Terms and conditions (Update in October 2020)
Follow the link to COVID-19 policies.
MVC Rentals Ltd, registered office at 3 Gower Street, London, United Kingdom, WC1E 6HA – Trading as Massimo Villas – (www.massimovillas.com) (‘the Company’, “we”, “as” and “our”) acts only as agent for the owners (“owners(s)”) of the properties (“property” or “properties”) and providers of the other services featured on our website(s) (owners and other service providers together and individually referred to as “service provider(s)” in these booking conditions). We do not sell or offer for sale any “packages” or act as an “organiser” within the meaning of the Package Travel Holidays and Package Tours Regulations 1992 and these regulations do not apply to any booking you make. When making a booking you enter into a contract with the owner of the property you have selected and will be subject to the terms and conditions of that owner. To the extent that the terms and conditions of any owner differ from those set out in these booking conditions, we will bring the differences to your attention. In these booking conditions, “you” and “your” means all persons named on the booking (including anyone who is added or substituted at a later date) or any of them as the context requires. By making a booking, you acknowledge that you accept the terms and conditions of the booking as set out in these booking conditions.
The holiday price
The prices shown on our website(s) are believed correct at time of going to publication on our website. We/service providers reserve the right to amend prices during the year and to correct errors in website prices when we/service providers become aware of them. Once a contract comes into existence, the price will not change. The price is payable in accordance with the booking procedures in our vouchers and on our website. Property prices will not change after confirmation. The price of other services may be subject to surcharges in accordance with the service provider’s terms. We will advise you as soon as possible if we are notified of a surcharge.
Making a booking
You can make a booking over the phone, via email or sending an enquiry through our online form. We will then send you a booking order by email which must be filled in and returned signed for acceptance. When you make your booking, you must pay a deposit, normally 30% of the booking cost, although it may be higher depending on the arrangements booked. The balance of the price of your travel arrangements must be paid at least 10 weeks before your departure date. If the deposit and/or balance is not paid in time, we shall cancel your travel arrangements. If the balance is not paid in time, we shall retain your deposit. The Travel Document, including detailed house rules of the property, directions and emergency contact details, will be dispatched to arrive with you no later than approximately 21 days prior to your departure.
Payment
To confirm your booking, you are required to pay a deposit of 30% of the total rental price. We accept payments with Visa, Mastercard and bank transfers. The price of each property includes the Refund Protect insurance which covers in case of cancellation. If you cancel for a reason that is not covered by the policy, your deposit will not be refunded. If you cancel after the balance has been paid and the reason for your cancellation is not covered by the policy, your balance payment will not be refunded. Any extra costs should be paid on arrival to the keyholder. If we do not receive all payments in full and on time, the owners reserve the right to cancel your booking in which case, cancellation charges will apply. We advise you to ensure you have an appropriate travel insurance policy.
Changes
Should you wish to make any changes to your confirmed booking, you must inform us as soon as possible in writing. We will refer your request to the owner that will do his utmost to accept these changes but there is no guarantee that the owner will be able to meet your requests. We can only apply changes to a confirmed booking if the booking dates and the property remain the same. If these requirements are not met, your booking will be treated as cancelled by you and cancellation charges will apply, based on your chosen property. Any confirmed change made within ten weeks of departure will incur a £30 admin fee and a £50 admin fee if made within seven days of departure (plus any charges imposed by the owner/service provider).
Cancellation
Should you need to cancel your booking for any reason, you must immediately inform us in writing. Your notice of cancellation will only be effective when it is received in writing by us. If the reason for your cancellation is covered by the Refund Protect policy, we will refund you the entire amount paid to date. If the reason is not covered in the policy, then it is very likely that a cancellation fee will apply and the amount will be calculated based on the date we receive your cancellation notice. We regret that neither we nor the owners can make exceptions to the cancellation policy for any reason, including personal emergences. Even if the original booking is substituted by another booking, a cancellation fee will be payable at the discretion of the owner of the property whose booking has been cancelled. Most of our owners have agreed to the following cancellation fees: cancellations made 70 days or more prior to arrival are charged at 30%. Cancellation made 69 days or less prior to arrival are charged at 100%.
