Eco-Gites of Lenault, Normandy, France - Our Terms and Conditions

Full Terms and Conditions for Eco-Gites of Lenault in Normandy, France

These terms and conditions may be changed at any time. Last updated June 2023.

Terms Used


In these Terms and Conditions 'you/yours' refers to the hirer and his/her party and 'we/us' means Eco-gites de Lénault/Rosie and Simon Hill. The term 'gite' refers to the gite building, the grounds, the front drive and all facilities provided by us.

Booking and Deposit


When booking direct with us, a non-returnable deposit per week is required at the time of booking. Full payment for stays of less than 3 nights or less than 6 weeks before the date of arrival (late bookings) is required when booking. Any balance needs to be received by 6 weeks prior to your time of arrival.

For direct bookings payment is by direct bank transfer to our UK or French bank account for both the deposit and balance/payment.

Your booking is secure once we have received a completed booking form and deposit or full payment for short stays/late bookings. No reservation will be made until the completed booking form and deposit has been received. The deposit is non refundable (see cancellation below including policies specific to the Covid 19 pandemic). As a result we strongly advise you take out holiday cancellation insurance.

When booking through a third party site eg Airbnb, HolidayLettings etc the exact amount payable at booking will depend the rates we set on the agency website and will include any fees they charge.



Non-payment of the Outstanding Balance

Failure to pay the outstanding balance within 3 working days of the due date, 6 weeks prior to your rental start date will result in your rental being suspended and the gite will be put back up for rental until payment is received. Should the gite be re-let and your balance subsequently received, your payment, minus the deposit will be refunded. We therefore recommend that you contact us as soon as possible if you have a problem getting the payment to us in time.

Cancellation by You (Please see below for modification of cancellation policy relative to Covid 19)

If you cancel your booking up to one week after making your reservation (as long as it is more than 6 weeks prior to your rental start date and therefore not a late booking) we will refund your full deposit.

If you cancel after one week but before 6 weeks before your rental start date we will retain your full deposit but no further charges will be made.

If you cancel less than 6 weeks prior to your rental start date after making full payment we will retain the full payment.

 

Cancellation by Us (Please see below for modification of cancellation policy relative to Covid 19)

No liability can be accepted or compensation paid as a result of us cancelling your holiday due to events which could not have reasonably been foreseen or avoided such as war, threat of war, riots, civil unrest, industrial action, acts of terrorism, natural or nuclear disasters, power failure, fire, adverse weather conditions, closure of international borders, disease outbreaks, non availability of transport services and all similar events outside of our control. 


In the event that we have to cancel your holiday due to our mismanagement then we will do the following:


1. Attempt to make alternative arrangements for you in similar accommodation near-by. In this case you will be refunded in full.
2. Attempt to arrange an alternative date for your stay. Should this be in a higher priced time there will be no additional charge and should it be in a lower priced time will refund the difference.
3. If no alternative can be made we will refund your payment and deposit in full.

Covid-19 - modifications to cancellation policy

A full refund will be made only if we are must close the gite because we are put into lockdown.

We cannot refund guests who are unable to travel when the gite is still open or who are Covid positive and so we strongly recommend that you take out travel insurance.

Our rights include, but are not limited to:

Refusing to accept any booking at our sole discretion.

Obtaining the names of everyone in the party and the ages of children/infants before accepting a booking.

Entering the accommodation at any reasonable time and for any reasonable cause. We will try to let you know if we need to do this.

Refusing entry to your friends/visitors.

Charging for non trivial damage howsoever caused.

Claiming from you for any loss of future business as a result of damage resulting from your stay here, by you or your guests/visitors, howsoever this is caused.

Terminating the rental agreement immediately and without compensation or refund if:

  • You damage the accommodation, are excessively noisy or disturb others;

  • We reasonably suspect you are breaking the law;

  • You allow anyone extra to stay in the gite without our permission;

  • You do not comply with these full terms and conditions.



Our Liability

We shall not be liable for any death or injury or for damage to or loss to your personal property occurring whilst you rent Eco-Gites of Lenault. Please ensure all your valuables are covered under your household insurance. Your vehicles and contents are left at your own risk.  No Liability can be accepted or compensation paid you or anyone in your party, including visiting friends, for any loss, damage, injury, disappointment, illness,  inconvenience or other such cases. 

