SALES CONDITIONS (also see FAQ about the sales conditions at the end of this page)

Our properties are let on standard terms and conditions legally applicable in France to such matters and in particular the terms stipulated below with which the tenant promises to comply. Confirmation of the booking means acceptance of the present conditions.

Booking
The tenant must be at least 18, must be authorised by all persons named on the booking confirmation to make the booking, including those added later, and must consent to our processing personal information about you and the other members of your party.
All correspondence and documents are sent to the party leader who is responsible to us for all payments on the booking, for ensuring that party members are kept informed of booking details, and for any cancellation charges.
On receipt of deposit, we will send you your booking confirmation. Accommodation is only for the use of persons named on the confirmation invoice.
A contract between you and us will come into existence when you have paid the deposit (or full payment within 4 weeks of arrival) and we have mentioned our confirmation within your online booking file. Your agreement with us is subject to the exclusive laws and jurisdiction of the Courts of France alone.

Arrival and departure
The time of arrival shall normally be in the afternoon earliest at 4.00 pm, latest at 8.00 pm. Precise time of arrival has to be mutually agreed at least the day before between the owner or his/her representative and the tenant.
The time of departure shall normally be the morning at 10.00 am latest. Precise time of departure has to be mutually agreed at least the day before between the owner and the tenant.

Cancellation policy.
In the event of cancellation by the tenant:
             - one month or more prior to the first day of the tenancy, the tenant shall forfeit the whole of the amount of deposit paid (this means that deposits are not refundable).
             - less than one month prior to the first day of the tenancy, the tenant shall pay an additional penalty of the difference between the deposit paid and the total rent payable if such cancellation had not occurred.
Rmk: We strongly recommend the subscription of a cancellation insurance.
In the event of cancellation by the landlord:
 - within seven days of cancellation the landlord shall pay the tenant a sum equivalent to the double of the amount of the deposit.

If the tenant fails to give notice of late arrival and has not arrived 2 days after the scheduled date of arrival, the landlord shall be fully entitled to attempt to re-let the accommodation while reserving the right to claim against the tenant.

The tenant is under the obligation to personally occupy the premises and to live in them “in a respectable manner” and to take due care of them.  All fixtures and fittings are in good working order and no complaint regarding them made more than 24 hours after occupying the premises will be accepted. The tenant will be responsible for repairs made necessary by negligence, misuse or poor care during the tenancy. The tenant shall be under an obligation to ensure that no disturbance to neighbours arises through the actions or presence of the tenant or members of his or her family.

The property is let fully furnished with cooking equipment, crockery, cutlery, glassware and pillows, etc. If appropriate, the owner or his or her representative shall be entitled to claim from the tenant on departure the cost of the full replacement cost of broken, cracked, chipped or damaged items, furniture and equipment and any such items showing abnormal wear and tear for the length of the tenancy, the cost of cleaning soiled blankets and covers, compensation for damage of any kind to curtains, wall-coverings, ceilings, rugs, mats, carpets, windows, bedding, etc.

The tenant promises to take out insurance against tenancy risks (fire, water damage, etc.)  The absence of insurance cover in the event of an insurable incident shall give rise to payment of damages and interest.
The landlord promises to insure the accommodation against tenancy risks on the tenant’s behalf, the latter being under an obligation to inform the landlord, within 24 hours, of any insurable incident occurring in the accommodation, its outbuildings or ancillary facilities.

No money has to be paid as a guarantee deposit but the tenant signs a credit card print to cover damages if any. The validity of that credit card print expires 1 month at the latest after the departure of the tenant.

The tenant may not object to an inspection of the premises by the owner or his or her authorized representative when requested.

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FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions about the Sales Conditions

1. Question - Why have such a long and precise Sales and Conditions page? 

1. Answer - Having the conditions on our site is mandatory by law. If you came accross sites or places without this, it only means that they are not complying with French and European rules and regulations. A lot of people offering accommodation are not always aware of the legal aspects. If a problem occurs, they will be in trouble and will put their guests into trouble. The content of our sales conditions is what is provided by the French administration and professional organizations. We did not write them ourselves. This is explained in the first paragraph. When a tourist is renting an apartment or a house, his legal status is not different from a family or anyone renting a furnished flat for any other personal reason. The main philosophy is very simple and easy to understand: the renter must take good care of what he rents.

2. Question - What is "taking good care"?

2. Answer - The answer is very simple: not being careless! Let us take some examples: breaking a glass can happen to anybody. Unless it is thrown against the wall in a moment of anger, it is an accident. During more than 3 years of activity at Le Clos de la Rose (our Bed and Breakfast near the Champagne vineyards), we had to change maybe 5 glasses. We never asked anybody for a single penny because of a glass. And we never had any other damage but a fireplace window shield broken by accident (fire was mishandled). The client's insurance paid for it.
But a renter thinking that because he is paying a rent entitles him to be unbehaved should be charged for the damages. A renter having his black shoes shining with some costly bath towel should be given the towel to take home and be charged for it. A renter not caring for removing his shoes full of mud when he comes back from a walk and crossing the house and the sleeping room carpet with them is an unbehaved person and should be charged for the extra cleaning. All this has more to do with behaving and education than with real risk.

3. Question - In the sales conditions it states "the tenant promises to take out insurance against tenancy risks" and below it states "the landlord promises to insure the accommodation against tenancy risks on the tenants behalf". Does that mean I do not have to take out the insurance?

3. Answer - It is mandatory to have a personal insurance here around. Most of the personal insurances cover the risks when travelling and renting another place for a short period of time. But since in some countries it is not mandatory to have a personal insurance, we are obliged to mention this and make sure the traveller takes this into consideration. As an owner we have an insurance for majors risks. But this does not cover the damages our guests might create. Kindly check with your personal / home insurance if unsure.

 4. Question - The sales conditions state that the credit card print taken as a security deposit will be valid for a 1 month period after departure of the traveller. I would have thought it would be cancelled when we leave, if we left the place as we found it?

4. Answer - The reason is very simple to understand: it is impossible to inspect in detail the place when people leave. Most of the problems are often discovered much later. Take our Le Colombier house in Riquewihr. It is quite large and full of antiques and a lot of sophisticated equipment. Some of them are used only from time to time. Other owners say such a problem is sometimes discovered by the following guest only and not by the house maid. Should a place remain empty for a week or 2, you see that a month delay comes to reality even if it is not always the case.

5. About our cancellation policy-As for most of online sales / bookings, deposits paid to us are not refundable. Why?

5. Answer- Everybody will understand that a hotel with 50 rooms can be quite flexible because a cancellation has a limited effect on them. Since we have only 3 apartments, we cannot take the risk of blocking them, turn down a lot of requests and end up with somebody who changes his mind when the stay gets nearer. The policy we are applying is widely applied for holiday rentals all over the world. We understand that the traveller might face some unforseen circumstances. Therefore we strongly recommend you take a cancellation insurance.
Rmk: If you pay your deposit / stay with some credit cards like a Visa Premier or Mastercard Gold, your credit card is usually offering you a free cancellation insurance. Check with your credit card company. Anyway, a cancellation insurance can be obtained from most of the banks and is rather cheap.

Should you have any other question, do not hesitate to ask.

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