If the owner of the property you wish to book has a different cancellation policy, we will bring this to your attention at the time of booking. If no alternative policy is communicated to you, the charges listed above will apply.
Additional Services
Whilst we are happy to assist clients in arranging certain additional services (payable locally), please note that we do so as your agent and do not enter into any contract with you for these services. We cannot guarantee that any such services will be provided (even when confirmed) and will not be liable for this. Your contract will be with the supplier of the service directly and will be subject to the supplier’s terms and conditions. Such services include the provision of cooking services, bicycles, boat hire and so on. If anything goes wrong, our local representatives or the property owners will intervene with the supplier to try and find a solution.
Arrival and Departure
Access to the properties is between 4 and 10pm on the first day of your rental however, this may not be guaranteed. Tenancies normally start at 4pm but sometime the cleaners may take a longer time to prepare the property so we ask guests to show understanding in allowing them to finish the cleaning before entering the property. Arrivals after 10pm are subject to a Euro 10/hour fee for apartments and Euro 15/hour fee for villas. Arrivals after 1am cannot be accepted unless agreed in advance. You are responsible to inform us of your expected arrival time so that we can pass this information to the owner. Each change to your arrival date or time must be communicated to us. In case of an unavoidable delay on the day of arrival, you must inform us immediately. If we are not informed on time, or the owner is not able to accept a late arrival, you are responsible to book and pay for your overnight stay in a hotel. No refunds will be due if you are unable to arrive on the expected day. This also applies in case of early departures. On arrival, you must present your accommodation voucher and travel documents, as well as passports or IDs to enable registration in accordance to legal requirements.
Amendments
We strongly encourage you to consider your requirements such as travel arrangements, car hire and additional items that you may need such as cots or high chairs at the time of booking your holiday. Should you wish to make an addition to your reservation after your original invoice has been sent, no administration charge will be made for up to two amendments, but we reserve the right to charge a £15 fee to cover the administration costs involved in re-invoicing for any subsequent changes. Any amendments made with 10 weeks of departure will incur a £20 admin fee, while for amendments made within 7 days of departure the admin fee is £35, plus any charges imposed by the owner/service provider for the amendments itself.
Security deposit
As a condition of your booking, we shall also ask you to lodge a Security Deposit at the point of making a booking amounting to 20% of the total holiday price (or higher if required by the villa owner or for stays of three weeks or longer). This is to protect the property owners for the cost of any damage or loss caused by wilful or accidental damage by members of the party that may occur during your stay or for any unpaid charges or fees incurred. The Security Deposit is taken as a credit card pre-authorization given at the time of booking. If the property owner does not advise us within 24 hours of any claim they have in respect of damage, loss or unpaid amounts this security deposit will be destroyed. It is essential that you reconcile any damages or extra costs incurred with villa owners or agents prior to departure from the property, as you authorise Massimo Villas to automatically debit your security deposit to the value instructed by owners or their agents for any such charges. Massimo Villas are unable to enter into negotiation on your behalf where such charges are not agreed with villa owners or agents prior to your departure from the property. We ask you to remember and respect the fact that Massimo Villas is an agent that acts on behalf of the owner and the client.
