Terms & Conditions
Retreat by the River is offered for short-term holiday rental. The property is let as self-catering and is not “serviced”.
How to Book
Tell us the dates that you would like to book, and, subject to availability, we will let you know by email that a provisional reservation has been made.
To convert this provisional reservation into a confirmed booking, we will need an email from you (the party leader) within 2 days. Your email needs to include the full names, ages (if under 18), nationality and home addresses of all the party members. Please also include your telephone number. You (the party leader) must be a member of the party who will occupy the property and you must be aged 25 years or over.
Children must be aged 8 or over. No pets can be accepted unfortunately.
To comply with French law we are required to record further information for non French nationals. A form will be available at the property if this is applicable, and will need to be completed and signed by the appropriate party member(s).
Once your email has been successfully received, a Booking Confirmation & Invoice (BCI) will be sent to you by email. This will contain full information relating to the booking and payment.
Payment
Our published rates are in euros, with payment of the exact amount to be made in euros by PayPal. (Under no circumstances can over-payments be refunded.) PayPal protects your bank account details and can offer buyer protection. Your BCI (Booking Confirmation & Invoice) will include full details of our PayPal account.
A booking deposit of 15% of the total rental needs to be paid within 7 days of the date of the BCI. Upon receipt of your booking deposit, a binding contract between you and us will come into existence and these T&Cs will be deemed to be accepted by all parties and form part of that contract.
The balance must be paid not less than 30 days prior to your arrival at the property.
We may have to treat your booking as cancelled if you fail to pay the booking deposit or balance on time. In this event we will send a reminder to the email address of the party leader; failure to respond to this within 48 hours may result in application of this clause. If your booking is cancelled and a deposit was paid, your deposit will be refunded.
Refunds will be in euros. Any exchange rate changes will not be factored in, i.e. if we received €100 in our PayPal account, we will return €100 from our PayPal account.
Insurance
We strongly advise that all members of your party have comprehensive travel insurance (including full cancellation cover for all eventualities) for the party's personal belongings, public liability, personal accident, consequential loss, and damage to our property etc. Whilst we do not require proof you have insurance, in making the booking you acknowledge that you understand the importance of our advice and absolve us of all legal or moral obligation for any of the above. Any claims must be made direct to your insurance company or other body concerned.
We strongly advise that all members of your party have appropriate medical cover for France, at the very least by way of an EHIC. Any claims must be made direct to your insurance company or other body concerned.
We strongly advise that, unless you are certain that you are fully covered, you notify your vehicle insurer of your trip and obtain confirmation that your cover is appropriate for your needs, including comprehensive vehicle breakdown insurance whilst in France.
Cancellation by Us
Cancellation initiated by us without external edict and with no grounds on your part is not envisaged unless the cause is of a very serious nature, in which case, if we are in a position to do so, we will do all we can to assist you in finding suitable alternative accommodation should you so wish. We will inform you as soon as possible and a full refund of all monies paid by you will be given. Consequential loss cannot be compensated (see "Insurance" above).
Cancellation as a result of government legislation, decree or official recommendation, whether in France or your home country, which prevents us from accommodating guests, will be subject to French law pertaining to the situation at that time and we will comply fully with that. Your travel insurance must include cover for such eventualities.
Cancellation by You
Bookings can be cancelled by you, up to 10 days before arrival. Any balance payment already paid by you (but excluding your booking deposit) will be refunded. Unfortunately no refund can be made after this time.
A cancellation needs to be notified to us by email.
Your Responsibilities
You must keep the property and all the furniture, fittings, facilities and equipment in the same state of repair and condition as at the start of the holiday and in the same state of cleanliness and general order in which it was found. You (the party leader) are responsible for any breakages, losses or damage to the property or its contents caused by members of your party. We do not request a damage deposit, and we accept that there will be the occasional broken glass etc, so fair wear and tear of items or normal breakdown of equipment will not be considered by us as damage if things have been used in accordance with normal practice. But we reserve the right to claim from you the actual costs of deliberate damage or soiling of the contents of the house by party members. If anything is damaged, whatever the situation, please tell us so that we can agree an amicable and speedy resolution.
