We'd like to remind Forumites to please avoid political debate on the Forum. This is to keep it a safe and useful space for MoneySaving discussions. Threads that are - or become - political in nature may be removed in line with the Forum’s rules. Thank you for your understanding.

Holiday Cottage Liability

My wife had a baby boy just before Christmas, so goodbye holidays to the Caribbean and Indian Ocean, and hello Cornwall.

Quite looking forward to it actually, but having never booked this sort of holiday before I had a question about liability. Specifically, in the T&Cs on the booking form is the following clause:

You agree to keep the Property and its contents in the same condition and repair as on your arrival at the Property and to pay the Owner upon written demand any costs incurred in making good any loss or damage to the Property or its contents caused by your action or omission of that of any guests or animals accompanying you.

Now, I get the basic sentiment of this clause. If you trash the place, expect to pay for it - and rightly so. However, a couple of questions did spring to mind.

1. Let's say something catastrophic happened, such as the property burning to the ground after the oven was left on. Could we be held liable for the damage which could conceivably be in the region of £1m (based on an educated guess of the property's value)?

2. The clause insists that I pay upon written demand - would this in effect waive any rights of mine to dispute any claim made by the owner?

3. Are there any travel insurance policies that might offer further protection? Most I've seen for UK holidays only really seem to cover cancellation and curtailment.

Any thoughts appreciated!

Comments

  • Bollotom
    Bollotom Posts: 957 Forumite
    500 Posts
    Ask the owner about their own insurance, gas safety certificate, third party liability and what would happen if indeed the gaff burned down because you left the oven on. Payment on demand sounds like they are chancing their arm. You'd think they'd arrange either a security deposit or damage waiver. There's a great holiday park at Hayle which is near St Ives, caravans and chalets. Might be worth a look. Lots of places in the South West. :cool:
  • Mrs_Soup
    Mrs_Soup Posts: 1,154 Forumite
    Ninth Anniversary 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    Is this booking direct with the owner or though a booking site? If through a site they often have their own insurance policy for about £20-30 per booking which tends to include damage to the property. I have only booked direct with owners once or twice and don't recall Ts and Cs quite like that.
This discussion has been closed.
Meet your Ambassadors

🚀 Getting Started

Hi new member!

Our Getting Started Guide will help you get the most out of the Forum

Categories

  • All Categories
  • 348.2K Banking & Borrowing
  • 252.1K Reduce Debt & Boost Income
  • 452.4K Spending & Discounts
  • 240.8K Work, Benefits & Business
  • 617K Mortgages, Homes & Bills
  • 175.6K Life & Family
  • 254K Travel & Transport
  • 1.5M Hobbies & Leisure
  • 16K Discuss & Feedback
  • 15.1K Coronavirus Support Boards

Is this how you want to be seen?

We see you are using a default avatar. It takes only a few seconds to pick a picture.