SEASIDE GARDEN COTTAGES, RAWSON'S KINGSCOTE + KINGSCOTE TERRACES - RESERVATION POLICY

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COMPREHENSIVE TRAVEL INSURANCE IS HIGHLY RECOMMENDED FOR YOUR VALUABLE HOLIDAY & a number of insurers now include Covid Cover. We are kind & friendly, however we're not a big hotel (where you're 'just a number') & we certainly do not cover what Travel Insurance is designed for.

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​TO SECURE YOUR BOOKING A non-refundable deposit of 50% of the total cost of your stay must be paid (or as otherwise stipulated), & this will reserve the accommodation for you -we will start carefully preparing for your stay.  A security bond, together with the non-refundable balance is to be paid 60 days before arrival, unless otherwise advised.  Bookings less than 60 days out will require full payment on booking. Payment of the booking amount will be considered as acceptance by you of these terms & conditions, & forms a binding contract.

BOND A nominal bond of $1000 each for the Villa, Cottage & Kingscote Terraces & $2000 for Rawson's Kingscote applies, or as otherwise stipulated on your quotation. The bond is designed to cover the cost of repairing damage or breakages, additional excessive cleaning fees, or other breaches of terms & conditions (including for example, having more guests than agreed/declared, smoking inside or pets etc.).It does not however represent a cap on charges for damages/breach of contract/additional costs etc., & should that exceed the bond held (including nil amount if no bond held), you authorise us to, at our option, deduct any balance from your credit card and/or require you to make immediate payment. The main person making the booking shall be responsible for such costs (not their guests). We may offer an option of holding credit card details in lieu of a bond (with a nominal small transaction), or not charge a bond, however this doesn't release liability.
 

BOOKING CONFIRMATION We advertise on multiple sites & make every reasonable effort to update availability calendars as soon as practicable, however there may at times be a theoretical potential that two bookings could be made at the same time.  As such, bookings are not confirmed until you receive formal confirmation that we have personally checked availability, that your deposit has been received & that your booking is now confirmed.

CANCELLATIONS / REFUNDS POLICY Most travel plans go smoothly, however to cover for unexpected circumstances that may prevent you travelling, staying or your enjoyment of the Island, comprehensive travel insurance (including Covid cover) is highly recommended.

If you cancel your booking prior to check in the Security Bond will be refunded in full. Deposits & payments made are not generally refundable, however cancellations more than 60 days out will be refunded less the deposit (and progress payment if applicable); less than 60 days would incur full cost. 

If you pay a deposit, but then fail to pay the balance due on time, we will endeavour to give you a courtesy reminder. If you do not make the payment required within a further 3 business days, we will treat this as a cancellation & fees will apply. Cancellations should be confirmed in writing; if you don’t promptly hear back from us please confirm that we have received your correspondence by phoning. Refunds are not normally available if one (or more) of your nominated number of guests is unable/decides not to stay at the property or decides to arrive late / depart early, or if you modify the booking once the booking & deposit has been made. We do not offer refunds or for circumstances outside of our direct control, such as (but not limited to) illness/health concerns (you must not stay if you are have any contagious illness), the weather, cancellation of events or concerts or closure of tourist attractions, missed or cancelled ferry connection or flights, government travel bans or warnings, social/ community issues, services or outages on the Island, events of nature (bushfire, storms, flooding etc) 'Acts of God', changes in personal circumstances/plans etc. (hence why good insurance recommended). 

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RESCHEDULING / CREDITS FOR CANCELLATIONS: At our sole discretion, if you cancel with sufficient notice prior to arrival and/or if we are able to then re-advertise the date, once we secure another booking for the property for the same period / tariff, we may provide you with an option to a) reschedule your stay within 24 months during our lower season (1st May-15th Sept, excluding Marathon Weekend, Australian Public & School Holiday weeks); or b) a credit to use towards 1 x future stay within 24 months (excluding Public Holiday/KI Cup/Australian summer school holiday periods, subject to availability / minimum stay durations), or c) another alternate arrangement.

