top of page

Terms & Conditions

DEFINITIONS In these Booking Conditions: 

“Booking” means a booking for a Property.

“Booking Conditions” means the terms and conditions of these booking conditions, including the general notes. 

“Booking Form” means the booking form on the Website www.dorsetholidaycottages.com  

“Contract” means the contract between You and the Owner for the Selected Property as may be amended from time to time in writing between You and the Owner. 

“Data Protection Legislation” means the Data Protection Act 2018, the General Data Protection Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (as applicable) and any other laws relating to the protection of personal data and the privacy of individuals. 

“Dorset Holiday Cottages” means the properties let by Boyden Bros of Chebbard Farm, Dorchester DT2 7LW and (in the case of the Klosters property) Mark Boyden Ltd, a company registered in England and Wales with company number 14060889 whose registered office is at The Old Rectory, Alton Pancras, DT2 7RT. 

“Owner” means the owner of the Selected Property and “we” and “our” relate to the Owner. “Property” means any of the properties advertised on the Website. 

“Rental Fee” means the total fee for the Selected Property as set out on the Website or as otherwise agreed in writing including rental, heating, electricity, use of bed linen/towels and VAT if applicable but excluding any charges for additional services provided by the Owner. 

“Rental Period” means the period of time for which You wish to rent the Selected Property as stated in the website booking by You. 

“Selected Property” means the Property specified by You in the Booking. 

“Website” means Dorset Holiday Cottages website at www.dorsetholidaycottages.com  

“You” means the person who makes a Booking. 

 

  1. CONTRACT

    1. The Contract for renting the Selected Property is between You and the Owner and it incorporates and is subject to these Booking Conditions.

    2. By making a Booking you are deemed to have made an offer to enter into a contract with the Owner for the letting of the Selected Property in accordance with the Booking Conditions.

    3. The Booking will be deemed accepted and the Contract referable to the Booking will come into effect and be legally binding when Boyden Bros/Mark Boyden Ltd issues a confirmation email pursuant to condition 2.5.

 

  1. BOOKING AND PAYMENT

    1. You may make a Booking against the availability shown on the website www.dorsetholidaycottages.com; or by:

      1. Contacting Dorset Holiday Cottages by telephone on 07989435154; or

      2. Sending an email giving details of your Booking requirements to Dorset Holiday Cottages at info@chebbard.com 

    2. If, when making your Booking, the start date of your proposed Rental Period is more than 8 weeks away, You must pay a non-refundable deposit. This deposit is one third of the Rental Fee. The balance of the Rental Fee is payable 8 weeks before the start of the Rental Period.

    3. The entire Rental Fee is payable at the same time as your Booking if the Booking is made 8 weeks or less before the start of the Rental Period.

    4. Dorset Holiday Cottages reserves the right to cancel your Booking at any time and retain the deposit if the balance is not received by the due date.

    5. Dorset Holiday Cottages will issue a Booking confirmation e-mail to you once you have either made a booking and in all cases when all money due at the time of Booking has been received in cleared funds. You should check the confirmation form carefully and notify Dorset Holiday Cottages immediately in case of any discrepancy or mistake.

    6. The Owner may at any time before Dorset Holiday Cottages issues a confirmation form accept bookings from other customers for the Selected Property.

    7. If the Selected Property is unavailable for your selected Rental Period and Dorset Holiday Cottages is unable to accept the Booking for this or any other reason, Dorset Holiday Cottages will return all money received from you in full. 

 

  1. METHODS OF PAYMENT

    1. You may pay by credit or debit card or BACS transfer.

    2. For Bookings made less than 3 weeks before the start date of the Rental Period, no credit card payments will be accepted, as payments must be made in cleared funds, i.e. by debit card or BACS.

