FAQ

How do I book?

When you decide on a property and dates from our brochure or website, you may call us or use our secure booking system on the property description. Please check availability first and make sure you have read the Booking Conditions. Just follow the on-line instructions and once you have clicked the final button, we will be notified electronically and you will receive an automatic acknowledgement from the booking system.  We will then process your booking and a confirmation will be sent by email or post.  You will need your debit/credit card, names of all people coming with you, plus the ages of children under 18.

Our office opening hours are;
Monday – Friday 9am to 5pm
Saturdays from Easter to October 9am to 3pm.
You may ring during these hours or if you have any queries, please leave message on our answerphone 01485 534267 or email on info@norfolkholidayhomes.agency

What does the rental include?

Rental charges are per property. Bed linen/towels, Wifi, electricity and gas are included unless otherwise stated.

Can I make a provisional booking?

Yes, provisional reservations can be made by booking online or by phoning us. We hold these for 5 working days.  Failure to confirm with deposit/full payment will result in the reservation being withdrawn.  We will not contact you to check if you still require the week – so many people promise to pay and then do not.

How do I pay?

Credit/debit card details can be given online or by phone. Payment can also be paid by cheque.

Who do I make a cheque payable to?

Cheques must be made payable to ‘Norfolk Holiday Homes Ltd’.

What happens after I have booked?

After the booking has been placed by phone or on line, you will receive confirmation either by post or email. If you have just paid the deposit, the confirmation of your holiday will show the date when the balance is due. You will receive no more correspondence from us until we receive the balance of payment. If the full balance has been paid, then you will receive final confirmation with key, map, directions and any other necessary information.

Are rental deposits refundable if I cancel?

Only refundable if the holiday dates are rebooked.  A Cancellation Fee of £50 + Vat is payable.

I have made a booking and want to change properties - Can I do this?

Yes, but the first booking will be treated as a cancellation and you will still be responsible for full payment unless we rebook the same holiday. The deposit is non-returnable.

Are there any extras?

If you are bringing a pet then the cost of this per week is £30. We also have a  Booking Fee of £25.  Other extras may be for linen hire, gas/electric/wifi, (please check each property description) , Booking Protect, and an early arrival charge. 

When do I pay the balance?

Full payment is required 42 days prior to holiday dates. If a proposed holiday is within the  42 days, then a deposit is not required and the full payment of rental, booking fee, Booking Protect and any other extras is immediately payable.

Can I make an interim payment?

Yes, 2 interim payments can be made, but unless you have email, a receipt will not be issued. 

When do I get information about keys/access?

Until we receive the final payment, guests will not be given the key collection arrangements. When receipt of your balance is acknowledged, we will either email or post your final details of key collection, map, directions and any other necessary information.
If you are instructed to contact the key holder, please do so at least a week before your arrival. In the event of a delay on the day of your arrival, it would be appreciated if the key holder could be contacted direct if you anticipate arriving after 6.00pm.

Do I have to arrive on a Saturday?

We try to be flexible with arrival days  and will help with these if we can.  They are usually Saturdays unless otherwise stated in the description, after 4.00pm and departure before l0.00am.  Short breaks, weekend and Christmas/New Year breaks – arrival and departure times can be flexible - please ask when booking.

Do I have to pay a booking fee?

A booking fee of £35.00 is payable at the same time as the deposit. This covers administration costs.

What is a damage waiver?

An accidental damage waiver is non refundable and it is not an insurance against breakages.  The small cost is £25 but if any serious damage occurs over £200 then the owners will be seeking compensation from the guests.  This does not normally happen as guests are usually very careful and respectful, but we all know that accidents can happen. 

Hot tubs and swimming pools

Guests are not permitted to provide or hire hot tubs or swimming pools in any of our properties.

  

What if I forget my balance payment?

Any balance of payment that is overdue after 5 working days will have an administration charge of £10 per day added.

When can I get in and when do I have to vacate?

Arrival time is normally after 4pm and departure is before 10am.  If your key arrangements ask you to collect from our office, they will be available after 11am if you wish to arrive in the area earlier.  However, this does not permit you to go in the property any earlier.

Company Registration No. 9788723   VAT Registration No. 307765880

 

Can I come for a short break?

The weekly rental figures are outlined in each description and are for a Friday or Saturday changeover.  All short breaks are charged at 85% of a week's rental. These breaks are usually available between September and April subject to availability and the owner's consent. However, we can accept breaks at short notice at peak times if a property is not booked so it is always worth checking at any time of year.

Do I have to have my holiday protected against cancellation?

It is a condition of booking that each guest must have their booking payment protected.
If you wish to use a private insurer or already have your holiday cancellation insurance, please let us have these details so we are assured that you are covered in the unforeseen event of cancellation.
Even if you think a cancellation will not happen to you or not likely as nothing will prevent you from your holiday, please re-consider, especially if you have children, elderly relatives or a medical condition.  Ninety nine per cent of unforeseen cancellations happen with the two weeks prior to holiday dates.

