BOOKING CONDITIONS AND INFORMATION

GENERAL

Juliana's Luxury Villas Limited is a company registered in the U.K. under number 16074206. The registered head office is 8-10 South Street, Epsom, KT18 7PF, UK.

Juliana's Luxury Villas Ltd is not a travel agent, tour operator, property or rental agent.  We provide independent property owners with an advertising medium and a booking service only for the owners of the properties displayed on our website. We accept no liability in relation to any contract you enter into for the accommodation or for any services you purchase or for the acts or omissions of any Owner.

All property descriptions, photographs and local area information has been either supplied and/or approved by the property owners.  We are not responsible for the condition of the property on arrival or for the on-site management provided by the owner.

We/the Owner reserve the right to refuse a booking without giving any reason.  We also reserve the right to make changes to and correct errors in advertised prices for the rental of the property at any time before your holiday booking is confirmed. We will advise you of any error of which we are aware of at the time of booking.

Swimming Pools - the property owners are required to conform to the standards and legislation relating to ensuring that their pools and the surrounding area are safe. It is the property owner’s responsibility for ensuring that current regulations have been adhered to.

RENTAL CONTRACTS

Please note that signature of the Booking Form and Rental Contract for the rental of any property seen on our website binds you with the Owner of the property and not with Juliana's Luxury Villas Ltd and incorporates your acceptance of the conditions in these Booking Conditions.  We are responsible only for processing bookings made through our website and other advertising means and the Client is liable to the Owner and vice versa in all legal respects.  No agreement or rental contract relative to the rental of a property exists between the Client and Juliana's Luxury Villas Ltd and we are not linked legally by any of the rental contracts between the Client and the Owner of any property displayed on our website.

If a property has its own specific conditions, these will be detailed on the Booking Form forwarded to you if you decide to make a booking for a property.  The Booking Form will confirm whether or not linen and towels are included in the rental charge and the cost of these if they are extra.  It will also detail if an end of stay clean is chargeable; the security deposit and any other charges extra to the rental price.

DESCRIPTION AND INFORMATION

While we make every effort to ensure the descriptions and photographs of properties supplied by Owners are accurately reproduced on our website, we cannot accept responsibility for any descriptions or photographs which contain inaccurate, incomplete or misleading information or errors and which have been supplied by the Owner.

You must accept that minor differences between the photographs and text used and the actual property may arise.  If we have personally visited a property, this will be noted on the advert and we will have made all efforts to ensure that the details are correct and that the photos correspond to the property well at the time of the visit.

Owners reserve the right to make modifications to the property specification and the visual aspects of the property.  This may include the continual improvement of the property by the Owners and the alteration of furniture, amenities, facilities, or any part of any activities, either advertised or previously available, without any prior notice.

If we become aware of changes after your booking has been confirmed we will advise you of these as soon as possible prior to your departure.

Distances given on the website relating to properties are approximate.  Travelling times given relate to driving, not walking, unless otherwise stated and are approximate.

PRICES

Prices displayed are per property per week and are for fully furnished and equipped properties.

Prices are quoted in Sterling or Euros per week and are for accommodation only unless stated otherwise on the Booking Form.

Any additional charges such as linen, towels, end of stay cleaning, telephone, air-conditioning or electricity will be detailed on the Booking Form.  These additional charges can either be paid directly to the Owner or his representative in cash on arrival at the property if this facility is provided or beforehand with the final rental payment.

THE BOOKING PROCEDURE

Select a Property - Please ensure that the property you have chosen is suitable for the members of your party i.e. elderly, infirm, very young etc.  If you have any queries re the suitability, please feel free to contact us for any additional information required.

Check Availability - In order to book a property, you must first check the availability for the dates you wish to book.  We endeavour to keep our availability calendars up to date but it is essential to check with us before making any payments or travel arrangements.

Once we have confirmed availability by email, we will provisionally reserve the property with its owners for you for 5 days and email you a Booking Form which will show the total rental due, the booking deposit, the security deposit and the due dates of each payment.  You will also be sent a Property Overview which details all important aspects of the property you have booked.