Your Safety & Protection
The safety standards and regulations are those of the country you are visiting. As a result, please be careful when in unfamiliar buildings or surroundings, and get to know the escape route from your property in case of fire. Properties may include “hazards” such as open staircases, unfenced areas, mezzanines, open drops etc, and it is imperative that your party take responsibility for their own safety. As with all rental properties in prime locations, there may be a small risk of burglary. We ask all Villa Owners to provide all Villas with suitable security measures. However, it is your responsibility to ensure the available measures are used when necessary, including when leaving the property, when spending time in the pool or rear gardens and overnight. This may include, where available, locking doors, closing and securing shutters, securing valuables in safe and setting security systems. Massimo Villas cannot accept any responsibility for any loss resulting from failure to follow these steps. Any valuables left at the property are left at your own risk. Please note that in some properties, surveillance cameras and security equipment may be installed inside and/or outside the property, which may have the capability to stream or record images and sound. If you have any concerns or issues with this, you must inform our team before your trip. Neither Massimo Villas nor the property owner or our agents can take responsibility for any loss or damage.
Insurance
We cannot emphasise enough the importance of purchasing comprehensive travel insurance prior to the date of travel. This insurance should be commensurate to the value of your booking, and cover cancellation and curtailment, all medical expenses including evacuation/repatriation, personal baggage, personal liability, death and permanent disability and travel document insurance. If you suffer from a disability or medical condition you should disclose this to insurers. Please note that the Refund Protect insurance included in the price of your rental covers your accommodation but does not cover any other expenses such as flights or transfer.
Behaviour
Signing the contract makes you responsible for the correct and decent behaviour of your party. Consideration should also be given to neighbours and other people. If in the reasonable opinion of the owner or his local representative, you or any member of your party behaves in such a way as to cause danger, upset or distress to any third party or damage the property, the owner is entitled, without prior notice, to terminate the rental period. Neither we nor the owner will have any further responsibility and no reimbursement will be made. You must ensure that the property and all household items and equipment are treated with care and returned in the same good condition as found. All damages or breakages must be reported to the owner or the local representative as soon as possible. You shall be liable for any losses, breakages or damage caused to the property or its contents. MVC Rentals Ltd reserves the right to charge you for the relative amount.
Accommodation
The properties are reserved exclusively for those people named on the booking order, and no other persons are permitted to stay there unless this has been agreed with us. No refund shall be payable in the event of a lesser number of persons occupying the property. *Important Information: As you are aware, we offer properties that are not official tourist structures, such as hotels, residences etc. but private houses. All our properties are individually owned and range from small converted townhouses to large modern villas – they do not have internationally recognised standards or categories. Standards vary enormously from basic but serviceable furnishings and equipment to the more sophisticated and comfortable. The properties reflect, in their architecture and furnishing, the local traditions and the personal taste of the owner. Items such as dishes, cutlery and bedding are always provided, but coffee makers, teakettles, toasters etc. cannot automatically be expected. This is precisely the kind of holiday that we offer; the chance to participate in the culture of the area, living in the same surroundings as the locals. To live this experience in the right spirit, you must accept and appreciate the differences of the property compared to any official tourist structure. Due to long summers, water shortages do occur. Please use water as sparingly as possible. Please do not use too many electric appliances at the same time; this can cause a cut off of the electricity supply. The owner of the property reserves the right to have free access to the property for essential maintenance purposes. No pets, parties or any event are allowed in the property unless otherwise agreed. Please bear in mind that sofa beds or extra beds are often not as comfortable as regular beds. Although every effort is made to maintain all properties in good order, it should be noted that wear and tear of properties are unavoidable. For this reason, damaged furnishings may be replaced, and occasionally hot water installations, swimming pools, toilets and utilities may need repair. It may take some time to engage a worker to obtain parts, and your patience is appreciated. Internet connection is generally suitable for browsing and email usage. Our properties are often located in rural areas, and, as such, Massimo Villas cannot be held liable for any disruption to an Internet connection or any consequential loss. All efforts will be made to rectify the internet usage, whilst recognising that outages in the local area can take time to remedy by the local Telecoms provider.
Cleaning
The property will be handed over to you clean, tidy and in good order. If you require extra cleaning during your stay you can easy agree with the keyholder and he will arrange for you. Cleaning of the cooking facilities, crockery, cutlery, kitchen corner/kitchen/kitchenette and the removal of rubbish is your responsibility and is not included in the price. If you neglect the cleaning, we are obliged to charge you an additional amount to compensate the owner for his additional costs.