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WE ARE UNABLE TO FACILITATE STAYS IF YOU HAVE ANY CONTAGIOUS DISEASE OR ILLNESS (including but not limited to Covid). Generally, we need to have 48 clear hours before entering to do a full deep clean, so advise is immediately if you have a contagious disease or illness (including gastroenteritis, Covid, communicable diseases etc.). We're serious about safety, and it's just not fair or polite for anyone to put someone else's health at risk. Please arrange Travel Insurance for you if need to leave due to illness.

 

​CHECK-IN TIME is typically 03:00 PM | CHECK OUT TIME 10:00 AM during standard season (Festive Season 4pm/9:30am), but may vary (you would be notified if non-standard times apply or early/late check in/out approved).  Please don't arrive early without prior approval & keep in mind that adhering to the check-out time is important; they are large properties and we usually need to book the housekeeper & gardener right on check out time to allow sufficient time to perfectly prepare for our next incoming guests. A fee may apply if you check out late.

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OCCUPANCY & GUEST NUMBERS Please accurately advise us of ALL guests (this includes adults, babies & kids)- staying or visiting - thank you for your honesty!  You and your booked family/friends are permitted to occupy & enjoy the properties for the duration of your booking. However, please note that any seriously damaging, disruptive or illegal behaviour may result in us requiring you to vacate the property immediately will loss of bond & no refund on remaining nights.  The number of guests on the property, including visitors, must not exceed that which is stated & booked/paid for. All persons staying at or using/visiting the property (irrespective of whether they sleep there) are considered guests for the purposes of calculating tariffs. Infants who have not yet turned 1 year of age by the check-out date stay complimentary (up to 1 infant per booking stay free). If you realise that you have forgotten to tell us about additional guests or may have made a mistake in the stated numbers at the time of booking, please simply call us to advise & check if an additional fee will apply. We need to be aware of numbers so that we can supply the correct number of linens; starter-consumables etc. & also pre-book our housekeeper/s for the appropriate duration.

 

LINEN Professionally laundered, commercial grade white linens are supplied inc. sheets, towelling, beach towels & tea towels. 

FAKE TAN: If you use fake tan & it stains white linens, a full replacement fee will be charged, so suggest bringing your own linen in this case. 
 

CLEANING Normal cleaning is provided in the tariff, please enjoy a little break from housework; however spills & soiling should be cleaned up as you go to avoid staining, damage & attracting ants or mice etc. We ask that you vacate the property as you found it by the check-out time, with the normal requirements of a holiday rental i.e. in a tidy condition, including dishes washed & put away or dishwasher running, BBQ/oven clean, rubbish in outside bins provided. It is not necessary to make beds, dust or to clean the floors or wet areas as our housekeeper & myself will change all linen & undertake normal cleaning. It’s critically important that items are not moved between the properties (especially crockery/cutlery/kitchen items) or furniture moved (I really can't move a dining table by myself!). If the property is left in an unacceptable state requiring more than reasonable cleaning (i.e. if it's 'trashed' or ‘filthy’ or offensively odoured with cooking smells, such as requiring professional steam cleaning of curtains or dry cleaning of curtains), we may charge any additional cleaning, plus laundering etc. which is not limited to the bond value. If the property is left in such a bad state that the next guests cannot stay as booked, a further fee may apply. Function level or non-standard leaning is absolutely NOT included in your tariff. 

Where a stay extends 14 days duration (max 28 days per booking), we would typically require access to undertake servicing, maintenance and linen changed, generally on a weekly basis. This would be detailed in your quotation and an individual approach is taken. The property must be neat & tidy for housekeeping (for safety & hygeine reasons), with rubbish disposed of outside, dishes washed and personal items cleared such that cleaning is possible. 
 

NO SMOKING There is strictly no smoking allowed anywhere inside the house.  If you wish to smoke outside, please bring and use your own ashtray. Any smoking related damage, litter or additional cleaning / consequential costs will be on-charged.

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PROPERTY ACCESS / MAINTENANCE There are a few locked areas/cupboards and sheds that we use for housekeeping & other items and these are not available for guest access.  Gardening usually occurs weekly and wherever practicable is done on guest turnover days. Usually once a month, the gas-supplier calls past to check the hot water gas bottle level & rodent baits are re-filled. The Villa has a housekeeping & maintenance shed at the very rear of the property that stores supplies for both properties; although unlikely, our housekeeper, gardener or linen service may require brief access via the backyard to this. Please note that long stays will require us or our contractors to have access at appropriate times for gardening & maintenance etc.
 

