Terms and Conditions for Kingham Cottages Ltd
The Contract
This contract is made between Kingham Cottages Ltd (The Company) and the Client. All bookings made are subject to the conditions herein and the provisions of English law. Holiday cottage bookings are for residential purposes and no commercial activity should take place. The booking summary initially generated by email does not form a contract; that only arises on payment and written confirmation as set out below. You (the person signing the booking form as party leader, the Client) agree to enter into the contract with us, Kingham Cottages Ltd on these Terms and Conditions.
Payment
Payment may be made by credit or debit card, cash or cheque (we do not accept post-dated cheques). A booking deposit equal to one third of the total cost of any cottage rental is required to secure any booking, except where the first day of the Clients holiday is less than 8 weeks (56 days) away in which case full payment should be made. Bookings made within 15 days of the first day of hire must be paid for by credit or debit card. Bookings made more than eight weeks in advance must be paid for in full by eight weeks in advance.
A confirmed booking will be made upon the Client proffering credit or debit card details and a confirmation letter being sent by the company by email or post. Any error in these details should be notified to the Company within 3 working days of receipt. Until confirmed in writing by the company, a booking is provisional. Any balance of charges not received by the Company on or before the due date will be treated as a cancellation of the contract by the Client.
Services
Heating and electricity are included in the price, along with logs where applicable. Prices also include VAT, cleaning on departure, pool heating and maintenance and local taxes. Linen and towels are included; for visitors staying more than a week a change of linen will be provided.
Complaints/Equipment Faults
If you have a problem with any of the equipment in the property or feel the need to complain about the service or standard of accommodation, please do so as soon as the problem occurs by telephoning the Company or sending an email to stay@kinghamcottages.com.
Deposit
The properties are furnished to a high standard so we take a security deposit of £500 per property to cover damage and additional cleaning if problems arise. Where two or more cottages are booked together, a cautionary deposit of an additional £500 will be required on the final balance due date. The deposit is required for the reimbursement of charges for any damage, breakages, exceptional cleaning costs and housekeeper’s time reallocating items moved between properties and the Client is legally bound to reimburse the Company for any such charge on demand. Charges will be deducted from the deposit but are not limited to the amount of that deposit.
The Client should inform the Company at the commencement of hire of any damage found on arrival. The Company reserves the right to charge for any damage or missing items not reported by the Client on arrival. Should there be no damage or exceptional charges, the deposit will be credited to the client’s card in full within 14 days of departure. If the deposit is insufficient to cover damage done, the balance payable will be due within fourteen days of invoicing and if not settled in advance will be charged to the client’s card. We will inspect the property after your departure and notify you of any damage or breakages additional to those you have reported to us. The security deposit is payable with the final rental payment.
VAT
VAT at the prevailing rate is included in all rental charges displayed on the company website.
Alterations
We are unable to accept more than the maximum number of people shown in the letting particulars for each property. If, after booking, you wish to change the size of your party, please contact us. Once a booking is confirmed, any alteration to the arrival date, length of stay or properties booked within the period of 56 days or more prior to the booked first day of hire, will incur an administration charge of £50.
Cancellation
You should notify us by telephone immediately if you consider it necessary to cancel your holiday and this should be followed by written notification sent by recorded delivery or by electronic mail. The date from which the cancellation applies will be the date on which the cancellation notice is received by the Company.
Charges
Clients failing to arrive within 24 hours of the first day of hire and having omitted to inform the Company of their delay shall be considered to have cancelled their booking and the standard cancellation charges shall apply.
Should the Client need to cancel a confirmed booking for any reason, the following cancellation charges will apply:
Over 56 days in advance of the start date: Full deposit (i.e. one third of the total holiday cost)
29-56 days in advance of the start date: 50% of total holiday cost
15-28 days in advance of the start date: 75% of total holiday cost
0-14 days in advance of the start date: 100% of total holiday cost
If a holiday is cancelled we will make every effort to re-let the property and, if successful, we will rebate 75% of the above cancellation charges. or, in the event of the replacement rental being obtained by discounting then 75% of the net rental obtained by the company, whichever shall be the lower. If we are unsuccessful the above charges apply and you are advised to insure against this eventuality. In the event of cancellation or non-payment then interest at the rate of 8% over Barclays Bank Base Rate will be payable on the whole of the sum due before any rebate is applied and is payable from the date the payment became due. The Company strongly recommends that Clients take out appropriate holiday cancellation insurance.
Cancellation by Company
In the event of the Company having to cancel a booking for any reason whatsoever, its liability will be limited to all monies paid by the Client to the Company in respect of such booking up to and including the date of cancellation. These monies shall be immediately returned to the Client upon any such cancellation occurring. For the avoidance of doubt, in no event shall the Company be liable for any special, indirect, consequential or pure economic loss, costs, damages, charges or expenses incurred or suffered by the Client as a result of any such cancellation.
Period of Rental
The rental period commences at 4.00pm on the first day of the rental and terminates at 10.00am on the last day of the rental. Any significant delay in arrival should be notified to the Company in order that arrangements can be made for entry into the accommodation.
Departures
Standard departure time is 10.00am to allow adequate time for housekeeping staff to prepare cottages for the next occupation.
Party/Group Bookings
The cottages and grounds are for the sole use of resident guests only. For safety and security of all residents, permission must be requested for any non-resident guests to join a party or to access the cottages and grounds. No activities, entertainers or suppliers of any services not booked by the Company are allowed access to the grounds or cottages without written permission from the Company.