Complete the Booking Form - The Booking Form and Rental Contract must be completed and returned to our UK office and the property will only be confirmed as reserved for you once your initial non-refundable booking deposit payment of 30% of the rental total has been received and the Booking Form has been signed and returned to us.  Signature of the Booking Form and Rental Contract constitutes acceptance of these Booking Conditions 2017 and also confirms that you have checked the Property Overview sent to you with the Booking Form.

Details on the Booking Form must include names and ages of all the booking party and must be signed by a member of the booking party who is over 18 years of age.  Once your Booking Form and booking deposit have been received, the owner is sent an Owner Booking Advice and by confirmation of receipt, accepts your booking and adds it to his rental schedule.  We then email you confirmation of receipt of deposit and issue a Deposit Confirmation showing the amount you have paid and detailing the balance payable.

Payment of the Balance and Security Deposit - The balance of the rent is payable not less than 8 weeks before the start of the rental period.  If payment is not received by the due date, the Owner reserves the right to give notice in writing that the reservation is cancelled.  It is strongly recommended that your insurance policy should include cancellation.  The security bond is due prior to your arrival by PayPal, on payment of which the property address, directions and arrival information are sent to you.

PAYMENTS

-  The booking deposit of 30% of the total rental is non-refundable.  The balance of the rental i.e. 70% is due 8 weeks before the arrival date.  In the event of non-payment, your booking could be cancelled and you will lose the booking deposit in full.

-  Payment must be made in the currency showing on your chosen property if you are making a bank transfer to our UK Sterling or Euro accounts. If the property is priced in Sterling we can accept a Sterling cheque. Payments by credit card can be taken via the PayPal processing system which incurs a 3.4% fee but all payments will be converted into Sterling for this.

-  If the property is showing in Euros and your bank is unable to make this payment for you, we can sometimes accept a Sterling payment which will be charged at the day’s exchange rate plus a currency charge of 3% as we will incur a cost when transferring to the owner in Euros.

-  If your deposit payment does not arrive within the 7 day period, we cannot guarantee that your booking will be accepted by the owner of the property.

-  If you are booking less than 8 weeks before the arrival date, full payment is requested on booking.

SECURITY BOND

A security bond is required to cover the cost of any damages or breakages to, or at the property, and the cost of any additional cleaning or rubbish disposal, the cost of telephone and/or other services/utilities that are not included in the rental price and detailed on the Booking Form.

The security bond amount is specific to each property and detailed on your Booking Form.  It must be paid prior to your arrival by PayPal (no charges) but sometimes can be paid in cash on arrival. When the security bond is taken in cash it is normally returned to you on the day of departure following an inspection by the owners or housekeeper, minus any breakages incurred during your stay.

If the security bond is paid to Juliana's Luxury Villas Ltd., the full amount will be allocated to the Owner.  If there are no damages or breakages on your departure, the security bond will be refunded to you in full back onto your credit card by PayPal refund once the Owners/housekeepers confirm this to us. Please remember that there may be a delay if the Owner has to wait for utility bills e.g. telephone, electricity. Any breakages or damages found on your departure will be reported to you and the cost of repair or replacement will be deducted from your security bond as will the cost of utilities and/or other services used by you.  The remaining balance will be returned to you.  If the Owner incurs extra charges on your departure for cleaning or rubbish disposal, this also can be deducted from your security bond.

It is solely the decision of the Owner whether to make deductions from the security bond and how much to deduct.  We cannot accept any responsibility or liability for losses incurred by the Client in respect of the security bond. Any dispute regarding a deduction from the security bond must be addressed to the Owner and we cannot enter into any correspondence concerning the security bond.

The majority of properties have inventories and you should check this at the beginning of your stay at the property and again when you leave to ensure that everything on the inventory is left as described at the end of your stay. Please also read any House Manuals which will advise on the rules of rubbish disposal in the particular village/town as these vary across the region and must be adhered to.

If it is thought that there have been any breakages, damages or utility bill abuse, we will notify you that there may be a problem.  In this case, the Owners reserve the right to hold the security bond for up to 8 weeks as there may be delays while waiting for utility bills, proof of damage or quotations for repair of damaged items.