Mattress protectors are provided, so the soiling of the mattresses themselves is considered avoidable and we would need to claim the full mattress replacement cost in the event of mattress damage, as we cannot adequately clean mattresses and would not want subsequent guests to encounter stained bedding.
The property contains useful information and house rules. You agree to abide by the house rules, which are:
- No smoking.
- No hen or stag parties.
- No unlawful or unsociable behaviour.
- Please be respectful of our neighbours - quiet hours are from 22:00 to 08:00 - please do not play music outside at any time.
The area has very little crime, but valuables left at the property are left at your own risk and we cannot be responsible for any loss. Reasonable care must be taken against theft and burglary and it is your responsibility to ensure that all doors and windows are closed and locked when leaving the property.
Upon departure please leave the property clean and tidy and remove all waste. Barbeques and cooking equipment must be left clean, in the same condition as on arrival.
Number of People using the Property
All bookings are accepted based on your named party members only, as listed on the BCI (with reasonable amendments permissible up to 30 days prior to arrival, with our written agreement). Your booking does not allow for additional people to use the property, and guests are not permitted. We retain the right to terminate your holiday without prior notice and without refund or compensation if the agreed numbers are exceeded.
Behaviour and Prohibited & Illegal Activities
You (the party leader) are responsible for the correct and decent behaviour of your party. In the unlikely event that any member of the party does not behave in such a manner, including causing deliberate damage, health & safety or hygiene matters potentially affecting the property or subsequent guests, in extreme situations we may exercise our absolute discretion to terminate the accommodation of the person(s) concerned. In this situation, the person(s) concerned will be required to leave the property immediately. No refunds can be made and we will not pay any expenses or costs incurred as a result of the termination.
The internet service may not be used for any illegal or subversive activities, including the transfer of pirated material or material illegal under French law. You agree that in the, albeit unlikely, event that we are required to provide information to the Authorities relating to the period of your stay, we will divulge your personal details. Note, we will not divulge personal information to anyone unless bound by law to do so.
Fireworks, bonfires and Chinese lanterns, are not allowed under any circumstances and are illegal due to the possibility of wildfires. Citronella candles may be used outdoors, but must be fully extinguished when left.
Taxes
VAT is not applicable and is not charged. (Art. 293 B of the General Tax Code - Member of a micro-enterprise tax regime.)
There is a small Tourist Tax (Taxe de Séjour) payable by all visitors (apart from minors aged under 18) who stay in French accommodation (hotels, gîtes, B&B, campsites etc). For Retreat by the River this is currently €1.10 per adult per night and is remitted by us to the Berry Grand Sud Community of Communes. The amount due for your stay is included in your invoice.
Disclaimer
We cannot be held responsible (and no compensation will be paid) for events beyond our control – for example, noise, disturbance or nuisance originating outside the boundaries of the property.
We cannot be held responsible (and no compensation will be paid) for the breakdown of mechanical or electrical equipment, the failure of internet or satellite television services, or the failure of public utilities and services, whatever the cause. Our liability shall be limited solely to rectifying the situation as soon as is reasonably possible.
We cannot guarantee the quality or speed of third-party service delivery, e.g. internet speed and bandwidth, mobile phone signals, TV channels, electricity, water etc and no compensation will be paid for our inability to meet your particular expectations or requirements. Our liability shall be limited solely to liaising with suppliers to rectify any subnormal situations as soon as is reasonably possible.
We cannot be held responsible for any injury, loss or damage to any party members, their belongings or their vehicles when using the property, grounds, equipment, or other facilities. The use of these is entirely at your own risk.
Where additional facilities or items are provided or used, e.g. games, garden furniture, barbecues etc, you use these entirely at your own risk and we can accept no responsibility.
Our prices include utilities, heating, hot water etc for the normal enjoyment of the property by the party members named on the BCI.
We reserve the right to amend these T&Cs at any time. The change(s) will become effective immediately but will not apply to existing confirmed bookings unless they are beneficial to you.
Thank you for reading!