Terms & Conditions
 

 

Terms and Conditions

 

Rental Period:  Check in time is after 4:00pm on arrival day and check out time is before 10:00am on departure day. Any changes to these times will be made only by permission of Mr Roger Colbourne or Mrs Sandra Colbourne after the early or late check-in/check-out fee has been paid on the booking. We will do our best to accommodate variable times but it may not be possible due to incoming guests’ arrival and the cleaning services and schedules.

Guests are required to lock the doors upon leaving the property every time they vacate it. Failure to lock doors and/or depart by 10am on your check out day will result in a deduction from the security deposit plus any additional damage charges that may be incurred due to the door remaining unlocked, and where possible please activate the alarm, if an alarm code has been supplied.

 

Smoking: Please note the property has a NO SMOKING / NO VAPING policy. Smoking is NOT allowed in the home, garage, pool deck or pool enclosure area. In the event that smoking and/or vaping has occurred during your stay, there will be an automatic charge to accommodate a deep clean.

 

Reservation Deposit:  Your deposit reserves the period of time you require; we cannot hold dates for bookings until we have received your full deposit. Your deposit is non-refundable should you later cancel this reservation or not pay the balance on time.

Balance:  The full balance together with the security deposit is to be paid 12 weeks before check in/arrival. Failure to make the full balance payment on/before the due date, will result in the booking being cancelled at loss of all monies paid to date.

**Please note: No payment reminders are being sent**

Prohibited Uses:

Occupancy: Florida State Law prohibits subletting, sharing or assigning. Therefore, only the

persons named on the Booking Form are allowed to stay in the house, any persons not shown on the Booking Form will be asked to leave. Each home contains a floor plan, which clearly states the maximum occupancy level. Please note that Florida Law puts strict limits on the number of occupants permitted to stay overnight in vacation homes. The authorities will enforce this law and they have the power to spot-check the homes at any time for infringement. In the event of higher occupancy than permitted, you will be required to vacate the property

immediately and forfeit the remaining days left on the rental agreement. In such an event, there will not be any refund of any monies paid. Loss of security deposit plus any additional unreasonable costs may occur for Large Parties, Events, and/or if Police or Security are called out to the property for any reason.

 

Children: Parents are responsible for supervising their children on the Premises, including the pool/spa, if applicable.

 

 

Travel Insurance:  Travel Insurance is vital for you and your party. Please ensure you have cover in place and that it is sufficient to cover your needs and the booking.

Taxes:  By Florida State Law, all rentals are subject to State Tax & Tourist Tax, included in the rental charge.

 

Utilities:  All rentals are inclusive of all electricity and water charges.

 

Parking Policy:  Some vacation homes do not allow cars to be parked on the streets in order to ensure proper access for emergency and waste management vehicles as well as other residents vehicles. All vehicles must be parked on the driveway where possible. Vehicles must never be parked on lawns. If there is not enough room for the vehicles on the driveway, the guest is responsible for determining alternate places to park and is fully responsible for the vehicle(s). Tow away charges, for non-complying vehicles of the parking rules is the sole responsibility of the guest. Any damages that result from failure to complying to parking rules will result in a charge to the guest, being deducted from the security deposit. At Emerald Island if parking on the road is required, please ask at the clubhouse reception which side of the road to park on as it varies from month to month.

 

Cleaning:  Each reservation includes a villa cleaning fee. Daily housekeeping is not provided, and it is the responsibility of the guest to maintain the cleanliness of the home during the stay. Although the home will be cleaned after a guest vacates the property, the guest is required to leave the home in a comparable condition in a clean, tidy and orderly state as it was found. It is our holiday home and we would like everyone to enjoy their stay and appreciate how nice it is when it is looked after by each paying guest.

 

The property will be cleaned prior to your arrival, and after you have departed. Extra cleaning during your stay, we can arrange on a prepaid additional charge, extra cleans will also include a change of bedding, linen and towels.