Any exceptional cleaning costs resulting from the use of party accessories (e.g. party poppers etc), dinner party washing up, reallocation of items to other shared properties or any exceptional activity will be charged at £15 per hour.
Property Care
The property will have been cleaned between lets and beds will be made; guests are asked to leave the properties clean and tidy. The Client and party shall take all reasonable care of the property and its furnishings and effects and agrees to leave the property in the same condition of cleanliness and tidiness as at the commencement of hire. Any exceptional cleaning costs or damage in excess of £50 will be charged to the client at £15.00 per hour for cleaning and for the costs of repair or replacement in the event of damage.
Any items moved from other cottages must be returned to the appropriate cottage prior to departure. Cottages must be secured (windows closed, doors locked, lights off) upon departure. The Company reserves the right to charge for any missing or damaged items due to their relocation or from cottages being left unsecured upon guests’ departure.
Damage
In the event of breakages or damage to the property and/or its contents caused by the Client or any member of the party, full payment for the actual cost of replacement or repair will be debited from the credit/debit card held to settle departure accounts. Lost keys will incur a charge of £20 for each lost set.
Nuisance
The Company reserves the right to terminate a rental, without payment of compensation, in the event of you or your party causing a nuisance to neighbours or other guests or not treating the property with due respect.
Pets
Pets are not permitted in any of the properties.
Smoking
As a courtesy to all guests, smoking is not permitted within the properties. Smoking is however allowed in the private courtyards and gardens.
Occupancy
The number of guests occupying a property must not exceed the maximum number stipulated by the Company. Should this condition not be observed, the Company reserves the right to refuse entry to any or all guests within the party.
Complaints
Any complaints should be notified promptly in person to the Company owners or the owners representatives in their absence and the Company shall, at all times, endeavour to deal with any complaint promptly. Should the nature of the complaint be serious then written notification should be posted to the company within seven days of the last day of hire.
Liability
The Company, its employees, owners and representatives shall not be liable to the Client or third parties for loss or damage to persons or property, howsoever arising. Valuables left at the property are at your own risk. You are responsible for the security of the contents of the property during your occupation. The gardens, particularly trees, ponds and pools can be dangerous; it is the responsibility of the Client to ensure the safety of any children in the party at all times. Please check depths before allowing children to jump into the swimming pool.
The contents of our website have been prepared in good faith and if we know of any variation we will amend it. We are not responsible for any changes or closures to local amenities or attractions mentioned on our site, or for minor or insignificant inaccuracy in descriptions or information.
Right of Entry
For the undertaking of necessary repairs, maintenance or inspections, the Company has the right of entry to the property at all reasonable times. Prior notice will be given to the Client wherever possible and privacy will be respected at all times.
Terms
“You” and “your party” are terms used to describe the client within these Terms and Conditions. “We”, “us”, and “our” refer to Kingham Cottages Ltd. All Conditions apply to all members of the party (including anyone who is added or substituted at a later date) not just to the client signing the booking. Where properties are not owned by us, we are acting as agents on behalf of the property owners. In such cases, these terms and conditions constitute a contract between you, Kingham Cottages Ltd acting as agent, and the property owner(s).
Fair Tax Mark Statement of Kingham Cottages Ltd (November 2020)
This statement of Fair Tax compliance was compiled in partnership with the Fair Tax Mark and certifies that Kingham Cottages Limited (“the Company”) meets the standards and requirements of the Fair Tax Mark’s UK Small Business Standard.
Tax Policy
The Company is committed to paying all the taxes that we owe in accordance with the spirit of all tax laws that apply to our operations. We believe that paying our taxes in this way is the clearest indication we can give of being responsible participants in society. We will fulfil our commitment to paying the appropriate taxes that we owe by seeking to pay the right amount of tax, in the right place, and at the right time. We aim to do this by ensuring that we report our tax affairs in ways that reflect the economic reality of the transactions that we undertake during the course of our trade.
We will not seek to use those options made available in tax law, or the allowances and reliefs that it provides, in ways that are contrary to the spirit of the law. Nor will we undertake specific transactions with the sole or main aim of securing tax advantages that would otherwise not be available to us based on the reality of the trade that we undertake. The company will never undertake transactions that would require notification to HM Revenue & Customs under the Disclosure of Tax Avoidance Schemes Regulations or participate in any arrangement to which it might be reasonably anticipated that the UK’s General Anti-Abuse Rule might apply.
We believe tax havens undermine the UK’s tax system. As a result, whilst we may trade with customers and suppliers genuinely located in places considered to be tax havens, we will not make use of those places to secure a tax advantage, and nor will we take advantage of the secrecy that many
such jurisdictions provide for transactions recorded within them. Our accounts will be prepared in compliance with this policy and will seek to provide all the information that users, including HM Revenue & Customs, might need to properly appraise our tax position.
Reporting
The Company, is a private company limited by shares, originally incorporated in 2010. The principle activities of the Company are that of managing holiday cottages, as well as construction of domestic buildings. Mr Christopher Derek Stockwell is the sole director and shareholder of the Company.
The registered office address of the Company is Kingham Lodge, West End, Kingham, Oxfordshire, OX7 6YL, which is also the trading address of company.
The average net profit before tax over the three years 2017 to 2019 was £1,089. The average current tax charge over the three years 2017 to 2019 was £208 (19.1%) – which is exactly in line with the average expected current tax charge – there are no differences to reconcile to.
As at 30 November 2019, the Company had no deferred tax assets or liabilities on the balance sheet, and had no movements in deferred tax expensed or credited to the income statement.