INTERNET / WIFI / MOBILE PHONE RECEPTION The Island/property occasionally experiences problems with mobile phone & internet connection (particularly during stormy weather). Please note that we provide good quality Wi-Fi on a complimentary basis, however we cannot guarantee continuity of service or availability. As such, no refund on the tariff applies should you experience disruption or unavailability of the service. 

CONSUMABLES A starter set of basic consumables is provided to help you settle in, such as tea/coffee, toilet paper, soap, washing powder, tissues etc.  Should you require additional items & groceries during your stay, Kingscote supermarket is nearby. Please bring your own toiletries & food. Unused consumables must not be taken (i.e. don't take home the whole box of dishwasher tablets or all the loo paper!)

DAMAGE/BREAKAGE We understand that little accidents sometimes occur to all of us, no matter how careful we are, so please don't worry!  If something is damaged or broken, please just let us know by phone or SMS as soon as possible. That way we can rectify the problem for our next guests so that they can enjoy their stay also.  We're pretty easy-going & certainly don't send you a bill for one broken glass! We do however reserve the right to deduct costs for breakage or other loss or damage from your bond &/or make a credit card deduction should costs exceed the value of the bond or if no bond is in place. Please don’t move furniture around or take indoor furniture outdoors, & vice versa. Please ensure no property items are taken home or moved into another property (such as towels, DVD’s, kitchen items, books, etc.), as we need these for guests & many such items are not readily available on the island for replacement.

PARTIES / WEDDINGS & FUNCTIONS We wish you a wonderful time with your family & friends, however these properties are residential holiday rental properties in peaceful residential areas & parties & functions for large numbers of people are not allowed unless arranged with us in advance & approved in writing.  Get-togethers & celebrations are encouraged, but certainly not wild, loud, disruptive, drunken parties or groups / functions that exceed the number of paid & approved guests stated at the time of booking.  If permission has been granted to hold your function at the property, all other terms & conditions still apply, in particular those relating to Cleaning & Damage.  We will allow for normal 'holiday rental' cleaning, but have not allowed additional for 'function level cleaning' (nor do we have the capacity to do this at short notice). This means that you must absolutely leave the property in a neat, tidy & clean condition without excessive cleaning required, including the garden left neat & tidy & all rubbish put in bins (if rubbish exceeds the bins provided, it must be removed from the property & cannot overflow). Guests must not exceed the number that have been paid for (i.e. if you have booked one property for 6 guests to stay, function guest numbers must not exceed this number even during the day; if you have booked full occupancy as a group booking for all 3 cottages, max occupants is 24 paying guests). We often have another incoming booking on your departure day & excessive cleaning requirements may mean that we cannot check them in on time.

CHILDREN Children who are appropriately supervised by responsible, caring adults are genuinely welcomed (5+yrs at Rawson’s unless by approval) & families love not having to compromise on quality! If your child is going through a destructive stage, or if you prefer to let your kids run wild, we need to be up-front in that these luxury properties are not appropriate for your holiday. Normal household risks exist, including but not limited to: stairs, vermin baits, breakable items, plants which may have thorns or be poisonous, balcony, kitchen items etc. & you accept responsibility for your children's safety.

 

PETS We absolutely love all sorts of fur-babies & feathered-friends, but please DO NOT bring your pet to our properties.  They are not generally suitable for animals & bringing pets without approval will result in full loss of the bond and/or other expense charges. We do not have ANY insurance at all for damage caused by animals, have a garden that can be easily trampled by animals, rodent baits (such as Ratsack) wood floors that may scratch & it is not fully fenced & do not have arrangements in place for extra cleaning.  If you have a genuine Guidance animal or similar, that's different of course-please just contact us to discuss arrangements, as our properties with wood floors can scratch easily. We acknowledge & support the value of these wonderful animals, however there are measures that need to be put in place in advance & all liability is with the animal owner. 

