Rental Terms and Conditions

GENERAL CONDITION 

These Terms and Conditions clarify The Owner’s obligations to The Guest, The Guest’s obligations to The Owner, and in the very unlikely event of any disputes, will be used as the basis for any resolution. Please read them carefully before confirming your booking.

Acceptance of these Terms & Conditions binds a contract between the following two parties: The Rental Applicant (The Guest) and The Property Owner (The Owner)

Ontario Retreats, acts as an agent (The Agent) for the property owner (The Owner).

1. PARTY MEMBERS

All persons listed on the Rental Agreement or added and approved subsequently by The Agent will be bound by these Terms and Conditions. Occupancy of the property is restricted to those names listed on the Agreement or added subsequently by The Agent. The Rental Applicant is considered to be the Lead Guest and will assume full responsibility for all members of the Rental Group throughout the rental period. Information or instructions relating to this rental will be communicated to the Lead Guest only and not to any third-party member of the Rental Group. It is the responsibility of the Lead Guest to ensure that members of their rental group are aware of and abide by all the terms and conditions contained herein.

2. PAYMENT

2.1 Reservations shall be confirmed in writing by the Agency on payment of a deposit by credit card or email money transfer.

2.2 Receipt of any deposit prior to the Agency’s written confirmation of the reservation shall not constitute acceptance of any booking.

2.3 The balance shall be payable 7 days prior to the commencement of the vacation by email money transfer.

2.4 All payments shall be made to the Agency by credit card or email money transfer. (Visa or Mastercard only)

2.5 Once a reservation is received and accepted by The Agent, The Guest is liable for payment of the balance of the rental fee, plus any additional charges, 7 days before occupation of the property. Non-payment by the due date will be treated as a cancellation and the deposit will be forfeited or a late-payment fee applied.

3. CANCELLATION POLICY & CHANGING A BOOKING

3.1 Once a reservation has been accepted and confirmed, a cancellation can only be made in accordance with the terms below:

• If the period of rental can be re-booked, a refund for the period re-rented, less a cancellation fee of $150 (plus HST) will be issued.
• If any part of the rental period cannot be re-booked, the Renter will forfeit all monies paid for that period.

3.2 Once a reservation has been accepted by The Agent the reservation can only be changed to another date by treating the original reservation as a cancellation. The Terms in Clause 2.1 apply.

4. SECURITY DEPOSIT

An Interac email transfer in the amount of $500 as security deposit. The funds will be refunded within 7-10 business days after the renter’s departure unless there is a claim by the owner. 

5. OWNER’S FAILURE 

Should the owner fail to make the cottage available to the guest as contracted, a full repayment will be made to the renter, of the amount of rent the guest has already paid. In such cases the renter may not exercise any right to obtain pecuniary damages and the repayment will be in full settlement of all sums due. 

6. EARLY DEPARTURE 

Any early departure on behalf of the guest during their stay for any reason whatsoever will not give rise to any repayment from the owner. 

7. SERVICE FAILURE 

A power cut is not an unusual occurrence in the country. The owner has no control over such events and is not responsible for any inconvenience or loss of enjoyment of the property by the renter. Furthermore the owner will not be obligated to reduce the rental fee or compensate the renter in any way. 

8. REPAIRS & MAINTENANCE 

Repair and replacement will take place as soon as it is reasonably possible. The owner will not be responsible nor liable to the renter for any temporary defect or stoppages in supply of public services to the property or for any other loss, damage or injury from adverse weather conditions or for any losses due to, riot , war, strikes or other acts of god or other circumstances beyond the control of the owner. 

9. DAMAGE OR LOSS 

The guest agrees to be responsible for any and all damages or loss to the owners property howsoever caused, be same innocent, negligent or wilful and whether caused by the Guest(s), any one of them or any person on the Rented Premises. The guest(s) further agrees to notify the Agent immediately upon the guest(s) becoming aware of any damage. The cost of repairing any damage or replacing any missing or damaged items and the amount of any outstanding bills will initially be deducted from the renter’s security deposit. The guest shall be responsible for any deficiency between the security deposit and the actual amount required to repair the damage.

10. OCCUPANCY

10.1 The number of guests occupying the Property is strictly limited to those named on the Rental Agreement. The stated and agreed occupancy figure includes all persons irrespective of age.

10.2 Cottage occupancy limits apply to day or overnight guests.

10.3 Exceeding the number of stated and agreed persons, regardless of the stated occupancy limit, may result in immediate eviction without refund, or a charge of up to $250 per guest per night charge at the discretion of the Owner.

11. ELECTRICITY CHARGES 

The electricity required to reasonably heat, cool and light the cottage and for reasonable cooking during the rental period is included in the rental amount. Any gross or careless overuse of electricity by the renter will be charged to and paid by the renter. 