 

  1. CANCELLATION

    1. If You cancel the accepted/confirmed Booking for any reason, You must notify Dorset Holiday Cottages in writing to info@chebbard.com 

    2. A cancellation charge is payable depending on the number of days (or part thereof) before the Rental Period start date that the notice of cancellation is received by Dorset Holiday Cottages. The amount payable is set out below, where number of days refers to the number of days notice given at cancellation prior to Rental Period start date, and the Cost refers to the percentage of the Rental Fee of the Selected Property:

 

No. of days prior to the start of the Rental Period booked

The Cost you will incur to cancel your confirmed Booking

1–28 days

 

100% of the Rental Fee

 

29–56 days

 

50% of the Rental Fee

57 days or more

Full deposit under Condition 3.2

 

  1. Please note that should a cancellation be made the Owner shall be entitled to retain sums received from you in accordance with further condition 4.5. 

  2. If the Selected Property which you have booked and which has been accepted becomes unavailable or unusable for any reason prior to the start of the Rental Period, Dorset Holiday Cottages will use reasonable endeavours to find a suitable alternative Property. If an alternative Property is unavailable, you will be reimbursed any sums received from you in respect of the Contract. 

  3. If you agree to take an alternative Property, you will be sent a confirmation form setting out details of the new Property, Rental Fee and Rental Period and you will be deemed to have entered into a new contract with the Owner of the new Property (deemed to be the Selected Property), such contract to have incorporated these Booking Conditions and you shall be liable to make payments in accordance with these Booking Conditions. 

 

  1. RENTAL PERIOD

    1. The Rental Period commences, unless otherwise notified, at 16:00 (4pm) on the day of arrival and terminates at 10:00 (10am) on the day of departure. 

    2. On some Properties for a minimum stay of 2 nights at certain times of the year late departures may be available at Dorset Holiday Cottages’ discretion for a fee. 

    3. Dorset Holiday Cottages will notify you, once you have paid the Rental Fee in full, if a late departure is available and at what fee. 

    4. If your stay extends beyond the period of hire in condition 5.1, or such other period as expressly agreed under conditions 5.2 and 5.3, you may be subject to a charge for the additional time based on the applicable daily rate for the Selected Property. 

 

  1. CHANGES OF RENTAL PERIOD

    1. Dorset Holiday Cottages will endeavour, but is under no obligation, to consider a request from you to change the Rental Period after it has been confirmed and accepted. Such a request will only be accepted if: 

•  the Selected Property is available for the new Rental period requested; 

•  you pay an administration fee, £42.00 (including VAT) at time of publication but variable, and any sums due in respect of any higher prices for the Selected Property for the new dates.

 

  1. USE OF SELECTED PROPERTY

    1. You agree that the number of people staying in the Selected Property will not exceed the maximum number stipulated in the brochure or on the Website save that (unless stated otherwise in the brochure or on the Website) in addition infants under the age of 2 years at the start of the Rental Period may also stay if sleeping in a cot up to a maximum number of infants equal to the number of bedrooms at the Specified Property. 

    2. You agree that the Selected Property will be used for personal and domestic purposes only. 

    3. You agree that the Selected Property will not be used for any commercial purposes without the written consent of Dorset Holiday Cottages. 

    4. You agree that the Selected Property will not be used for any activity or in such a way that causes a nuisance or annoyance to neighbours of the Selected Property. 

    5. You and your guests will comply with any reasonable regulations relating to the Selected Property or the site within which the Selected Property is situated, which will be communicated to you upon/prior to your arrival at the Selected Property. 

    6. Smoking of tobacco in any form or E-cigarettes is not permitted within any property offered by Dorset Holiday Cottages. 

 

  1. CARE OF SELECTED PROPERTY 

    1. You agree to keep the Selected Property and its contents in the same condition and repair as found on your arrival at the Selected Property and shall procure that your guests shall also take such care of the Selected Property and its contents. 

    2. If the property is not covered by a damage waiver policy you may be required by the owner to pay a security deposit at the time of booking. You will be advised of the amount at the time of booking and a security deposit will be refunded at the end of the rental period (less any reasonable costs if applicable). 

    3. You shall abide by all instructions with regard to the use of the Selected Property and its fixtures and fittings as notified to You by the Owner.

    4. You must ensure that the Selected Property is left in a clean and tidy condition on your departure at the end of the Rental Period (including cleaning up after any animals which you have been permitted to bring to the Selected Property). Dorset Holiday Cottages may charge you for the reasonable costs of any additional cleaning or breakages and damages if this is reasonably considered necessary. 