THEFT & LOSS Kangaroo Island is generally an extremely safe place, but please use ordinary care to protect yourself & your valuables, including locking doors & your vehicle, as we cannot be responsible for any loss in regards of personal safety or personal items. If our items are stolen, it will be reported to police & you will be responsible for replacements and associated costs.

 

SAFETY & LIABILITY We are very particular about providing a very safe accommodation experience for guests, however You are responsible for taking care of your (& your travelling guest's) safety whilst on the property.  Please note that (as is the case in almost all domestic properties), there are normal inherent safety risks & hazards, including but not limited to electrical items, sharp knives, stairs, thorns on roses/potentially sharp branches in the garden, some balconies, raised decking without barriers, vermin baits, uneven surfaces, appliances that may become hot (i.e. oven, toaster etc.), surfaces & floors that may become slippery when wet (bathrooms, wet areas & outdoor surfaces), garden/maintenance equipment or supplies, wildlife etc. We may ‘top up’ containers such as dishwashing liquid/pump soap/washing powder etc. with a different brand product, so if you have any allergies etc do not rely on the labelling to be precise. By agreeing to this Contract you indemnify & hold harmless (us & our associates) for any liability should injury, loss, incident or accident occur either before, during, after, directly or indirectly relating to your booking or stay. 

UNAVAILABILITY OF THE PROPERTY / MAINTENANCE & REPAIRS We have an outstanding 'track record' of providing a well presented property & have never cancelled on a guest. We are absolutely fastidious about maintenance & keeping things in good repair and will make every reasonable effort to ensure that your booked property will be available to you on the dates booked & as represented. Although highly unlikely, if not available or should we need to cancel for any reason, our liability will be limited to a full refund to you of monies paid by you to us, up to that time. In the event that we need to cancel your booking due to errors, or change of circumstances or circumstances beyond our control etc., we accept no responsibility for the cost to you of any modified travel or accommodation plans, or any other fees, charges or losses which you may incur (please arrange travel insurance for such instances).  The photos & descriptions should be considered indicative only as we improve / update or change decor & the properties & amenities on an ongoing basis.

 

Your comfort & safety is our priority & we keep the properties extremely well maintained, however as is the case with any property we cannot guarantee that every single item will always work perfectly at all times & would take a reasonable approach on a case-by-case basis to achieve a reasonable outcome should something not be quite right. Trivial items, variances or items, failures that do not affect the general purpose & overall utility of the holiday property, relatively minor inconveniences (eg such as a TV / Nintendo Switch not working, wifi not working, broken ping pong bat etc) may not constitute a right to cancel a booking or receive a refund. Should a major failure of an essential item occur (hot water system complete failure for more than 36 hours, refrigerator, or all air conditioning in periods of extreme weather > 38c), we would endeavour to repair or replace it or provide an alternative solution, promptly with minimal disruption. Reasonable access & a reasonable time-frame must be provided to do so, keeping in mind the island location (that said, we have an excellent relationship with local trades, often with less wait-time than the mainland). If not practicable for us to undertake a remedy in a reasonable period of time we would notify you & if appropriate give you the choice to depart with a refund for the balance of your stay, or another arrangement.  If you depart without notice, or do not give us a reasonable opportunity or time frame to remedy an issue, there is no automatic refund. Should a concern arise or something not be as expected, please contact us promptly to provide us with the opportunity to attend to it in a timely manner. 

 

There are certain things we can not control & do not have liability for & strongly suggest that you consider Travel Insurances- such as if you miss your connection to the Island, if you decide not to visit (such as due to personal plans changing, weather events or similar)/plans change/health concerns/illness of guests/required quarantine or isolation etc, financial matters, power, water or services/electrcal/internet outages on the Island, mobile phone / Wi-Fi reception or availability (sometimes mobile & internet reception on the Island is poor), the weather, events of nature (bushfire, storms, flooding etc.) 'Acts of God', government travel bans or warnings & airline or ferry changes/cancellations, closure of tourist attractions etc & as such we can not accept liability or offer refunds for this.

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ANY FURTHER QUERIES  If you have any queries or questions about these Terms & Conditions, please feel free to contact us on 0412 796 321 (Rachel) or 0413 564 614 (Scott) bookings@seasidegardencottages.com.au . If for some reason we miss your call, please leave a voice mail or SMS for us to call back.