If the security bond paid by you is not sufficient to cover the cost of such utilities and/or services or damage, the Owner is entitled to recover any additional costs from you.   Some damages may not be immediately obvious to the Owner upon your departure. The Owner reserves the right to charge you for any damage noted in the property after your departure.  The Client remains liable for the full cost of any repairs or replacements required or other losses incurred by the Owner due to accidental or negligent breakage, loss, damage or injury to the Property and/or the contents therein. The Owner has the right to make any other deductions from the security bond in the event of any breach of this agreement by the Client, and can recover any other charges from the Client by other means.

In the case of security bonds given in cash and due to be returned on the day of departure, if you leave early on your departure day without giving notification at least 3 days in advance any banking charges incurred by the Owner when returning your bond will be deducted from it.

CANCELLATION AND ALTERATIONS

Cancellation by you

In the event of cancellation by you, the 30% deposit is not refundable. It is therefore essential that you take out adequate holiday insurance which, should you have to cancel due to ill health or for another reason beyond your control (e.g. jury services) you will be reimbursed for the loss of your deposit by insurance company.

Please inform us immediately by email or letter if you have to cancel. The date of cancellation is the date we receive written notification, which we will forward to the Owner. If you cancel 8 weeks or more prior to the date of your booked arrival at the property, you will only lose your deposit.

If you cancel after the full amount of the rental cost has been paid, any refunds due will be in accordance with terms and conditions of these Booking Conditions.  The amount to be refunded is detailed below:.

We will endeavour to obtain a replacement customer for the Owner if a cancellation of a booking is made. If a replacement customer is obtained, we and the Owner will then refund all monies (less £150 administrative fee), paid by you in respect of that booking, less any difference between the price you paid for the property and the price paid by the replacement customer for the letting of the property.

Alterations by you

If a booking is amended after confirmation, it must be put in writing and we will endeavour to make the change requested.  However please note that this may not be possible.  This service may incur an administration charge of £40, depending on the changes requested.

Cancellation by the Owner

In the unlikely event that a significant change is made to the property description (i.e. the swimming pool becomes unavailable) or the Owner has to cancel your booking or there are major changes to your booking required to be made by us or the Owner due to matters beyond our or the Owner’s control, we will advise you as soon as possible and will endeavour to offer you suitable alternative accommodation. If this is not possible, or you do not wish to accept the alternatives offered, we will give you a complete refund of all monies paid by you to us.

ARRIVAL & DEPARTURE

Changeover days for properties are on a Saturday unless otherwise stated.  You will be able to arrive at the property between 4pm-5pm on your day of arrival and must depart by 10am on the day of your departure, unless otherwise stated.  The Owner shall not be obliged to offer the accommodation before the time stated and the Client shall not be entitled to remain in occupation after the time shown.  However, subject to availability and agreement of the Owner, other arrangements may be made.

If you are unable to arrive by the time stated or wish to arrive early and drop-off your luggage, please let us know and we will try to organise this with the Owner or housekeeper.  If you are delayed en route, you must telephone us or the Owner or housekeeper noted on the directions sheet, to let them know your expected time of arrival.  If you arrive after 6pm without notification and are unable to gain access to the property, neither we nor the property Owner can be held responsible for any cost incurred for alternative overnight accommodation.  If you need an arrival later than 6pm, this must be noted on our Booking Form when booking or arranged in advance with our office otherwise we may not be available to provide out of hours assistance.

-  If you cannot arrange to arrive prior to 6pm, we can suggest some properties to you which have keyboxes whereby you can arrive late.

-  If a late arrival is not possible at your preferred property, you will have to book a night’s accommodation at a hotel or B&B for your first night at your expense, and arrive at the property the following morning at an agreed time.

-  Please also notify the Owner or housekeeper if you want to leave before 10am on the day of departure so they can return your security bond if it was taken in cash and is to be returned the day of departure.

KEYS

Please be careful with the key to the property you are renting.  If lost, contact us immediately and arrangements will be made to get a spare one to you but this would be at a cost of £70.  If there is a keybox at the property, you will be given the code but it is essential that you always scramble the code after use to avoid any security issues.