 

  1. PETS

    1. Dogs are welcome in some Properties, but there is a charge for taking pets, to help cover the cost of housekeeping. For details please contact Dorset Holiday Cottages at info@chebbard.com or visit the Website. Of note, Creaky Cottage can take 2 dogs; Piddle Cottage 1 dog;  Crumpet Cottage 1 dog.  You should check the Selected Property details and specify that you wish to bring a dog or dogs at the time of Booking so that Dorset Holiday Cottages can confirm whether or not this will be permitted.

    2. Registered guide and hearing dogs belonging to those with visual and hearing impairments are allowed in all Properties at no extra charge, even where the Property description stipulates that dogs are not allowed.

    3. You must ensure that: dogs are properly controlled and supervised at all times; dogs are not to be left unattended at the Selected Property; and dogs are not allowed in any of the bedrooms or on any of the furniture. You are advised to bring suitable pet baskets.

    4. Guests with allergies should be aware that the Owner cannot guarantee that there have been no dogs at the Selected Property, nor (subject to condition 13.2) does the Owner accept any liability for any suffering which may occur as a result of such pets having been present.

 

  1. RIGHT OF ENTRY Dorset Holiday Cottages and the Owner shall have the right of entry to the Selected Property at all reasonable times, except in an emergency where immediate access may be required, for the purposes of inspection or to carry out any necessary repairs or maintenance. 

 

  1. RIGHT TO REFUSE BOOKINGS AND TO TERMINATE CONTRACT

    1. The Owner reserves the right to refuse Bookings from:  (a) groups of people under the age of 21; and/or (b) hen or stag parties.

    2. You must inform Dorset Holiday Cottages at the time of Booking if your party falls in condition 11.1(a) and/or 11.1(b).

    3. The Owner reserves the right to terminate a Contract without prejudice to any rights and remedies accrued by Dorset Holiday Cottages or the Owner or You which shall remain following termination and ask You and your guests to leave the Selected Property immediately if it is deemed necessary by the Owner as a result of your behaviour or that of any of your guests or any other material breach of these Booking Conditions. 

    4. In the event that your Contract is terminated in accordance with condition 11.3, the Owner reserves the right not to refund to you any part of the Rental Fee in respect of the shortened Rental Period.

 

  1. COMPLAINTS

    1. Should there be any cause for complaint during your stay in the Selected Property, you should notify Dorset Holiday Cottages promptly and describe the nature of the complaint. Dorset Holiday Cottages will use its reasonable endeavours to resolve any complaints.

    2. Within the property there will be the telephone number of the owner/housekeeper of the Property, who you can contact in the event that you have a problem with the Property. 

    3. If the owner/housekeeper is unavailable, please contact Dorset Holiday Cottages on 07341970638.

    4. If you wish to make a complaint after your Rental Period has ended please do so to Dorset Holiday Cottages in writing within a reasonable period but note that compensation cannot be offered where a complaint has not been raised during your stay.

 

  1. LIABILITY

    1. Nothing in these Booking Conditions shall limit or exclude the liability of the Owner for death or personal injury resulting from its negligence or for fraudulent misrepresentation or for any liability which cannot be excluded by law.

    2. Subject to condition 13.1 all warranties, conditions and other terms implied by statute or common law are, to the extent permitted by law, excluded from the Contract. 

    3. Subject to condition 13.2 the Owner shall not be liable for any actual or alleged indirect or consequential loss howsoever arising suffered by You, or for any loss (either direct or indirect) of profits, anticipated profits, savings, business or opportunity or loss of publicity or loss of reputation or opportunity to enhance reputation or any other sort of economic loss.

    4. Subject as stated in condition 13.1, the aggregate liability of the Owner to You for breach of contract, misrepresentation, in tort or otherwise arising under or in connection with the Contract shall be limited to damages not exceeding three times the total amount of the Rental Fee received from You.

 

  1. FORCE MAJEURE

    1. The Owner shall not be liable for any delay or non-performance of their obligations under the Contract to the extent that the performance is interrupted or prevented by any act or omission beyond its reasonable control. The Owner shall as soon as reasonably practicable upon it becoming aware of the same notify You.