In the event of circumstances beyond our reasonable control e.g. (but not limited to) an act of war (whether declared or not), hostilities, invasion, act of foreign enemies, terrorism or civil disorder, fire, flood, exceptional weather conditions, loss of electricity/internet connection, disease, industrial disputes/strikes, insect infestations etc. we shall not be liable for any resulting costs, losses or damages suffered by you (including the cost of securing alternative accommodation), nor for our failure to undertake our obligations to you. However, in appropriate cases, we will refund your payments to you.

You use our grounds and facilities at your own risk. You should expect to encounter some potential minor hazards such as uneven ground, mud, wire, livestock, wildlife etc.  Do not enter any of the stock fields or our garden/vegetable area for any reason and we cannot be held responsible for any injury to you as a result from doing so. Please leave gates as you find them. Do not feed the animals (livestock or pets).

The gite is converted from an old stone hay barn situated on a smallholding in a rural location. As a result wildlife will be found around the gite/grounds and may, at times, be found inside the gite. Such extra visitors inside the gite are rare but could include (but are not limited to) flies, wasps, hornets, other insects, mice and other rodents, bats, amphibians, lizards and birds which can all access via open doors/windows or occasionally via the eaves.  We cannot be held responsible for wildlife entering the gite but will do our utmost to assist you removing it.


Security

During your stay you are responsible for the keys to the gite and therefore you are responsible for ensuring all doors and windows are closed and locked when you are not in residence. We do not accept any responsibility for damage or loss to your possessions or property during your stay.

What is included in the price:

Rental of the gite for the time specified and for the number of people specified on the booking form to a maximum of 5 people.
Parking for one vehicle - please contact us if you wish to park an additional vehicle/trailer.
Electricity, gas and logs.
Bed linen and towels  for the number of people booked, a tea towel and a bath mat but not bedding for the travel cot which you will need to bring yourselves.
Free Wifi - Internet speed and access are subject to provider availability and are offered as a free extra.  We cannot be held responsible for the speed of the Internet or if there is no Internet is available during your stay.  We will disconnect the WiFi is there are storms to prevent the modem from being damaged.

Taxe de Séjour

The local tourist board levies this small tax on all adults staying with us, payable in cash on arrival.  Children under 18 are not charged.  The money is used  to further promote tourism in Normandy.

Electric Cars

Normandy is encouraging electric car use and there are charging points in all towns and many villages.  The nearest point to Eco-Gites of Lenault is in Saint Pierre la Vieille, 5kms away.

You may also be able to charge at the gite but please be aware this will take much longe ad we ask for a donation towards electricity costs if you charge here.


Arriving and Leaving


Your accommodation is available from 16.00 on your rental start date.
Please vacate the gite by 10.00 on the final day.  Due to the extra cleaning required as a result of Covid 19, any delay in leaving will be charged at €10/half hour.

For short breaks it may be possible to alter arrival and departure dates times - please contact us.
Changeover day is Saturday (outside high season, the start day can vary).

The gite is for holiday use only - Neither you, nor any person allowed into the property by you, has the right to remain in the accommodation beyond the agreed departure date. You will be liable for any losses incurred as a result of delayed departure.

Your Responsibilities:

Your general responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

Ensuring only the number of people for whom the booking is made, stay in the gite.
Informing us if you have any friends/visitors coming to the gite. You are responsible for your friends/visitors at all times when at the gite or in the grounds. (Note for 2022 we cannot allow you to have friends/family visit the gite)
The gite cannot be used as a base for a party.
Ensuring that any friends/visitors at the gite comply fully with theses terms and conditions.
Your friends/visitors are not permitted to use the gite facilities/grounds in any form whatsoever.
Reporting to us any breakages or missing items (you will not normally be charged for minor damage or breakages).
Keeping all furniture, fittings and effects in the same good condition as they were found.
Ensuring the BBQ is safely extinguished at the end of the evening and cleaned.
Ensuring all cigarette ends are safely extinguished and disposed of in an outdoor bin.
Guests in the gite are at all times responsible for any children also staying.
The play area is to be left tidy when not in use and the sand pit lid is replaced.
The rules for using the trampoline are adhered to (copy in the information pack in the gite)

Do not add any glass bottles/jars etc to the bin as the refuse collector will not take any bags containing glass.   Unbroken glass can be added added to the recycling bin and broken glass/crockery given to us for safe disposal.

