TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF KNOYDART HOUSE  (HOLIDAY HOUSE)

Terms and Conditions of Let Agreement 2012/13

Your booking should be for holiday purposes only unless otherwise agreed in writing. These properties must not be used for party purposes, weddings or filming without prior written agreement or email confirmation of same is acceptable. A Facility Fee may be payable for a function or party where the numbers using the property exceed the capacity the house can sleep i.e 10 whole house. Your contract is between you and the Owner of the property and is subject to the following conditions. The properties are as described on our web site www.knoydarthouse.co.uk. The accommodation is of a high standard and will be returned in the same condition.

YOUR HOLIDAY HOUSE 

• You can arrive at your accommodation after 15.00 hrs on the start date of your holiday and you must have vacated the property by 10.00 hrs on your final day unless agreed otherwise by both parties. If you anticipate being much later than 1500 hrs, please let Ian or Jackie know on 01687 460012 and in any case please phone before boarding the ferry or your charter boat so they will know when to expect you.

• You agree to keep the house clean and tidy and to leave it in a similar condition of cleanliness to when you arrived. Any additional cleaning of the property, following your departure, beyond the normal amount reasonably required, may be charged for. If you have not stayed with us before, a fully refundable good housekeeping/breakage deposit may be requested at the discretion of the owners. If requested this would be required on arrival (£350) and returned on day of departure, following handover. This can be processed as pre-authorisation on a credit or debit card on the day of arrival.

• The numbers in your party must never exceed the stated house capacity 10 for whole house, without express written prior consent.

Methods of payment

BACS transfer or credit / debit card are are our preferred options for payment.

BACS TRANSFER ONLINE

We accept BAC transfer payments on request, please ref your payment as directed by the owner so that we can cross reference your payment for you for example “Smith 14/07/12” e.g name, date and  rental begins. We would ask that you email us once your BACS transaction has been instructed by you, so that we can check for its deposit arriving with our account and email confirmation of this and your booking to you.  

CARD PAYMENTS

We accept credit and debit card paymentson our card processing machine. Please note there is no charge for debit cards however credit cards attract a 2.5% bank handling charge which you may wish to consider when making your booking.

VAT

Knoydart House Vat registration Number is 150 7571 18

Fuel

There is under floor heating throughout powered by a thermal heat pump, we use low energy bulbs throughout the house and local wood for the wood burning stove in the main house, is provided for rentals of the whole or main part of the house. There is no stove required in the studio room. A starter pack of logs is provided for the wood burning stove in main house, the house is exceptionally well heated with our underfloor heating system, and if you wish to purchase logs for the woodburner these can be paid for during your stay, (locally sourced from Knoydart Forest Trust) at nominal cost of £7 per additional basket.

Disposables Provided

We provide all toilet rolls and rubbish sacks here at Knoydart House, environmentally friendly washing up liquid, surface spray and standard cleaning materials and implements. Knoydart House has a dishwasher (please note the studio room does not) and we supply a starter pack of dishwasher tablets to get you going. You may choose to bring a supply of dishwasher tablets and some kitchen roll for the duration of your stay. For health and safety reasons we do not provide washing powder in case of sensitivities or allergies to products, please remember to bring this item with you. On arrival we provide a starter pack of teabags, coffee, sugar and pint of milk on arrival. 

Sustainable Tourism

We do feel privileged to live in such a beautifully wild and unspoilt place and in keeping with our commitment to reducing, reusing and recycling where we can, to keep it this way for all, we have separate recycling boxes in the woodshed which we encourage you to use, aluminium, paper and glass (plastic is not a separate collection yet unfortunately). Our loos are all half flush/full flush options to reduce water litre useage where possible. As part of the schools curriculum for excellence, as is being taught in other schools, our school children here on Knoydart are passionate about our beaches, woods, reducing dependency on fossil fuels and recycling, encouraged by them we have installed an OWL energy meter in the kitchen which openly monitors electricity consumption, we run on low energy light bulbs throughout and you are not charged for your electricity it is included in the rental. All electricity on Knoydart is generated by the Estate’s private hydro scheme. We would only ask that when enjoying your stay a Knoydart House you help us sustain the character of Knoydart, and  be mindful of what the community strives to maintain. Please do switch off appliances when not in use both for yours and other residents benefits. The night sky is truly amazing for those experiencing the milky way here for the first time, quite a wonder when there is no light pollution. Thankyou.

Wifi /Television

Wifi is an open network for all guests use. The house has freesat television.

Moorings

Guests are welcome to bring their own boats / yachts. We have 2 private moorings for exclusive use of guests of Knoydart House. These are Crown Estates Moorings and are checked annually, however they are used at your own risk.

Smoking 

To respect the wishes of both smokers and non-smokers, please do not abuse the no smoking regulations at the house. Knoydart House are specifically non-smoking. The Owner will make a charge from the good housekeeping deposit if the no smoking policy is breached to cover the cost of soft furnishing and carpet cleaning. There is an outside cigarette ashtray under cover so you can enjoy your hamlet moment and stay dry! Thankyou for your co-operation.

Damages

Please report any breakages or damage during your stay so that they can be rectified at the time and before the next guests arrive. All damages and losses will be paid for in full and you are asked to notify the owners directly before vacating Knoydart House. Cups get dropped and the unexpected can happen, accidental damage happens to everyone but it is easier to let us know and we can rectify this quickly and hassle free.