 

  1. DATA PROTECTION 

    1. For the purposes of this clause, capitalised terms not defined elsewhere in this Contract shall have the meaning set out in the Data Protection Legislation. The Owner as Data Controller of all Personal Data provided to Dorset Holiday Cottages by You, agrees that Dorset Holiday Cottages can process such Personal Data on its behalf, for the purposes of processing and administering your Booking. 

    2. The Owner and Dorset Holiday Cottages will comply with the Data Protection Legislation and any directions issued by the Information Commissioner in the processing of such Personal Data.

    3. To the extent that Dorset Holiday Cottages is a Processor, You agree that Dorset Holiday Cottages may Process the relevant Personal Data and may need to pass your Personal Data on to third parties and organisations who need to know them so that the Booking can be provided. 

    4. When acting as a Processor, in relation to the Booking and the Contract, Dorset Holiday Cottages shall:

      1. Process the Personal Data only to the extent necessary for the purpose of providing the services and in accordance with any written instructions from You and this Clause 16;

      2. Implement and maintain appropriate technical and organisational measures in accordance with the Data Protection Legislation to ensure a level of security appropriate to the risks that are presented by such Processing, in particular from accidental or unlawful destruction, loss, alteration, unauthorised disclosure of, or access to Personal Data, taking into account the state of the art, the costs of implementation, the nature, scope, context and purposes of Processing and the likelihood and severity of risk in relation to the rights and freedoms of the Data Subjects;

      3. Not transfer the Personal Data outside of the EEA unless adequate levels of protection are in place;

      4. Ensure that any employees or other persons authorised to Process the Personal Data are subject to appropriate obligations of confidentiality;

      5. Not engage any third party to carry out its Processing obligations other than by way of a written contract which confirms that such third party will, at all times during the engagement, be subject to Processing obligations which comply with the Data Protection Legislation; 

      6. As soon as reasonably possible and without undue delay notify You about any request (including subject access requests) or complaint received from Data Subjects without responding to that request (unless authorised to do so by You) and assist You by technical and organisational  measures, insofar as possible, for the fulfilment of your obligations in respect of such requests and complaints at its then-current rates; 

      7. Notify You without undue delay as soon as  Dorset Holiday Cottages becomes aware of any relevant breach in data security; 

      8. Maintain appropriate records and information in compliance with Data Protection Legislation and on request by You, make available such records and information necessary to demonstrate Dorset Holiday Cottages compliance with this Clause 16 and otherwise permit, and contribute to, audits carried out by You (or Your authorised representative) at its then-current rates; and

      9. On termination or expiry of this Contract, destroy or return (as You direct) all relevant Personal Data in its power, possession or control and delete all existing copies of such data except to the extent it is required to retain a copy of the Personal Data by law.

      10. You acknowledge that Dorset Holiday Cottages may also Process and store your personal details for its own administration, market analyses and operational reviews. 

      11. You consent to Dorset Holiday Cottages appointing the third party Processors needed to complete the relevant Bookings. 

      12. You acknowledge that Dorset Holiday Cottages will collect name, address, email and other contact details (as well as bank details, in some cases) in order to complete the Booking, and that Dorset Holiday Cottages Processing of  such Personal Data shall continue for the duration of  this Contract.

 

  1. MISCELLANEOUS

    1. If any provision of the Contract (or part of any provision) is found by any court or other authority of competent jurisdiction to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, that provision or part-provision shall, to the extent required, be deemed not to form part of the Contract, and the validity and enforceability of the other provisions of the Contract shall not be affected.

    2. You shall not, without the prior written consent of the Owner, assign or transfer, or deal in any other manner with all or any of your rights or obligations under this Contract.

    3. A person (other than Dorset Holiday Cottages) who is not a party to this Contract shall not have any rights under or in connection with it.

    4. The Contract shall be governed by and construed in accordance with English law and shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the English Courts. 

