Terms & Conditions

Please ensure you read and fully understand these booking terms and conditions. If anything is unclear, please contact us, so we can explain in further detail to avoid any misunderstandings.

Where Terms and conditions differ for Starcombe Barn, these have been added in bold. Otherwise, they apply for both properties.

Bookings are subject to the following terms and conditions:

A contract between you and the owner will come into existence when payment is received and a booking confirmation is issued showing the confirmed holiday dates. The contract binds you & all the members of your party. It is your responsibility to ensure that all members of your party accept the terms of the contract set out in these terms & conditions of booking. Failure to disclose all relevant information or comply with these terms may lead to termination of the contract & loss of the booking.
A non-refundable 25% deposit of the holiday cost is payable at the time of booking. Bookings made less than eight weeks before your arrival date must be paid in full, plus the £100 refundable damage deposit. Starcombe Barn: full payment at time of booking.
The balance must be paid no later than eight weeks before the commencement of your holiday. If the balance is not received by the due date, we will send a reminder and then your holiday will be treated as a cancellation and the client will remain liable to pay the balance of the rent.(N/A Starcombe Barn)
All cancellations must be notified in writing. If you cancel your holiday more than 8 weeks before it is due to start, then your deposit will be forfeit. If you cancel less than 8 weeks before the holiday, then the full balance remains due and is not refundable. (Starcombe Barn: Full refund for cancellations up to 30 days before check-in. If booked fewer than 30 days before check-in, full refund for cancellations made within 48 hours of booking and at least 14 days before check-in. After that, 50% refund up to 7 days before check-in. No refund after that.)
We strongly advise that you take out comprehensive travel insurance to cover cancellations. If you choose not to, then you accept responsibility for any loss that you may incur due to your cancellation.
Your booking will not be cancelled by the owner except in exceptional circumstances beyond our control. Notification will be given of the cancellation as soon as possible and we will promptly refund all payments made for your holiday. Our liability for cancellation will be limited to payments made to us.
No parties or events – the maximum number of persons using the accommodation at any time must not exceed 4 persons (or 5 by prior agreement) and only those listed on the booking form can occupy the property.(Starcombe Barn: 2 persons) We reserve the right to terminate the booking without notice and without refund in case of a breach of this condition.
If there are less than 4 people staying at the property and you wish to accommodate additional guests, this will need to be by prior agreement . The maximum of 5 people occupying the property still applies.
Bookings cannot be accepted from persons under eighteen years of age.
The owner reserves the right to refuse a booking without giving any reason.
We reserve the right to enter the property at any time to undertake essential maintenance or for inspection purposes.
Tenancies normally commence at 4pm on Friday unless otherwise agreed and guests are required to vacate the rental by 10am on the day of departure. This allows the accommodation to be thoroughly cleaned and prepared for incoming guests.
Vaping or smoking anywhere inside the premises will result in immediate termination of occupancy and forfeiture of all payments. This must be strictly adhered to and any damage or extra cleaning caused by pets or smoking will be at the expense of you.

Dogs:
-Only 2 dogs are allowed at one time (1 dog for Starcombe Barn)
-Dogs are not allowed onto the furniture, especially sofas and beds-Dogs are not allowed in bathrooms or bedrooms and stairgates are available to limit their access to the kitchen and sitting room.

-Guests are responsible for cleaning up after their pets, both inside and outside. Poo bags and a designated bin will be provided for disposal of dog poo.