12. USE AND CARE 

The Guest undertakes to use the furniture and objects forming part of the cottage for their intended purpose only and to keep them in the part of the cottage where they are situated and not to relocate them or remove them from the cottage. The furniture and other objects in the cottage must only undergo the wear and tear due to the normal use for which they are intended. Any furniture or objects, at the expiry of the rental agreement, that are missing or damages other than normal wear and tear, shall be paid for or replaced by the renter with the owner’s agreement. Such provision also applies to damage beyond wear and tear to wallpaper, curtains and to the property generally including: the value of missing, broken or cracked objects the price of washing or cleaning carpets, blankets, mattresses, bed linen etc. which are stained or dirty beyond normal wear and tear. 

13. CLEANING 

The Guests are expected to leave the cottage in the same condition that it was in, upon their arrival, and are responsible for the cleaning of the cottage before they leave. A basic cleaning fee has already been paid by the renter, however an additional cleaning fee of $200 will be charged if the property is not left in the condition it was found. Cleaning supplies are provided. 

14. NO SUB-LETTING 

The guest may not, under any circumstances, sub-let or transfer their rights from the present agreement without the owner’s express agreement: The renter shall use the rented premises for vacation residential purposes only. 

15. URGENT WORK

The guest shall allow any urgent or important work to be performed to the cottage which may be required to maintain the cottage in good condition, without being entitled to claim any compensation.

16. SMOKING

Smoking of either tobacco or cannabis is not permitted in any cottage. Individual properties may have additional restrictions and instructions with regard to smoking within the boundaries of the property. These will be indicated in the Guest Guide. Any smoking that takes place in a property will result in a charge of up to $500, plus additional cleaning fees.

17. BLOCKAGES

The Guest shall not place in the washbasins, baths, toilets, sinks, wash tubs etc any objects likely to block the pipes or septic, otherwise they will bear the costs for putting such apparatus back into service. This includes, but is not limited to hair, sanitary napkins, paper towels, and an excessive amount of toilet paper. 

18. KEYS 

If the Guest loses the cottage keys or leaves the property at the end of their stay without returning the keys to the property to the Owner the Guest will be liable to pay the costs of changing the locks with emergency service. 

19. FIREWORKS

Use of fireworks is not permitted within the boundaries of any cottage property. Failure to comply with this may result in eviction without refund and additional fees of up to $500, plus any additional damage of bylaw fines.

20. FIRE BANS AND RESTRICTIONS

The Guest agrees to comply with local fire restrictions that are posted in the vicinity and not to light any campfire during fire bans.

21. PETS

21.1 Unless indicated in the property listing, pets are not accepted at a property. Even where pets are accepted, number or type/breed restrictions may apply.

21.2 Where a pet is permitted, all evidence of pet occupation must be removed from the Property and grounds at the end of the rental period or an additional cleaning fee may be applied.

21.3 Pets are not permitted on any item of furniture, including beds, and evidence of pet hair on furniture and bedding may incur additional cleaning charges.

21.4 Bringing a pet into a property that is not permitted or included in your registration information may result in an additional charge of up to $500, plus additional clean up fees.

21.5 Pets may not be left in a cottage or unattended on the property at any time. Pets must be on a leash or tether while at the cottage and must remain within the property boundaries. Repeated wandering and/or excessive barking may result in neighbouring properties notifying local bylaw officers.

22. NEIGHBOURS

It is important to respect our neighbours’ privacy and quiet enjoyment of their properties. Sound travels easily across the water. Please avoid any loud screaming, yelling, crying and loud music. 

23. UNINVITED PETS:

In the country, cottages are often visited by mice, squirrels, etc, and insects that fly such as black flies, mosquitoes and crawling insects such as wood roaches and spiders. These creatures are a part of nature. Much care and effort has been taken to prevent these visitors from entering the Cottage. Often mother nature circumvents all man-made obstacles. Therefore the Owner does not accept such irritations as grounds for cancellation of a rental and/or a refund of monies.

24. PRIVACY POLICY 

All information collected by the owner is for essential contractual payment and screening purposes. And will only be collected, used and disclosed as required for those purposes. You may be notified in the future only in relation to the cottage. 

25. SAFETY 

The Guest agrees to take reasonable precautions in our use of the Property and the Cottage. The Guest agrees that they are responsible for their own safety and that of their family and friends. The Guest acknowledges and agrees that the use of the lake is not supervised by any lifeguards or other such person and therefore any use of the lake or area is at their own risk. The Guest acknowledges that they are responsible for ensuring all water-sport regulations are observed, for having required safety equipment when required, and for complying with operator competency and licensing requirements. The Guest shall not permit anyone to swim, nor to operate any watercraft while they are impaired by alcohol or drugs. 

26. NO LIABILITY/INDEMNIFICATION/HOLD HARMLESS

By signing this document, you understand and freely agree that you are responsible to inform your rental group that the Owner and Agent accept no responsibility for any personal injury, damage/loss that occurs and will hold the owners harmless for any liabilities, theft, damage, cost or expense whatsoever arising from or related to Guests’ use and occupancy of the rental property, including but not limited to claims for personal injury or property damage/loss. The guest(s) further agrees that their use of the Rental Premises is at their sole risk. IT IS THEREFORE IMPERATIVE THAT EACH GUEST CARRY ADEQUATE PERSONAL LIABILITY AND PROPERTY INSURANCE.