 

The guest is responsible for picking up and putting trash in the correct white/black bags and placing it in the designated trash can. Please DO NOT use supermarket carrier bags, fines are incurred for using incorrect bags, white/black bags to be used only.

 

**If trash pickup happens to occur during the stay, the guest is required to put the white/black trash bags out in the trash bin ready for the pickup. DO NOT put the trash bins at the curb side, please leave them at the top of the driveway to be collected.  Trash must be put in a large white/black polythene bag. Failure to put trash in the correct white/black bags will result in a charge per bag to bag up all the rubbish. Trash not put in bags will result in a trash can cleaning fee which will be deducted from your security deposit to clear all the trash**

 

Recyclable:  Currently Emerald Island Resort does not operate a recycling scheme. 

 

Security Deposit:  Rentals of 6 nights or shorter will require an additional security deposit being paid. A refundable security deposit will be required which will be added to your invoice as a separate charge, this is fully refundable subject to no damages to include but not limited to breakages /soiled linen etc., being found in the home after your occupancy. The security deposit paid does not relieve guests’ liability for damage that exceeds the amount of the security deposit received. We will do an inspection the day of your departure or as near as possible to inspect the home. We will then deduct monies from the security deposit to cover the cost of any damages found. Any uncollected amount for damages will be sent to our legal department for collection. If we make a charge for damages, we will provide an invoice and pictures where possible of the damaged items. If there is no damage or soiled linens found in the property, the security deposit will be returned within 28 days after departure in full. When you check in at the property, you will need to do a thorough walk through of the home. If there are any damages noted on arrival, you must first contact the local Management within 24 hours during business hours,(Mon-Friday 10am-4pm) and then contact the homeowner Sandra Colbourne on +44 1635 254474 and/or email to sandracolbourne@chartertravel.co.uk who shall, in her sole discretion, determine the extent of repairs necessary to correct any damage found.

Failure to follow this step will result in those damages being charged against you at the time of check out from your security deposit, any under payment will be required to be paid.

Indemnification: The lead guest on behalf of all passengers hereby agrees to indemnify and hold The Management and the homeowner harmless for injuries or other losses to guest and other persons and property that may occur in connection with guest’s use of the Premises. Guest further agrees that, The Management and the homeowner is not under any obligation to accept for safekeeping any moneys, securities, or other articles of personal property belonging to the guest, nor is The Management or the homeowner liable for any loss in connection with any such items, or for providing security for the Premises. All property information is provided by the individual property owner and is true and accurate to the best of our knowledge, however guest agrees to indemnify and hold The Management and the homeowner harmless for any property information errors and/or changes due to maintenance or owner’s removal of items from the home. We have made every effort to ensure that all information on the website is correct and accurate at time of print.

 

The guest party to undertake the following:

To take good care of the property and leave it in a clean and tidy condition at the end of the occupancy, no rubbish left in the villa, all rubbish to be left in the trash bins provided, or bagged up and left tidy in the kitchen area if the trash bin outside is full.

§  To report any damage or loss immediately to our Management and the Home Owner who shall, in its sole discretion, determine the extent of repairs necessary to correct any damage caused by the Guests. The Guest will be obligated to pay for any damages over and above the payment of the Security Deposit.

§  PLEASE DO NOT TAKE FOOD OR DRINK INTO ANY BEDROOMS or leave used plates and dishes on the floors with food on them it will encourage ants and other bugs entering into the home.

Failure to comply with any of the above will result in the deduction of costs from the damage security deposit.

We reserve the right to pursue the guest for any damage or loss in excess of the refundable damage security deposit, through the courts if necessary.

 

The Villa Occupancy:

1.      Any unauthorised occupancy by people not listed on your booking details will be subject to charges from the damage security deposit and immediate termination of the rental agreement could be affected. Contravention to this rule will render your booking void, all monies forfeited and you will be asked to leave the property without compensation. County rules for fire, security, safety and insurance purposes are strictly enforced with the number of passengers listed on all documents.