Damage deposit – In making a booking you accept responsibility for any theft, breakage or damage caused by you, pets or any member of your party and agree to indemnify us in full for any loss that we may incur as a result. A security deposit of £100 is required and will be returned within 7 days of the end of your holiday, less the cost of damage/breakages. (N/A Starcombe Barn)
Damages and breakages – please treat the facilities & accommodation with due care so that other guests may continue to enjoy them. If you notice something is missing or damaged in your accommodation, please let us know immediately so that we can take the appropriate action. If there has been any damage or breakages during your stay, we would be grateful if you could report them promptly, so that we can replace or repair items before check-out. The accommodation will be inspected at the end of the holiday & you may be charged for any loss or damage.
Please do not move any furniture from one room to another or from inside to outside.
Please remove shoes before entering the property. A tray is provided for boots and shoes at the entrance, and there are coat hooks for hanging coats (especially if wet).(N/A Starcombe Barn)
Please lock the doors and close the windows when you leave the property unoccupied.
Please make sure you switch off lights, heating, or any electrical appliances when you go out – we’re an eco-friendly holiday home.
Please don’t take any bath towels with you to the beach. Please bring your own beach towels.
The owner reserves the right to make a charge to cover additional cleaning costs if the client leaves the property in an unacceptable condition.
Please note that if any keys issued are not returned at the end of your stay, then the cost of replacement will be charged to you.
The client may in no circumstance re-let or sublet the property, even free of charge.
The owner shall not be liable for any temporary defect or malfunction of any equipment, machinery or appliance in the building or grounds.
No compensation will be given for any temporary outage of electricity, water, internet connection or television service. Internet provision is of a rural nature and whilst we are seeking to improve it, it is not currently superfast and there is no cable provision to the property.
The owners are not responsible for the loss of any personal belongings or valuables of the guest.
All inventory must remain in the property and not be taken to another property.
Guests are responsible for the safety and security of their children at all times. Never leave children without adult supervision. As the site is located on a hillside, there are ruts and ditches, which are not always obvious at first sight.
Please park your vehicles in the designated parking space, ensuring cars do not block access to other properties or entrances. Parking is limited to 2 vehicles. (Starcombe Barn: 1 vehicle)
Please respect the community and try to keep noise levels to a minimum, especially between 11 pm and 8 am. Although there are no obvious neighbours, the property is situated in a coombe and sound carries very effectively, as in an amphitheatre!
We reserve the right to terminate a holiday without compensation where the unreasonable behaviour of the persons named on the booking (or their guests) may impair the enjoyment, comfort or health of others.
Barbecues and Fireworks - are not permitted due to the proximity of the thatched farmhouse where the owners live.
Lighted candles are not allowed inside the house.
Check-out – Please vacate the property by 10 am on the day of departure to enable thorough cleaning before the arrival of the next occupants. Please empty bins according to the re-cycling information provided. Please ensure that all crockery and cutlery used has been cleaned and returned to the appropriate cupboards. It is also very helpful if beds are stripped and linen left on the ends of beds. Thank you.
Any problem or complaint which the client may have concerning their holiday must be immediately reported directly to us and we will endeavour to put matters right. Any complaints not reported to us at the time and only reported after the client has returned from holiday will not be considered by the proprietor.
We reserve the right to make reasonable amendments or additions to these terms and conditions without notice.
This property is privately owned and is our home. We expect all guests to enjoy the facilities and treat the property with the same respect that they would with their own house.
Please note that access to the property is accessed via a bridle path and track which are owned by our neighbours and their rights should be respected at all times.

Thank you very much for reading these terms and conditions. They are intended to make your stay as comfortable as possible and ensure the safety and well-being of yourselves and future guests. We hope you enjoy your stay with us.

Privacy Statement

This statement explains how we hold, share and process the information you share with us when making an enquiry or booking a holiday at Starcombe Cabin.

Who are we? - We are Paul and Jill Medcalf and we run the self-catering holiday home.

Our address is: Starcombe Farm, Sidbury, Sidmouth, Devon. EX10 0QN. Email: starcombecabin@gmail.com
Any questions regarding our privacy statement, or a request for your personal information, should be addressed to Jill Medcalf and sent to the above email address or posted to the above address. You may also contact Jill Medcalf on 01395 597314.

Why do we need your data? - We need to know your personal data to reply to your enquiry & to process and manage your booking and stay. We also need it to let you know about any changes to our services before your stay. We only collect personal data from you that we need in order to provide you with this service. If you agree to it via the pop-up Cookies Acknowledgement button, we use Cookies to collect statistics about how you use our site eg which webpages you visited and for how long. None of the Cookies set by the Web Site jeopardise your privacy in any way and no personal data is collected.

What types of data do we collect? - To respond to your initial enquiry: name, email, and telephone number.
To process your booking: amount and names of all guest members, address of lead booker, email, telephone number, special requirements, such as those relating to disabilities or medical conditions which may affect any guest’s holiday arrangements at our properties. Details of your dogs’ ages & breeds.
Bank details if we hold a damage deposit to be returned by bank transfer. We do not retain this information once we have returned your deposit.

Who do we share your information with? - We do not share your information with anyone other than as required by UK tax law as set out below.

How long do we keep your data for? - All details that you give to us at any time will be kept for the period of your booking and holiday & for a week afterwards to enable us to deal with your refundable damages deposit & any queries following your stay.
Under UK tax law we’re required to keep basic information on the lead booker, such as your name, address and contact details for a maximum of 7 years after which it will be destroyed. We hold your information securely and do not share this information with any third parties other than as set out in this statement.

How do I find out more about information rights? - Please contact us, Jill or Paul Medcalf, using the email, address or telephone number provided in this statement. If you need to raise a complaint on how we have handled your data, you can contact us to have the matter investigated. If you’re not satisfied with our response or believe we are not processing your data in accordance with the law, you can make a complaint through The Information Commissioners website which also contains further useful information and advice. www.ico.org.uk.