Privacy and noise
Because our properties are individual, the degree of privacy and seclusion varies greatly from one to another. Many houses do have neighbours and during the course of a holiday, pool cleaners and gardeners will visit regularly. Although rural houses should enjoy relative quiet, please remember that there will always be the noise of some sort, be it from tractors, delivery lorries, ebullient locals playing their radios, or simply increased traffic on local roads in the summer months. At fiesta time music and bells will play from church towers, and fireworks are the norm in village streets. We urge clients to discuss this aspect with our staff when considering suitable properties.
Local Wildlife
Please note that the majority of our villas are located in rural areas, where wildlife such as animals and insects are as natural a part of the landscape as the grass and the trees. It would not be particularly unusual to encounter animals, such as rodents, deer, goats, cats (stray or belonging to nearby locals), or insects such as wasps, bees, flies, ants or scorpions and spiders. Insects and animals can be attracted to swimming pools, nearby streams or ponds, local vegetation or sometimes food left out following an alfresco meal. We would urge you to keep doors and windows closed as far as practicably possible and to clear all remains of food following an outdoor (or indoor) meal. Please do not purposefully feed any local animals – it will encourage them to return and they may not be so welcome to the next guests. Please note that Massimo Villas cannot be held accountable for the presence of animals or insects at the villa you choose. If you suffer allergies triggered by animals, please let us know before booking – whilst we cannot guarantee animals will not be present, we can recommend villas where the possibility is lessened (for example where we know owners have not kept animals).
Building work
Even though you are on holiday, the locals are not and on rare occasions building work might commence without any prior warning near to a property. Whilst we have no control over this, if advised, we will endeavour to intervene to halt it. Naturally, if we are made aware of any nearby building work we would always try to advise you in advance of your holiday.
Complaints and Problems
If there are any problems with the property or if you have any cause for complaint during the rental period, you must inform the owner or his local representative immediately so that there is the necessary time and opportunity to resolve the problem. If the problem is not resolved after 48 hours, you may follow up the complaint in writing to us. Until we know about a problem or complaint, we cannot begin to try to resolve it. Most problems can be dealt with quickly. If the problem has not been reported as detailed or is received at the end of the rental period, neither we nor the Owner can accept any claims or complaints. We cannot exclude the possibility that the property can result in minor inconveniences due to the special nature of its architecture, personal taste of the owner or local traditions in the area; in this case, we cannot accept any responsibility.
Responsibility
We have visited and checked each property. The descriptions appearing on our website are accurate and have been prepared in good faith. We decline all responsibility for any modifications made by the owners without our knowledge, unless it is impossible to totally or partially fulfil the contract. Please note, the information and photographs on our website are intended to give a general overall impression of the standard of the property. Some aspects of the property may have changed by the time you arrive at the property, for example, furniture items may have been removed. We cannot accept any liability if this situation should arise. Whilst every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the information, regrettably, errors do occasionally occur. If circumstances beyond our control should make the rental property unavailable, you will be advised as soon as possible. We have agreed with the owners that alternative accommodation of at least comparable standard will be offered by the owners, if available. If the price of the alternative property is less, the difference will be reimbursed. In the event that an agreement cannot be reached, both parties can retract from the contract. We will reimburse the payment received for the rent; any other reimbursements are excluded. Neither we nor the owner accepts liability for travel expenses, alternative accommodation through other agencies or other expenses that may be incurred. You are entitled to expect that the property is supplied as confirmed and the services offered to reach a reasonable standard. There is no guarantee that resort facilities will be open in the low season. Swimming pools are normally open during the main season. We cannot accept any responsibility for the breakdown of mechanical equipment or any interruption in services such as gas, water and electricity.
