date, the remaining balance is due (67%).
3.2 For bookings of 29 nights or more:
3.2.1 The first 28 nights rental is required to secure your booking (non-refundable).
3.2.2 Subsequent rental payments will then be due every 28 nights from the arrival date.
3.2.3 All subsequent rental invoices must be paid prior to the start of the next 28 night period.
3.2.4 2 days prior to arrival, a Refundable Damage Deposit (also known as a security deposit) is also due. The amount is equivalent to 2 weeks rental. This will be refunded at the end of your stay, provided there are no serious damages or excess cleaning requirements.
3.3 Initial Enquiries. All bookings are subject to written confirmation and the receipt of a booking deposit. Provisional reservations can be made verbally and held for 48 hours. If the deposit is not received by us within this period, the reservation will be cancelled and the Property made available for rental.
3.4 Booking Confirmation. Subject to the Property being available, and receipt of the required payments and deposits, we will give you written confirmation as soon as possible of your booking.
3.4.1 Bookings will only be accepted subject to our standard Booking Terms & Conditions and, once you have indicated that you have read and accepted these terms, we can issue our written booking confirmation.
3.4.2 Any payment made to WH Leach and Sons for letting a property will be deemed to be in acceptance of these terms. Your binding contract with us will begin when we issue the written confirmation.
3.4.3 We have the right to refuse any booking before we send you your written confirmation (if we do this, we will tell you in writing and promptly refund any money you have paid to us).
3.4.4 Bookings made through your online booking system are provisional until confirmed by the owner.
3.4.5 Multiple Concurrent Bookings – To book two or more properties for the same dates, please contact us. You must receive prior approval to book multiple properties concurrently. Whilst we will endeavour to honour your request, we reserve the right to deny and/or cancel multiple concurrent bookings if our housekeeping team are unable to facilitate the required changeovers.
3.4.6 Relocating your booking to an alternative property – The situation may arise where we need to relocate your booking to an alternative property (e.g. due to unplanned maintenance issues etc.). In this case, we will endeavour to relocate the booking to a similar property and guests will be notified.
3.5 Outstanding Payments. If the Balance Payment has not been received by the due date, the Guest authorises WH Leach and Sons to debit any card details held on file for the Guest with the appropriate payment.
3.5.1 We reserve the right to re-let any holiday where any monies due are more than 14 days in arrears. Whereupon any monies paid by the Guest over and above the Deposit will be refunded. If we are unable to re-let the holiday the Guest will remain liable for the outstanding balance of the cost of the holiday.
3.6 Payment Method and Charges. We accept payment online via our website and payment gateway.
3.6.1 All payments should be made in Pounds Sterling. Bank charges incurred by overseas payments will be billed to the client.
3.6.2 Any charges raised against WH Leach by their bank for dishonoured payments will be passed on to the booking party and payment for these charges must be made within 5 working days. Interest is not payable on any amount held on behalf of the tenant.
3.7 VAT The holiday rental fee will include VAT at the applicable rate, which will depend upon duration of stay. Any other charges payable will be subject to VAT at the standard rate.
4. REFUNDABLE DAMAGE DEPOSIT
4.1 For stays of 29 nights or more only a Refundable Damage Deposit (also known as a security deposit) is due 2 days prior to arrival.
4.2. The deposit will cover any potential damages, loss, or loss of income resulting from the conduct of the Guest, the Group, or any individuals invited to enter the Property during the duration of the holiday.
4.3 The damage deposit held will be refundable in full within 14 days of the end of your stay, provided that the Property is left in an acceptable condition, and no expenditure is required to rectify any loss or damage to the Property following your stay.
4.4 Should any costs be incurred to return the Property to an acceptable condition, these costs will be deducted from your deposit, prior to the balance being refunded.
4.5 Where the cost of any damage, loss, or broken obligation exceed the amount of the deposit held, you will be liable to pay the excess charges. In this situation you will be informed in writing of any additional payments that are due.
5. BOOKING CHANGES OR CANCELLATION
5.1. All changes and cancellations must be made in writing.
5.2 Cancellations for bookings of 28 nights or less:
5.2.1 Where cancellation occurs within 8 weeks of the arrival date, no refund will be payable and the Guest is liable for 100% of the total rental cost if the rental cannot be re-let.
5.2.2 Where cancellation is 8 weeks or more prior to the arrival date will result in the loss of the 33% payment that was made to hold the booking.
5.3. Cancellations for bookings of 29 nights or more:
5.3.1 Where cancellation occurs within 8 weeks of the arrival date, no refund will be payable and the Guest is liable for 100% of the total rental cost, if the Property cannot be re-let.
5.3.2 Where cancellation is 8 weeks or more prior to the arrival date will result in the loss of the 28 night payment that was made to hold the booking.
5.4 Cancellation by the Owner. In the unlikely event that a booking must be cancelled by W. H. Leach & Sons Limited in the event of the accommodation becoming unavailable (such as fire or flooding), we will endeavour to provide the Guest with suitable alternative accommodation or will refund all monies paid (or a proportion in the case of curtailment) at the option of the Guest.
5.4.1 As Owner, we cannot however accept any liability or pay any compensation or expenses as a consequence of such an event.