2.      Under no circumstances will animals be allowed in the property (except service dogs) with the appropriate certificate being supplied to the homeowner in advance of the booking being made and this must be agreed on your documentation prior to arrival. Any unauthorised pets brought into the villa, the guests will be asked to leave the villa immediately and there will be no refund due and an additional deep cleaning fee will be charged.

3.      Inside the Villa, garage and outside in the pool enclosure area there is a NO SMOKING / NO VAPING ZONE Anyone who smokes/vapes inside the villa, in the garage or inside the pool enclosure will be asked to leave the home immediately, no refunds will be given and an additional deep cleaning fee will be charged.

4.      All furniture and kitchen equipment in the property must NOT be moved in any way. 

5.      Electricity is NOT to be switched off during your stay, this is for security and safety reasons.

6.      BBQ/Grills: Are NOT permitted in the house, garage or pool enclosure.

 

Pool Heating:  If pool heating is requested this can be done at time of booking, or anytime up until 2 weeks prior to departure. There is an additional call out fee for heated pools/spas plus Sales & Tourist tax if not prebooked in advance of arrival and an additional call out fee plus sales and tourist tax if it is turned off before your departure. In the event pool heating is requested and paid for, the homeowner/The Management, cannot guarantee the temperature of the pool, as this will vary according to different factors, the main one being the prevailing weather conditions. Your understanding of this matter is an essential part of the pool heating reservation. Pool heating costs will only be refunded if the heater is not working at all. A minimum of 7 consecutive days is required for pool heating with an additional call out fee plus sales and tourist tax if your booking does not start and end on the day the pool heat is switched on or off. The pool heating is designed to bring the water to a swimmable temperature 86 degrees maximum, not to increase it to the temperature of a spa. Under normal weather conditions, it takes about 48 hours for the pool to heat up. Pool heating is charged by the number of days it is on and running, not by the ability to reach the guests’ desired temperature. The fee you are paying directly covers the cost of the utility usage for the homeowner towards their utility bill. Cooler nights and cooler days will bring down the temperature of the water. Please note that the Management or the homeowner cannot be held responsible for the pool heater not being able to reach a desired temperature due to external weather conditions. In these circumstances it is not possible to refund the cost of the pool heating and there will be no exceptions to this. The Management, its vendors and Homeowners cannot be held responsible for any malfunction of pool/spa/heat equipment, no compensation will be given, however the Management and the homeowner will do everything in its power to rectify any problems with malfunctioning equipment as quickly as possible. If you feel that the heater is not working properly, please consider the temperature outdoors with respect to realistically how warm you expect the water to be. With colder weather or cold rainy water, it may take longer for the pool to reach or come back to a warmer temperature, as it is going against the forces of the weather outside.

 The pool heater is set to run 8 hours per day, if the pool feels cold it is often the outside temperature rather than the pool water.

 

Note:  All pool homes have Pool Door Alarms and/or Child Safety Fences. According to Florida Law of the Residential Swimming Pool Safety Act.  Anyone tampering with or disconnecting pool alarms or equipment commits a misdemeanour of the second degree, punishable by a $5,000 fine or one year in a US jail. The Management and the homeowner will apply charges for its repair/replacement if the pool alarm, or the pool fencing is tampered with. Please do not tamper with pool alarms or equipment for security reasons.

Pool Area:  For your safety, DO NOT TAKE GLASSWARE OR CHINA OF ANY DESCRIPTION INTO THE POOL DECK AREA. Glass, when broken, is very dangerous, impossible to locate and extremely difficult to remove from the pool. The charges for draining the pool and removing such glass will be in excess of £1100.00 GBP and chargeable to the lead guest.

CHILDREN SHOULD BE UNDER ADULT SUPERVISION AT ALL TIMES IN THE POOL AND JACUZZI AREA. DIVING IS ABSOLUTELY NOT ALLOWED IN THE POOL. ADULTS SHOULD ALSO NOT SWIM ALONE IN THE POOL WITHOUT BEING ACCOMPANIED BY ANOTHER ADULT.