 

Our Animals

Please do not enter into the animal fields.  For a few weeks of the year there may be sheep or turkeys by the back gate and at this time you can pass through this area.  Please ensure the gate from the play area to this area is bolted and chained and the main gate to the path is bolted.

If toys etc are thrown into a field please ask one of us to collect it/them for you.

When convenient to us you may come and help feed the animals and collect any eggs up to a maximum of once per day.  We cannot guarantee that you can help us every day and we may refuse your help at our discretion.

Please do not feed any of our animals (farm animals or pets)

Please be aware that our cats and dog(s) are thieves and will steal any food left outside.

Our cats and dogs are not allowed inside the gite.

 

Care of and Cleaning of the Gite

We ask for a security deposit to be paid with your final balance. 

All deposits are returned either by bank transfer or cheque in the currency paid within one week and following a positive inspection of the gite.

For guests booking through online agencies the deposit is paid to the online agent on booking and will be returned by them according to their terms and conditions after your departure unless we ask them to retain all or part of the deposit after inspection of the gite.

Cleaning the gite is not included in the letting price. An end of let cleaning service is available, payable on arrival and in addition to the security deposit. The gite should still be left tidy; everything should be put away and the washing up done. Untidiness will be invoiced for the cost of cleaning.

We reserve the right to retain all or some of the security deposit should the gite be left excessively dirty or damaged.



Smoking

Smoking (including e-cigarettes) is not permitted in the gite or any of our buildings. Smoking is permitted in the grounds but please take care to avoid fires and dispose of all cigarette ends properly in an outdoor bin. We reserve the right to charge an extra cleaning cost we deem the gite to have been damaged by smoke fumes. This damage may include, but is not restricted to, smells and odours, stains, marks or cigarette burns to floors, walls, ceilings or furniture and fittings.

 

Personal Details and Email Contact

We will only use your personal details (email and phone number) for the purposes of organising your stay with us.  If you wish to be added onto our mailing list (Max 6 newsletters per year) please tick the appropriate box on our booking form.  For further details please refer to our privacy policy.



Dogs

We do accept well-behaved dogs under the following condition:

There is a charge per week payable in cash on arrival and we accept up to two dogs and possibly more by prior arrangement.

We cannot accept puppies under a year of age.

Dogs must not go on the furniture and must not go upstairs at any time.  We do have stair gate you can use.

Owners are asked to bring their own beds for their dogs.

Dogs are not to be left alone in the gite although there is the possibility that we may be able to dog sit for you.

Owners must clear up after their dogs and place the bagged droppings in the appropriate bin.

All dogs must be up to date with all vaccines including rabies and have been treated for fleas and worms within the correct time scale for the product used.  Being up to date with rabies vaccinations is critical for dogs returning to the UK and they will be refused entry onto the ferry/train if the vaccination is even 1 day overdue.

We have poultry and farm animals close to the gite and dogs must not chase, worry or excessively bark at our livestock.

We have 3 cats and your dogs must not chase, worry or bark at them.

We have our own dogs (2 neutered male) and often have visiting dogs.

If we find fleas in the gite after a dog has visited you will be charged for the full cost of treating the gite to remove them.

Conditions specific to long lets

Any differences relating to our terms and conditions for long lets (max 3 months) are included with the booking form sent to you.



Complaints


We make every endeavour to ensure there are no problems whilst you stay with us. However, we understand that occasionally things can go wrong.  This includes, although is not limited to, dissatisfaction with the gite (not sold as described), accidents to you or any in your party whilst at the gite or issues with things broken or not working in the gite or grounds.   If you encounter any such problems it is vital you let us know as soon as the problem occurs/is detected and allow us suitable time to rectify the problem.  Unless this procedure is followed, no subsequent claim will be entertained.  We cannot consider any complaint brought to our notice after you have left.