It is advisable to read these “small print” carefully. Both you and Villa Expert will find our rights and obligations in this. By making your reservation at Villa Expert, you confirm that you agree to the conditions printed below.
Table of Contents
1. Rent
The rental of Villa Expert accommodation is made on behalf of the owner (or his agent) of the accommodation, at the price valid for the relevant period, as indicated in the price list on our website. The prices of the accommodation are expressed in Euros and form an integral part of the booking conditions. These rental prices are divided by season and date as indicated in the price list and are valid per week (apart from different information in the description of the accommodation). The minimum rental period is one week, from Saturday to Saturday, unless otherwise stated or on request.
2. Bookings
To make a booking, you must use the booking form on our website, which you can find by clicking on ‘Book now’ in the calendar, after the first week of your stay.
A deposit of 30% of the total rent, plus a 20 Euro booking fee, must be paid at the time of booking and is required to confirm your reservation. The remaining amount must be paid no later than 8 weeks before the start of the rental period. If this payment is not made on time, Villa Expert reserves the right to cancel your booking and keep the deposit. You will receive a confirmation of each payment. If a booking is cancelled within 8 weeks before the start of the rental period, you still have to pay the full amount of the invoice. Special requests (extra bed, cot, pet, etc.) are only valid when confirmed by Villa Expert.
3. Rental voucher - number of beds
Upon payment of the full amount, you will receive a voucher from Villa Expert, together with the address of your accommodation and a description of the route. On arrival, you must present the voucher to the owner of the accommodation or his representative. No other document is valid for this. The voucher is valid for the persons mentioned on it and cannot be exchanged. The owner or his representative may refuse you access if the number of persons (adults and children over 2 years of age) exceeds the capacity indicated in the description. The only exception is for children under 2 years of age, for whom the client brings his own cot and bedding. Unless otherwise agreed in advance with Villa Expert, only those who have been notified in advance may stay in the accommodation. Any substitution of persons entitles the owner or his representative to remove the entire party. In this case, the entire rent will be charged to Villa Expert, with no right to refund or compensation.
4. Payments - additional costs
Payments must be made in Euros by bank transfer (IBAN), free of charge for the recipient. The bank transfer must indicate: the name of the main booker and the invoice number. Payments in other currencies are not valid. The rental price and all additional costs that may apply to the accommodation, such as: cleaning, heating, water consumption, electricity or any other, are indicated on the website. All additional expenses, as well as expenses such as telephone usage, help in the house or any other, must be paid directly to the owner before departure from the accommodation.
5. Arrival and departure
With the exceptions indicated in the description of the accommodation, arrival and departure times are as follows: Arrivals must take place on Saturday, between 5.00 pm and 8.00 pm. Departure must take place on Saturday between 8.00 a.m. and 10.00 a.m., after the keys have been handed over and the property has been checked by the owner or his representative.
Any changes to the arrival date or time must be communicated and approved by Villa Expert or, in case of unforeseen delay, directly to the owner/manager of the accommodation, using the relevant telephone number on the voucher.
In case the owner or his representative cannot be contacted, the delay is not communicated in time or the owner cannot handle a later arrival, all additional costs will be borne by the tenant. A landlord who is forced to make an unforeseen extra trip is entitled to charge the landlord for this. On arrival at the accommodation, the tenant must hand over the voucher, plus the passport or ID card of all those present. If necessary, the details of this will be accepted by Italian law.
6. Deposit - Cleaning and grooming - Pets
Upon arrival, the guest must pay the mandatory deposit to the owner or his representative. The deposit must be paid in cash in Euros. The security deposit will be returned to the guest at the end of their stay, minus any incidental expenses or any loss or damage to the accommodation. The owner or his representative reserves the right to refuse entry if the deposit is not paid. If the guest decides to leave earlier, the owner reserves the right to retain the deposit until he has been able to check the accommodation and its inventory, within the period specified in paragraph 5, after which he will return the deposit within one month after departure. The deposit shall be refunded after any deduction of costs for e.g. final cleaning or damage caused by the guest.