Are towels and linen included in the rental?

Most properties have these included. For those few that do not, they may hire them at a cost so please indicate this when booking. If no hire charge is mentioned, then guests must bring their own. Please bring your own beach towels for every property if you intend to visit the beach.

Are pets permitted?

There is an extra charge of £30.00 per pet per week on the properties where they are permitted. Please state when booking.  Please remember to clear up in the garden after your dog has fouled, plus remove any evidence of animal hair etc from the property.  

What if I have a problem during my stay?

Should guests experience any problems during their stay, it would be appreciated if they could be reported to the owner/caretaker/agent as soon as possible who will use our best endeavours to rectify matters as soon as they can. We regret that any correspondence/telephone calls relating to complaints, received after the termination of the holiday cannot be entertained.  The owners and ourselves wish you to have a lovely holiday but please remember that problems cannot be solved for you after you have vacated.  

Who do I contact in an emergency?

Details are given in each property and on the final confirmation letter. Otherwise the office is open during normal opening hours.

What if the owner cancels my holiday?

Each property is individually owned and vary rarely will unforeseen circumstances arise where the agents have to cancel a guests holiday as instructed by the owner. In these events we contact guests immediately to offer alternative accommodation to suit their requirements including the same price or less.  If another property cannot be found or is not acceptable to the guest, all monies paid will be refunded in full immediately. If the guest takes an alternative property where the rental is more, we will negotiate with the owners to see if they will pay the balance within £50.

What if I have other maintenance problems such as electricity/gas/oil/plumbing/heating?

There should be an emergency list in each property, stating the owner's name and telephone number together with the housekeeper's or caretaker's details. Contact these people first (this should only apply at weekends when the office is closed). Please note that most service engineers cannot come out to attend problems at very short notice due to their job schedules. We do use a few companies who offer a 24 hour service if problems are extremely serious.

Are there instructions in the property for appliances?

All properties should have instructions for appliances inside them in a folder prepared by the owners.  If not, the owners contact details are in our folder for guests to contact direct if they have an issue.

What should I do with rubbish?

Refuse disposal details

These are very important in order to prevent unnecessary problems each week

All properties should have detailed instructions inside, outlining information regarding rubbish disposal. Please adhere to these. Guests staying in properties that have a returnable breakage deposit on them will lose this if they do not fulfil the instructions each week, as the bins will then have to be taken to the local recycling/waste disposal area and sorted by hand. We are sure that you would not wish anyone to sort through your personal rubbish. Therefore, we and the owners kindly ask that all recycling is dealt with as you would at home or as per the instructions and the disposable waste is bagged up inside the black wheelie bins. We are sorry to have to outline what should be easy enough tasks, but due to guests not reading instructions we feel that we must re-iterate this information in as many areas as we can: in the holiday home itself, our booking conditions, our correspondence to guest and with the keys if they are collected from our office.  Sadly, we feel that we have to make this clear to the guests from the outset of their holiday. Rubbish is part of our lives at home and does not go away when we are on holiday, so your kind assistance in this matter is much appreciated please.

Finally

• Make sure you have included all names and ages of children.
• Include pets if applicable.
• Include bed linen/towels if applicable
• Inform us which beds you wish to have ie; twins or zipped to be made into king size if applicable.
• Check with us to see how close you will be to town/village centres or close to cliffs, shops, doctors, beach etc, even though we have tried to indicate this in each individual property. We know all properties and the area so will be able to help on details.
• Check with us if you have any queries whatsoever – no matter how trivial you feel it may be! Your holiday comfort and enjoyment may depend on it!

Are properties inspected and checked?

Norfolk Holiday Homes assesses and inspects all their properties, this allows us, as a holiday letting agency to enter each of our properties at least twice a year to complete safety, legislative and quality checks which serves to offer peace of mind to our guests that our properties are meeting all their legal obligations. 

Along with checks for quality and facilities there are very stringent cleanliness and safety checks and all paperwork is checked to ensure the owners are meeting all their legal obligations. Your family’s safety is a priority for you so it is important to us too. It also keeps the owners of the properties on their toes, especially those who live away and rely on us to prompt them to ensure they meet strict, ever changing legal requirements.    

BOOKINGS, DETAILS, PRICES AND DESCRIPTIONS ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE AT ANY TIME AND ARE ISSUED IN GOOD FAITH.   DETAILS MAY HAVE TO BE CHECKED BEFORE A BOOKING IS CONFIRMED. ANY ERROR, OMISSION OR MIS-STATEMENT SHALL NOT ENTITLE THE GUEST TO A REFUND, TRANSFER OF HOLIDAY, COMPENSATION OR DAMAGES IN ANY SHAPE OR FORM OR CAUSE GUESTS TAKE FURTHER ACTION.