Chris & Elaine's Florida Home

Payments:

For bookings made via the sites we advertise our home on, please refer to the relevant site for payment requirements. etc.

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For bookings made directly with us:

We can take payments in UK pounds or US dollars.

Payment in UK£ can be made by BACS, cheque or with a credit card via PayPal.

Payments in USA$ can be made by check or money order direct to our management company in Florida or via a debit/credit card via PayPal.

A deposit is required when booking our home, along with completion of our booking form/rental agreement. As soon as these are received, your reservation will be confirmed. This deposit is non-refundable. The balance of the rental cost will be required 56 days prior to your rental period commencing. Bookings made within 56 days of your vacation commencing require the full amount to be paid when the reservation is made.

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Security Deposit: We do not ask for a security deposit as we would rather work on a trust basis. The party leader agrees to accept full liability for all loss or damage caused by any member of their party during the occupation of our villa and confirms that the full cost of repair or replacement will be met.  In our home you will find manuals supplied by both ourselves and our management company that cover safety, security and essential information - it is in your interest to read through these.

 

Cancellation:

For bookings made via the sites we advertise our home on, please refer to the relevant site for the cancellation policy.

We strongly advise you to take out holiday travel insurance.

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For bookings made directly with us:

Should a cancellation be necessary then your deposit will be lost. Should the cancellation occur after the balance has been paid then the full amount will be lost.

In the event of a cancellation any pool heat payment paid will be refunded to you.

 

Occupancy: Our villa is usually ready for occupancy from 4:00PM on the day of arrival and needs to be vacated promptly by 10:00AM on the day of departure. If you have a late flight you should consider reserving the villa for an extra night or pre-arranging a late check out if possible (there may be an additional charge for this). Following receipt of the balance payment, you will be sent the access instructions. Also directions from the airport to the villa will be provided. Over-occupancy of the villa will not be permitted. Only the persons named on the booking form are allowed to use the villa (this is a requirement of Florida State Law).

 

Conduct: Our home is located on a nice residential estate. We ask that you act in a considerate and courteous manor to your neighbours. We expect you to have fun but we also request that noise be kept to a minimum during early mornings and late evenings, particularly around the patio and in the pool. Please treat our home with respect and be aware you will be liable for any damage caused.

 

Liability: In the event of any problems whatsoever the total liability will be limited to the rental amount paid. We or our agents cannot accept liability for any damage or loss of your property or possessions or personal accident sustained by you, your party members or any visitors. We strongly advise that all guests have holiday insurance.

 

Force Majeure: The owners or their agents will not be liable for problems or delays caused by strikes, riots, political unrest, hostilities, war, terrorist activity, industrial disputes, fire, flood, tornadoes, hurricanes, transportation problems, airport closures, weather conditions or any other event beyond our immediate control. We suggest that you take out adequate travel insurance to cover such eventualities.

 

Maintenance: Our rental home is maintained by a local management company. All breakages, accidents, problems and losses must be reported to the local management as soon as they occur so that they can be attended to. As with any home appliances will, from time to time, malfunction and may need repair - the local management company will use their best endeavours to have any problem rectified as quickly as possible. Access to the rental home may be required by authorized maintenance personnel during your stay.

 

Air conditioning: The villa is fully air-conditioned. A thermostat situated in the lounge controls the temperature. This is fully automatic and you simply set the desired temperature. Any changes you feel need to be made should only be minor. Around 74 should be comfortable. Do not set to lower than 70 (setting lower will cause the unit to freeze up and may fail). The display shows the room temperature on left and the set temperature right. Use up/down arrows to set desired temperature.  Do not turn off when you are out for the day or check-out, but ideally please set to a minimum of 76. Always leave fan set to ‘Auto’. During any cold periods, the system can provide heat. Use the ‘System’ button to change to ‘HEAT’. Then adjust the temperature (the setting required will be much lower than when set to cooling, usually between 65 to 70). When set to heating, please set below 65 when you are out for the day and switch back to ‘Cool’ and 76 when you check-out. If in doubt, please contact our management company. Do not turn the system off when you leave! We would also ask that you take care to keep windows and doors closed at all times to allow the air-conditioning to function correctly. Leaving doors and windows open (especially the patio door and internal door to garage) for even a short time, can cause the system to overwork in an attempt to keep the temperature at the required level and may fail.

 

Smoking: Smoking is only allowed in pool area. The villa is fitted with smoke detectors and will activate if guests attempt to smoke inside. Guests found smoking inside will forfeit their security deposit.

 

Pets: Pets are not permitted. This is out of consideration for future guests who may suffer from allergies etc. If pets are found in the villa then the property manager has the right to have them removed from the property. The security deposit will be forfeited and guests may be required to vacate the property with no refund of rental monies.

 

Pool Safety: Swimming pools are great fun and few people would choose a holiday home without one. However they are an obvious source of DANGER especially for young children. We cannot accept any liability whatsoever for any injury caused as a result of using the pool. You are particularly advised NEVER to allow children to use the pool unsupervised. An alarm is fitted to the door leading to the pool – if you are unsure how to operate or find it not working please contact the local management immediately. No diving is allowed. Glass etc. must not be used outside (plastic items are provided). The pool blanket must be fully removed when the pool is in use.

 

Pool Heating: The pool has solar heating and a pool heater that can be turned on at an extra cost. Guests should be aware that the term "pool heating" does not imply or confirm that any specific water temperature is guaranteed. The solar system works automatically and is particularly beneficial during the periods of the year such as the spring and autumn. Temperature sensors will open a valve and redirect water to the solar panels when sufficient heat from the sun is available. The increase in temperature can be significant but the effectiveness is obviously dependent on the weather conditions and although not required during the hot months, using the pool blanket overnight will have significant effect on the heat retention. Electric pool heating is also available during the cooler months. Should you have requested this option, it is imperative to use the pool blanket overnight or the heat built up during the day will be lost! We also recommended you put the cover on when you are out for the day! In occasional severe winter conditions is it possible that the pool heater may not be able to maintain the water at a consistent temperature - this does not constitute a malfunction.

If you have paid for the heater and the weather conditions prevent the water being heated adequately, we recommend you request our management company to turn off the heater until conditions improve. We will then refund those days it is off. Under no circumstances should you interfere with the heater lock or alter the settings (the pool maintenance company are not authorized to do this either). You will be liable for any damage/unauthorized use. Any issues with the pool heating should be directed to the local management company whilst you are in attendance at the villa so that they can deal with your concerns.