A list of Pool Rules is provided for your safety in the property in the villa brochure.

Air Conditioning:  If the system is set below 76 degrees, there is a risk of freezing the system. If this happens, the system will need to be thawed for several hours and an HVAC technician will need to be called out to restart the system, you will be charged for this air conditioning service which will be in excess of £450 GBP depending on the extent of the problem or damage caused if the technician has to attend the site.

 

Heating:  In winter months, the system should be left as set. Failure to keep the heat setting as set will result in an excessive electric charge per day, passed onto the guest renting the property.

 

 

Furniture/Linens & Electronics:  A basic supply of linens is provided in each property. A start-up kit of hand soap, a roll of toilet paper, per bathroom, a roll of paper towels for the kitchen will be provided on arrival. Bed linens and bath towels are not changed during your stay, unless a midweek clean is requested, there is a charge to include a change of bedding and the washing of towels if the mid-week clean is prepaid for. No items are to be removed from the villa, no matter how small, as not only does this detract from the property for the next guest, it is also theft and will be treated as such, this also includes linen and towels. Any breakages or damage must be reported to The Management or the homeowner immediately. Please remember that everything in the villa is the property of the villa homeowner and has been provided to make your stay more comfortable and enjoyable. Moving of furniture inside, outside, or in the games room of the premises is strictly forbidden. Furniture & Electronics are to be left in its original placement. Any excessive furniture movement after check in will result in a loss of the security deposit. Any electronics not returned to its original cable settings/HDMI re-installed, for the next guest, will result in a loss of the security deposit. Please do not tamper with the internet in anyway i.e., or disconnect and/ or re-boot the system, if you are unable to connect to the WIFI please report to the Management otherwise charges will apply if an engineer or technical call out is required to reset the system.

 

Pets:  Guest acknowledges that NO PETS or animals of any nature are permitted on the premises, unless pre authorisation has been agreed by the home owner for a service dog with the appropriate service dog certificate being supplied. If authorized, a non-refundable Pet Fee and a refundable Pet Fee deposit will be required per pet. If pets or animals are found to be occupying the premises without authorization, the guest will be subject to an additional deep cleaning fee and the guest will be asked to vacate the home immediately for which no refund will be given. There is an additional charge to the Pet Fee charge should a pest control company’s services be required. The only pet dog allowed will be a service dog with the appropriate certificate.

 

Neighbourhood Facilities:  Some of our properties have facilities that are controlled by the neighborhood homeowner’s association. From time to time there may be maintenance or repairs that are needed on some facilities on the resort. This could cause the closure of some of the facilities on occasions for short periods of time.  Some examples are but not limited to are as follows; community swimming pools, clubhouse, tiki bar, pool heaters, and community Jacuzzi’s. If there is a closure of these facilities during your stay, then Villas in Emerald will not be held liable or be responsible for customer refunds or compensation.
Pests:  Florida is notorious for bugs which reside there. Our homes are sprayed regularly, however, if food is left out on the counter or plates of food or soiled clothes are left on the floor, it will attract the bugs into the home. If you do experience problems with this, please contact the Management immediately.

 

Cancellation Charges:  The cancellation will become effective from the date we receive your correspondence.

Cancellation of your booking must be made initially by telephone and then in writing or by e-mail to the homeowner sandracolbourne@chartertravel.co.uk

It is the responsibility of the guest to retain proof of any such cancellation.

 

The following charges and conditions will apply:

·          Loss of deposit paid for cancellations more than 90 days before departure

·          A cancellation of a booking inside 12 weeks of departure = 100% loss of all monies paid

If through circumstances beyond our control, it is necessary for us to cancel a booking, which would be unusual, we will refund any monies paid, without interest or further compensation. This will be the full extent of our liability to you in such circumstances, and we will not be responsible for any other costs connected with any such cancellation, howsoever arising.

Cancellations for reasons beyond your control will be covered by your travel insurance. Any recovery of your losses should be taken up with your travel insurance company, we will provide the necessary cancellation invoice for insurance purposes.