ACCESS

The Owner or their representative shall be allowed access to inspect the property prior to your departure.  They also have a right to access the property during your stay to carry out urgent maintenance.  Gardeners and pool maintenance staff enter the grounds during your stay, normally very early in the morning.

BEHAVIOUR

The person signing the Booking Form is responsible for the correct and decent behaviour of each member of the party.  Should you or a member of the party not behave in such a manner, the Owner may use their absolute discretion to terminate the holiday of the person(s) concerned and/or the Contract applicable to the property.  In this situation, the person(s) concerned will be required to leave the accommodation.  Neither we nor the Owner will have any further responsibility toward such person(s).  No refunds will be made and neither we nor the Owner will pay any expenses or costs incurred as a result of the termination.  The Owner is also entitled to ask you to leave the property without any refund if, in their reasonable opinion, your behaviour is unacceptable (ie. drunken or loutish behaviour) or if the police are called by neighbours to control the noise levels.

NUMBER OF PEOPLE USING THE PROPERTY

-     The maximum number of occupants (including all children) for each property is shown in the property description and must not be exceeded under any circumstances unless the Owner has given written permission prior to arrival.  The agent is at liberty to check this is the case.  In the event of failure to comply with this provision, the Owner is entitled to ask you to leave the property without refund of monies paid or any other liability to you.

-     The parking of caravans/pitching of tents at the property is strictly forbidden.

-     You may notice that some houses can actually sleep more people than the Owner allows, however a maximum number is set for your own comfort. It is also the express decision by the Owners that they will not accept any increase in party numbers, unless by prior written arrangement.

-     You are of course entitled to sleep up to the maximum number of people; however we need to know who is at the property each night for your own safety. It also allows us to be 100% sure that the property is prepared for your exact party size and make up. We ask for this information on the Booking Form. If any details change after you have booked, you will need to contact us and we will update our details.

SWIMMING POOLS AND SAFETY

Swimming pools are not normally open all year round. If your rental period is outside June & mid September, please check with us that the pool is available for use for the period that you wish to stay at the property.  We cannot be responsible for low water temperatures or any problems with any swimming pools.  A few pools have heating but most do not.  Pools are usually warm enough to swim in from June to mid September but this cannot be guaranteed.

Upon arrival at the property you and all members of your party must take time to familiarise yourselves with the location, layout, and depths of swimming pool at the property.  Please take note of any pool warning signs, depth markings and other instructions for use, which may be displayed.  Young children must not be allowed to wander unaccompanied in the grounds of any property where there is a swimming pool.

You must make sure that all members of the party are familiar with any pool protection in place. You are fully responsible for ensuring that the alarm/fence/gate or cover is in place at all times when the pool is not in use.  Children must be supervised at all times, especially around the swimming pool.  Swimming pools do not always have depth markings and you should check the water depth before using the pool. Diving is at your own risk.  Children must be monitored while being close to the swimming pool or while swimming.  Children who cannot swim must have appropriate flotation equipment

SECURITY AND VALUABLES

Any valuables left at the property are left at your own risk.  Neither we nor the Owner are responsible for any loss.  Some properties have alarms and safes.  It is essential and your responsibility to ensure all doors, shutters, windows are properly secured and locked when absent from the property, or when by the poolside/in the grounds.  The Client must also ensure that the property is secured at night.  No refund can be given should you decide to vacate the property as a consequence of a burglary.

PETS

Pets are not allowed on properties unless stated in the details of the properties and with the Owner’s permission.  The Owner reserves the right to charge a supplement, and/or increase the security bond for the property as they see fit.  The number of any allowed pets must be agreed prior to your booking.

If you do not inform us of any pets, the Owner reserves the absolute right to request either the pet is placed in kennels in France for the duration of your stay, or your removal from the property without refund or compensation.

Pet-friendly properties are available but animals must never be left alone in the house, must not rest on beds or soft furnishings, and never swim in the pool for hygiene reasons and for the protection of pool liners.