Liability
Neither we nor the owner accept any responsibility or liability for acts of omission of third parties which may prevent or disrupt a booking. The contract for the rental exists between you and the owner and that for any additional services with the third party supplier chosen and are limited to the rental of the property and associated services or to the additional services where relevant only. No liability can be accepted by us or the owner for any injury, illness, death, loss or damage to you or a member of your party, arising out of or in connection with the use of the rental property, swimming pool, children’s play areas or all kind of sport facilities. The use of these facilities is at your own risk. Neither we nor the owner will be liable for any damage and losses as a result of burglary.
COVID-19 Acknowledgement
Guests may not travel if they test positive for COVID-19 during the 14 days prior to departure; in this case, cancellation terms will apply as per our Refund Protect and Cancellation policy as explained above. Guests must maintain adequate physical distancing and frequently wash or sanitize hands during their journey. Masks are required in shared vehicles, indoor spaces, any outdoor spaces where physical distancing is not possible and in accordance with local regulations. Non-compliance with these measures will result in not being able to continue on the journey. Guests voluntarily assume all risks and related expenses in the event that they or any member of their travelling party require testing, quarantine or become infected with COVID-19.
Force Majeure
Except where otherwise expressly stated in these Booking Conditions, we will not be liable or pay you compensation if our contractual obligations to you are affected by “Force Majeure”. For the purposes of these Booking Conditions, Force Majeure means any event beyond our or our supplier’s control, the consequences of which could not have been avoided even if all reasonable measures had been taken. Examples include warfare and acts of terrorism (and the threat thereof), civil strife, significant risks to human health such as a pandemic, epidemic and the outbreak of serious disease at the travel destination or natural disasters such as floods, earthquakes or weather conditions which make it impossible to travel safely to the travel destination or remain at the travel destination, the act of any government or other national or local authority including port or river authorities, industrial dispute, labour strikes, lock closure, natural or nuclear disaster, fire, chemical or biological disaster, unavoidable technical problems with transport and all similar events outside our or the supplier(s) concerned control.
Data Protection
(a) In order to process your booking and to ensure that your travel arrangements run smoothly and meet your requirements, we need to use the information you provide such as your name, and address, any special needs/dietary requirements etc. We take full responsibility for ensuring that proper security measures are in place to protect your information. We must pass the information on to the relevant suppliers of your travel arrangements such as airlines, hotels, apartments, transport companies and so on. The information may also be provided to security or credit checking companies, public authorities such as customs and immigration if required by them, or as required by law. Additionally, where your holiday is outside the European Economic Area (EEA), controls on data protection in your destination may not be as strong as the legal requirements in this country. We will not, however, pass any information on to any person not responsible for part of your travel arrangements. This applies to any sensitive information that you give to us such as details of any disabilities, or dietary/religious requirements. If, however, we cannot pass this information to the relevant suppliers, whether in the EEA or not, we cannot accept your booking. In making a booking, you consent to this information being passed on to the relevant persons. Please note that where information is also held by your travel agent, this is subject to your agent’s own data protection policy. You are entitled to a copy of your information held by us. If you would like to see this please contact the Company during normal working hours.
(b) The information you are required to provide may include debit/credit card details. As set out above, we take full responsibility for ensuring that proper security measures are in place to protect this information. In accordance with applicable legal, regulatory and business requirements this information will be securely deleted as soon as it is no longer required. However, it is necessary for the Company to retain your debit/credit card details for a reasonable period of time after the conclusion of your holiday, and you consent to such retention, in the event that any costs referred to in clause 5(l) above are incurred and you fail to settle these directly with the supplier, in order that the Company can debit your card for the relevant amount. This will be reviewed on a regular basis to ensure that the information is not kept longer than is strictly necessary for the purposes set out above.
(c) Further information can be found in our Privacy Policy, which forms part of your contract with Massimo Villas. Copies are available on our website or on request.