Dogs

Well behaved dogs are welcome, however please note conditions to be strictly adhered to, that is all pets must not be allowed either upstairs, in bedrooms or on soft furnishings, must not be left unattended in the property and must sleep in a bed or pet cushion provided by the owner. (Please remember to bring this with you). A pet surcharge applies of £30 per pet per week or part thereof, maximum number of dogs 3, thankyou). All dog faeces must be completely removed from the garden and immediate surrounding area. Any damage or mess caused by pets will be made good and paid for out of the good housekeeping deposit. There are wild deer, farm sheep, hens and geese on Knoydart – the owners also have hens and you are kindly asked to keep your dogs on a lead when in the village and in and around Knoydart House. Thankyou.

Your booking

You must be 21 years or over when you book the accommodation. 

The Owner has the right to refuse any booking prior to the issuing of any confirmation in writing. When you receive your confirmation you must check all the details carefully for accuracy and contact the Owner immediately if you find any discrepancy. 

Rentals and charges 

In order to secure a booking you need to make a £350 deposit which is VAT inclusive, details of how to pay are listed above. On receipt of your deposit the Owner will confirm your booking by email within 6 hours and acknowledge receipt of your deposit, with an account for the balance due, stating a date by which the balance must be paid in full.  You are then responsible for the balance of the rental, which is due no later than 8 weeks prior to your arrival. If booking a cancellation week with less than 8 weeks but more than 4 weeks due until arrival the deposit is 50% of the weeks rental with the balance due 4 weeks prior to rental. If the week is booked 4 weeks or less until the rental commences the full rental is payable upon booking.

If the balance is not received at 2 calendar months prior to arrival of the dates provisionally booked by you it will become available for re-let e.g if rental commences 1st April, balance due 1st Feb (i.e. 2 clear calendar months). If successfully re-let then all monies will be returned to the hirer, less a £75 administration fee. 

In the unusual event that the property could not be re-let for these dates, the deposit will be withheld.

Cancellation by you – Please ensure you are protected by your own insurance provider 

If you have to cancel your reservation you must telephone the Owner on the number shown on your booking confirmation 01687 460012 as soon as the reason for the cancellation occurs. You must also confirm your cancellation in writing, email is acceptable. The day on which the Owner receives the telephone cancellation is the day on which your reservation is cancelled. Balances are non-refundable in the event of a cancellation unless the property is re-let. Please note that should you cancel your booking prior to the balance due date, this amount still remains payable by you and is refunded (less the aforementioned administration fee of £75) only if the Owner has been able to re-let the holiday subsequent to your cancellation. We suggest you ensure that your holiday insurance covers you for this

Use of Hot Tub

Please note that when Knoydart House is booked as the whole house you have exclusive use of all facilities for your party. Please note to ensure your stay is as enjoyable and comfortable as possible, we may require to refill / refresh the hot tub water during the rental for your comfort, however in the event that this process requires to be carried out it would be conducted as swiftly as possible with the minimal amount of disruption. As a matter of good housekeeping and to maintain the highest standards attainable for you and incoming guests this would be conducted in the evening prior to your departure with minimal disruption. Your comfort and enjoyment of our facilities is our highest priority.

Repairs to property

Occasionally in rental properties damage due to possible wear and tear, an item of equipment may for some reason not be working (in the unlikely event of this) we would do our utmost to repair it as quickly as possible and we are here to ensure your holiday runs as smoothly and enjoyable as possible. Due to the remoteness of Knoydart, sometimes things may take a little bit longer than on the mainland but your enjoyment and comfort are our priority at all times.

To improve the facilities the owners reserve the right to alter or amend the facilities made available at the house.

Restriction on rental

We reserve the right to remove person or persons from the property due to unreasonable behaviour, damage to the property or who exceeds the stated occupancy (unless occupany has been agreed by both parties owner and customer direct and in advance of the let). In this case a refund of rental rate is at the entire discretion of the owner.

Complaints

The Owner hopes that you will not have any cause for complaint but in the event of a problem arising, you must in the first instance contact the Owner immediately so that any problem may be speedily resolved, as the Owner must be given the opportunity to rectify the problem. Some problems are very easily rectified if notified. 

Right of Entry

The owner of the property reserves the right to enter the property at an agreed time with the hirer to carry out any repairs or maintenance. The owner reserves the right to ask guests to vacate the property if their behaviour is deemed to bide unreasonable or damage is caused to the property. An agreed entry time will be arranged for lets of over one week to provide a fresh linen change and to properly maintain the hot tub with alkalinity, ph and chlorine weekly water checks for your comfort. 

Liability

The Owner will have no liability for death, personal injury, or loss of, or damage to, personal property including motor vehicles. In the absence of any negligence or other breach of duty by The Owner, the use by Tenants of any house or its facilities is entirely at their own risk.

Adverse Travel Conditions

In the event of ferry/plane disruptions due to bad weather conditions or any form of industrial action we cannot be held responsible for non-arrival at the House and no refunds will be given.

Cancellation

Each booking is made in good faith in the belief that the house will be available to the client on the date stated on the booking form.  If for any reason due to circumstances out-with our control the house is not available we are unable to guarantee provision of alternative accommodation.  In the event of this happening the deposit and balance will be refunded in full.  You will have no further claim against us.

Law 

The contract between you and the Owner is subject to Scots Law and is formed in Knoydart House, Inverie, Knoydart, By Mallaig, PH41 4PL

Please ensure you have read and understand the terms and conditions of agreement for the rental of Knoydart House prior to paying your deposit.

Thankyou for taking the time to read through the above, it is for your protection as much as it is for ours and we appreciate your time.