COMPLAINTS

On arrival, should you find any fundamental discrepancy between the description provided on the website and the property itself, or that any of the amenities listed in the property description are damaged or broken, or if you have any other cause for concern (eg. issues of safety) please bring it to the Owner's attention immediately so they can resolve the problem and to confirm that any damages were caused by previous tenants, not you.

If you are unable to contact the Owner or his representative, please contact us.  You must give the Owner the opportunity to try to resolve any problems or complaints you may have whilst you are at the property. Any refusal of this or of reasonable rectification may prejudice your rights to compensation. The owners may need time to make arrangements.

Owners/keyholders/repair people must be given access to the property if you have a problem. We reserve the right to contact the Owner or housekeeper at any time during this process, and you must agree to meet with the Owner/housekeeper directly to discuss the problem.  All complaints must be made to the Owner in writing, as well as verbally, with a copy to us.  Complaints received at the end of the holiday will be processed, but there is no guarantee that your complaint will be upheld if there has been no attempt by you to try and resolve the issues whilst you were at the property.

Juliana's Luxury Villas Ltd. will not become directly involved in any disputes between the property Owner and you, but will try to assist if there are communication problems due to language issues. We do not wish to have dissatisfied customers and consider it part of our service to try to put right any complaints you may have. We will endeavour to act as intermediary in the case of disputes, but we do not accept any responsibility for them or the outcome of them.

If the problem was not resolved to your reasonable satisfaction during your holiday, you should put your comments in writing to us within 7 days of your return. We will forward your written complaint to the Owner and will, within reason, liaise with the Owner to assist in reaching a satisfactory settlement for all justifiable complaints regarding the property you may have.  However, it is your responsibility to take the complaint up with the Owner directly if no satisfactory settlement can be reached.

STANDARDS AND LOCAL INFORMATION

French properties are often subject to very different standards of electrical fittings, plumbing, ventilation, decoration and building requirements, although properties conform to local building standards.

• Septic tanks rather than mains sewerage is common and occasionally there may be an odour from this.
• Staircases can be steep and/or open, sometimes without any banisters. This is usually noted in the Suitability section of the advert, if you are concerned, please check with us.
• Electrics – there may be bare electrical wires and lights without lampshades.
• Furniture and décor may be old-fashioned and beds not as comfortable as your own.
• Many properties are closed up during winter and may appear musty on arrival, especially early in the summer season.
• Some safety standards in Europe may be lower than those of the UK and therefore you must take all reasonable precautions to protect yourselves while on holiday.

ANIMALS – some properties are in rural areas and therefore you may well find domestic, farm and wild animals in the vicinity and associated noise, smell and droppings. Insects (including stinging/biting insects), spiders and rodents do find their way into properties.

BABY EQUIPMENT - some properties do not have their own cots and highchairs but these can sometimes be hired from the housekeepers if available.  Please note your requirements on your Booking Form at the time of booking and we will check this for you.  We recommend that you take your own cot linen as this is not usually supplied.

BEACH AND POOL TOWELS – these are not always provided and therefore you should take these towels with you.  Sometimes they are available for hire from the housekeepers so please check with us before arrival if they are provided or not.

BARBEQUES - are available in most properties; however there may be restrictions on their use during the summer months, due to local fire restrictions. Please do not move any barbeques from the position they are left on your arrival, which may be the safest area. It is generally your responsibility to leave the BBQ clean on your departure.  Barbeques are to be used at your own risk and no compensation will be offered for any burns or other injuries while using the BBQ and other similar equipment.

BED SIZES - Bed sizes in French owned properties are often of different sizes to those in the UK.  Double beds range from 1.4m–2m and a single bed can start at 70cm which is narrower than usually expected in the UK (90cms for an adult sized single bed).

BUILDING WORK – may take place in the vicinity of the property. We cannot accept responsibility for noise or disruption caused.

ELECTRIC SUPPLIES – often the electrical supply in a property is lower than in the UK and may not be able to support several appliances being used at the same time.  Please make sure you know where the electricity board is to reset the trips switches if necessary.

FESTIVALS – there may be a local fête or festival during your stay which may produce some noise and increased traffic.

Thank you for reading and adhering to our Terms & Conditions.