The accommodation shall be handed over clean and tidy. On departure, the guest must pay the owner or his representative the costs for final cleaning as stated in the accommodation description. This does not include kitchen cleaning and rubbish disposal, which is the guest’s responsibility. If this has not happened, the owner is entitled to charge an amount in addition to the final cleaning costs. For short stays (hotels and bed & breakfasts), the cleaning costs are included in the rental price. The use of central heating, even if included in the rental price, is controlled by local authorities and varies from region to region. Apart from the new rules, in Tuscany you can only use central heating between the beginning of November and the end of April (8 hours per day). In Italy, energy costs are currently quite high.
Pets, cats and dogs are only allowed if stated in the description of the accommodation or if agreed separately.
The guest must already inform Villa Expert at the time of booking about bringing a pet, including the number and breed in the case of dogs. The guest must ensure that their pet does not cause any damage or dirt in the accommodation. In some cases, an owner may request a pet fee, if indicated in the accommodation description, to be paid locally.
7. Rules of conduct
Guests renting accommodation at Villa Expert must respect the accommodation and the traditions of the place. If a guest or someone in his group does not behave in a civilised and orderly manner, the owner or his representative has the right to request the group to leave the accommodation immediately and before the end of the rental period and also to pay any damages to be deducted from the deposit, apart from the costs of the final cleaning. In this case, any right of the guest to any refund of the rent lapses.
8. Exterior maintenance - Swimming pool
El propietario o su representante se reserva el derecho de entrar en el alojamiento para el mantenimiento del jardín, piscina, pista de tenis, etc., aunque se trate de una vivienda unifamiliar. Salvo las excepciones indicadas en la descripción de la propiedad, las piscinas están abiertas entre el 15 de mayo y el 30 de septiembre.
9. Complaints - Accountability
The description on the website has been prepared carefully and in good faith. Villa Expert declines any responsibility for changes made by the owner without informing us or for editorial errors. Above all, if a guest sees a reason for complaint, he should inform the owner or his local representative on the day of arrival. If this does not produce the desired result, Villa Expert must be informed on the same day, at the latest by 20:00 or by 12:00 on the next working day, confirmed in writing within 24 hours after arrival. Telephone: +31 (0)6 26044331 or e-mail: info@villaexpert.nl
The guest shall give the owner or his representative and Villa Expert the necessary time to verify the complaint and possible liability, on the spot and in the presence of the guest and the owner or his representative, and to solve the problem. Without following the above procedure and without the permission of Villa Expert, guests who leave the rented accommodation before the agreed departure date lose any right to a refund of rent or compensation in any form. No claims can be processed and no compensation will be paid, unless the above procedure has been followed within the time limits stated above.
The following incidents are not grounds for claims: weather conditions or other natural phenomena, presence or bites or stings of insects or animals typical of the environment, power or water supply cut-off if caused by the supplier or acts of God. The accommodations offered by Villa Expert are characteristic accommodations, without recognisable international standards, and show the personal taste of the owner and local traditions, especially in style, design and furnishings. Any possible disadvantages resulting from the above cannot be accepted as grounds for complaint. If Villa Expert is forced to cancel a booking due to force majeure or for any other reason within its control, Villa Expert will offer the guest other accommodation of the same characteristics if available. Where this accommodation is cheaper, the guest will be compensated for the difference. Under no circumstances is the guest entitled to any other compensation or damages of any kind.
10. Cancellations
Cancellation of a booking by the guest, for any reason whatsoever, must be notified in writing to Villa Expert and will result in the following cancellation charges:
- 15% of the total rental cost, if the cancellation is made more than 60 days prior to the start of the rental period.
- 25% if cancellation is made between 59 and 45 days before the start of the rental period, 50% if cancellation is made between 44 and 30 days before the start of the rental period, 90% if cancellation is made between 29 days and the day before the start of the rental period.
- 100% if cancellation is made on the day of arrival or in case of non-arrival in general.
- In case of a change of the original booking by the customer, provided that the accommodation and the rental period remain the same, the customer shall pay a change fee of 25 EUR.
If Villa Expert is forced to cancel the booking due to changes by the customer to the rented accommodation or the rental period, the above cancellation costs will be charged. If we are still able to rent the house.