Amendment:  Alterations, such as changing the dates of stay to Confirmed Bookings, can be requested and will be accepted or denied at our discretion, an administration fee will be charged, if accepted. Change requests need to be submitted in writing by post or by e-mail to sandracolbourne@chartertravel.co.uk

 

Zero Tolerance Policy:  Guest will be immediately asked to vacate the property if the following rules are broken:

A. Maximum Occupancy. Please make sure you do not have more guests at the property than the property accommodates or is as listed on your documentation. At no time can there be more guests at the home than the maximum occupancy. This includes friends and family visiting.

B. Unless paperwork with the required certificate is provided for a service dog before arrival, we have a zero tolerance-pet policy and the dog and guest will not be accommodated. 

C. We have a non-smoking / non-vaping policy throughout the home, garage and pool enclosure.

D. Careless action and known damage that has occurred during the stay MUST be reported immediately the damage has been spotted. We will pursue legal action for damages that occur in the home that is larger than the security deposit taken.

E. Underage Drinking or use of illegal substances is not acceptable will not be tolerated

F. Please bear in mind that the property is situated in a community, which consists of both

residential and short-term vacation homes, we therefore request that out of respect for your neighbours that no excessive noise is made between the hours of 9pm & 8am daily.

Noise Disturbances that affect guests in other homes around the house you are staying in is not acceptable.

G. The lead guest on the reservation must be staying in the home for the entire duration of the rental period.

Liability:  The homeowner or The Management do not accept any liability whatsoever for lost property, theft, death, personal injury, accidents, loss or damage to persons or personal effects, however caused, arising from the use of the home including the pool and spa. It is the responsibility of an adult member of the party to ensure that children are always properly supervised when in the pool, spa and surrounding area. Neither the Homeowner, nor The Management can be held responsible for any ongoing construction, alterations to existing houses or any noise as a result thereof on or around the community. This waiver also applies to any person visiting the property as guests of the guest. The Owners do not accept any liability for injury, damage or loss caused, or for any claim made by a third party as a result of actions by the guest(s) and other persons occupying the property during the period of the rental.

The Owners do not accept any responsibility or liability for any equipment failure and / or services in the home regardless of how it may have occurred. However, in the event of a problem, the client should inform our local management who will endeavour to do everything possible to rectify the problem as soon as possible.

The Owners do not accept any responsibility for guest's property while they are in the villa; we also do not accept responsibility for lost or misplaced personal property which guests may have left in the home.

The Owners, our servants and agents will not be liable for any loss or delay due to the following and no refund will be made in the event of: Strikes, industrial disputes, fire, flood, technical aircraft problems or adverse weather conditions, transport, closure of airports, political unrest, war, the threat of war, terrorist activity, pandemic, epidemic or any other event beyond the Owners' control.

There will be an additional charge each time if non-emergency calls are made after hours for any call out not deemed to be an absolute emergency.

Some emergency calls would include:

1. Fire

2. No power or water

3. Locked out of the home, if the key code is not working

4. Cannot locate the home

5. Any item that may cause damage to the home or to the guest.

 

Complaints Or Dissatisfaction:  In the unlikely event of a complaint during your stay, please contact The Management and the homeowner on +44 1635 254474 or sandracolbourne@chartertravel.co.uk

 

 

Force Majeure:  No liability can be accepted, or refunds given for events, which are ‘force majeure’. These include, but are not limited to war, threat of war, riots, civil commotion, terrorist activities, industrial disputes, technical difficulties with transportation, natural or nuclear disaster, fire, adverse weather conditions, pandemic, epidemic or other events outside our control.  Facilities and other features of our brochure, advert or website may not always be available. We will endeavour to communicate any shortfall to the guest as soon as we are aware of the event. Should you require any further information, in relation to these Terms and Conditions, then please email sandracolbourne@chartertravel.co.uk

 

Terms and conditions are subject to change without notice.