 

GENERAL NOTES 

The Owner of the Properties aims to ensure that the particulars of the Properties as they appear on the Website are accurate. Nevertheless, on occasions there may have been a change of circumstances and the brochure or Website cannot always be up to date. For example, the local shop or pub may have closed for business. Please ensure that you check all of the details on your Selected Property (including price) with Dorset Holiday Cottages at the time of Booking. Dorset Holiday Cottages will endeavour to notify You of any changes or inaccuracies in any information contained in the brochure or on the Website, or otherwise provided to You, as soon as reasonably practical after we become aware of any such change. 

 

GUEST SAFETY 

The Owner takes the safety of guests very seriously. Therefore we ask that guests who stay in the Property take a few moments to think about their safety at the Property. In particular You should: 1) Check the layout of the Property, so that in an emergency You and your party can get out quickly and easily. 2)  Check the locations of the fire extinguishers and fire blankets and read the instructions for use. 3) Check the location of the first aid box. 4)  Read and take note of specific safety information provided in the Property. If you have any concerns about the safety of the Property, whether it be the garden, equipment or facilities, You should contact the owner or Dorset Holiday Cottages immediately. 

 

COTTAGES WITH CHARACTER We ask Guests to bear in mind that many of the Properties are period properties and were built before the days of damp proof courses and cavity wall insulation, so some Properties may show signs of damp. Please bear this in mind if your party includes an elderly/infirm person or very young children. Should traditional cottage features (steep stairs, low beams, uneven floors) be a problem for any member of your party, You should consider this when selecting a Property before making any Booking.

 

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS

We will endeavour to help those in your party with special requirements by recommending cottages that are especially suitable; please refer to our Website or contact info@chebbard.com at the time of Booking. Many Properties are over 100 years old and some are listed. Consequently the structure and fittings will not necessarily have current safety and design features and many lack facilities such as ramps for wheelchairs. Some Properties may not be childproof and may have steep approaches or internal staircases. Therefore, we strongly advise you to read the information identified as Visitors’ notes in the brochure in order to assess the suitability of any Property before placing a Booking; or please contact us in order to discuss any particular needs that you may have prior to booking. 

 

LOCATION 

Properties in rural locations can experience some animal noise and occasionally noise from grass cutting or other farm machinery or activities. Some Properties are situated on non-metalled roads/tracks. Flora and fauna: In rural areas, insects and other creatures are fairly common and not necessarily an indication of poor housekeeping standards.  Whilst preventative action is always taken by the Property Owners, these creatures can never be eradicated completely. 

 

COMPLAINTS 

Property Owners and Housekeepers aim to ensure you have an enjoyable and comfortable stay at their property. Unfortunately, things sometimes can go wrong while on holiday but these situations are always best resolved at the time. Your contract is between You and the Owner, therefore in the event of a problem you should contact the Owner/Housekeeper immediately to allow remedial action to be taken. However, please note any complaints raised after your holiday will not result in any form of compensation. The property you have booked is a domestic home and the Owner does not always have access to 24-hour maintenance services. 

 

GUEST DAMAGE 

You should report accidental damage or breakage if and when it happens. Repairs or replacement items can then be arranged in advance of the arrival of the next guests. 

 

OTHER ISSUES 

  • WiFi and mobile signal: the Owner cannot be held responsible for the non-availability or poor quality of Wifi or mobile telephone signal at or around the Selected Property. Where a Selected Property is advertised as having Wifi, the Owner does not give any guarantee as to availability or useable speed. 

  • Building Work: The Owner cannot be held responsible for any building or road workings which may be carried out close to your Selected Property. Where we are aware of any anticipated works, we will endeavour to advise You in advance.

  • Special Requests: Special requests may be made prior to travel and whilst we will endeavour to meet them, this cannot be guaranteed. Under no circumstances will requests accepted by us form part of our contractual obligations. Unless agreed in writing the Owner does not accept liability for special requests that are not fulfilled.

  • Withdrawal of Facilities: We reserve the right to alter or withdraw amenities or facilities or any activities without prior notice where reasonably necessary due to repairs, maintenance, weather conditions and circumstances beyond our control.

  • Please note: Dorset Holiday Cottages reserves the right to update Booking Conditions from time to time. Any updates to the terms printed here will be reflected on our Website. 


 

REVISED DATE 30 Oct 2023

bottom of page