5.5 Booking Insurance. We strongly advise Guests to obtain appropriate booking or travel insurance to cover themselves against cancellation, illness, theft or similar unforeseen circumstances.
The properties are fully insured including furnishings however, the insurance does not cover guests’ personal belongings unless there is an incident (flood, fire or break-in). For longer lets guests need to ensure there belongings are covered by their own insurance.
6. COMPLAINTS
6.1. Making a complaint. We aim to ensure that all our properties are managed to a good standard. In the event of there being cause for complaint concerning a Property, we ask you to contact us within 24 hours, if possible, in order to give us the chance to resolve it quickly.
6.1.2 It is important that this is done whilst you are still at the Property so that an on-the-spot investigation can be made if necessary and remedial action taken if required.
6.1.3 If a problem is not reported promptly within a reasonable timescale, then the Guest may waive their right to rectification or compensation.
6.2. As Owner, we will aim to assist to resolve any problem so reported.
7. LIABILITY
7.1 Disclaimer. Neither the Owner nor the Agent can be held liable for any damage, loss, expense, inconvenience, accident, personal injury or death to person or property which may be suffered, incurred, or arise out of or in any way connected with the rental where the Owner, their agents, employees and/or person otherwise under their control, have used reasonable skill and care.
7.2 We do not exclude liability for death or personal injury which arises as a result of our negligence or that of our employees whilst in the course of their employment.
7.3 The Owner may use the services of a number of suppliers and subcontractors and can accept no liability for any goods or services provided by these suppliers to our Guests.
7.4 Force Majeure. We cannot accept any liability where we cannot fulfil our obligations to our Guests due to circumstances beyond our control. This would mean any event we cannot foresee with all due care. e.g. (but not limited to riots, war, terrorist activity, civil strife, natural disaster and similar factors beyond our control).
7.5 To the fullest extent permissible under applicable law, we disclaim any and all other promises, warranties, conditions, or representations relating to the Booking Service, whether express, implied, oral or written. In particular, we do not make any promises about:
7.5.1 The availability of the Booking Services or the Website or that they will be provided uninterrupted or error or virus-free;
7.5.2 Errors or inaccuracies in any documentation supplied by Owners or their representatives, including any documentation that appears on the Website.
7.5.3 for any losses related to any business of yours including but not limited to lost data, profits, revenue, business, opportunity, goodwill, reputation or business interruption.
7.6 You acknowledge that personal belongings and vehicles (together with their contents) belonging to you and your Guests are left at the Property entirely at your and their own risk. We accept no liability to you for any loss, damage or injury to you or your Guests, or your or their personal property during the Stay.
8. DATA PROTECTION
8.1 Guest data. In order to process your booking and to help us provide you with a more personal service we need to collect certain information from you, including (where applicable) name, address, age of party members, credit/debit card or other payment details, mobile phone numbers and any other special requirements which may affect your arrangements.
8.1.2 We are committed to protecting and preserving the privacy of our clients, and we take full responsibility for ensuring that proper security measures are in place to protect your information.
8.1.3 We do not sell, trade, or otherwise transfer to outside parties your personally identifiable information other than passing to the property owner the information you provide when making a booking or enquiry. We have no responsibility or liability for the actions of the Owner. We may release your information when we believe release is appropriate to comply with the law, enforce our site policies, or protect ours or others’ rights, property, or safety.
8.2 Privacy Policy. We take your privacy very seriously. Please read our Privacy Policy on our website to see how we use your personal information, including the information you submit about yourself when making a Booking.
8.2.1 By submitting your personal information to us, you agree to our use of that information in the ways described in our Privacy Policy, including sharing your information with Owners for the purposes of their provision of Services.
8.2.2 Like many online services we use a feature called a ‘cookie’, which is a small data file that is sent to your browser from a web server and stored on your device’s hard drive. References in these Terms to ‘cookies’ also include other means of automatically accessing or storing information on your device.
8.2.3 By agreeing to these Booking Conditions, you are providing your consent for us to use cookies in the ways described in our Privacy Policy, however, you may delete any of these cookies at any time if you wish.
8.3 Phone Calls. We may record telephone calls between us for monitoring and training purposes. In the event of a dispute between us, we reserve the right to review any recorded calls between us.
9. CHANGES TO THESE BOOKING CONDITIONS
9.1 Changes. We may make changes to these Booking Conditions at any time by sending you an email with the modified Booking Conditions or by posting a copy of them on the Site. Any changes will take effect 7 days after the date of our email or the date on which we post the modified terms on the Site, whichever is the earlier. If you continue to use the Site after that period has expired, it means that you accept any such changes. The modified Booking Conditions will not apply to any Bookings that we confirm with you before the date the modified Booking Conditions come into effect.
9.2 Amendments. No representative, agent or salesperson has the authority to vary, amend or waive any of these Booking Conditions. No amendment, variation or waiver of any of these Booking Conditions will be valid or have any effect unless accepted by us in writing.
10. CONTACT US
Please contact us via email or phone. Email address: bookings@townfarmcottages.co.uk Telephone number: 01296 668455
These booking terms are dated 17th February 2025.
Town Farm,
Ivinghoe, Leighton Buzzard,
Bedfordshire, LU7 9EL
bookings@townfarmcottages.co.uk