Sample confirmation letter :

Dear Guest

Thank you for booking our "Hollywood / Rock 'n Roll" themed Home located in the Emerald Island Resort at Kissimmee, Orlando, Florida. As it is a condition of booking that you read and agree to the following terms and conditions, could you please sign and return a copy to us so that we can accept your booking.

Here are the details :

Rental Period : ? Days, from ? to ?
Check in time is at 4-00pm, and check out time is 10-00am
Accommodation: 7 Bedrooms - 1 King size bed, 3 Queen size beds, 2 rooms each with 2 twin beds and 1 room with 2 sets of bunk beds (sleeps 4 in this room) sleeping a maximum of 16 people, plus 4 full bathrooms and one downstairs washroom.

Number of Guests:  ? adults and ? children. No pets and no smoking please.
We will not rent to students or singles under 25 years of age unless accompanied by an adult guardian or parent.

Falsified Reservations : Any reservation obtained under false pretence will be subject to forfeiture of advance payment, deposit and/or rental money, and the party will not be permitted to check-in.

Rental Charges and Fees:

? days at $ a day                                  $
(Optional) Pool & Spa heat at $30 day    $    ?
(Optional) Just Spa heat at $10 day        $    ?
Cleaning fee for less than 7 day booking $ 140-00
Equals                                                 $
13% Florida taxes                                 $
 
Sub total                                              $
 
Returnable damage deposit                   =$ 300-00
 
Total                                                   =$
 
Payment Schedule: A non refundable deposit of $500 is due immediately when you book, and your reservation is not confirmed until we receive this. The balance is due at least 12 weeks prior to your arrival date.

Cancellation/Refunds: If you cancel your reservation in the 12 week period up to your rental, we regret that it will not be possible to offer you a refund. We are unable to waive this charge whatever the circumstances and strongly recommend that all guests take out adequate cancellation or travel insurance. However, if you do have to cancel and we are able to take a replacement booking for the same time period, we will refund you whatever money we obtain from the new booking, less any additional charges we incur.

In the unlikely event that we have to cancel your reservation due to any unforeseen circumstances whatsoever, we will endeavor to place you in a vacation home of similar standard in the same resort area. In the unlikely event that this is not possible we will refund all monies paid. Under no circumstances will any compensation be paid to the guest in the event of a cancellation or relocation of a reservation.

No refunds will be made if the renter is evicted by any law enforcement agency, the security company employed by Emerald Island or the owner or representative of the owner as a result of criminal activity, misdemeanor or breach of contract.

The Damage deposit : is fully refundable within 30 days of departure, provided the following provisions are met.

Please treat our home with respect and leave it as you found it. We don't expect you to clean the home but we do expect you to look after it and respect the cleaning staff and management company staff who come in after you leave, to prepare the home for our next set of guests.

The management company will inspect the property and perform an inventory check following your departure. Any loss, damage, cleaning fees or other expenses (other than normal wear and tear) exceeding the security deposit amount will be fully reimbursed by the guest within thirty days of departure.

Although we rarely have to withhold funds, the following reasons may necessitate retention of all, or part of, the damage deposit :

Smoking inside the home
Damage to the home or contents, or missing items
Excessive garbage left in the home
Late check out without prior arrangement
Used diapers, used sanitary items or discarded medical items left for the cleaners to remove
Bent pool poles or broken nets
Holes or tears in pool screen enclosure
Coins / other metal objects / toys / trash / other items left on bottom of pool
Blocked toilets, sinks or baths caused through misuse
Stained linens & towels (bleach / blood / drinks etc.)
Carpet & furniture stains requiring professional cleaning
Relocation of furniture (beds / tables / nightstands) mattresses, pool furniture etc. to original position
Non emergency call outs after hours, at weekends or on national holidays
Call outs for any issues caused by renter negligence
Animals in the property

Please ensure : All trash is put in bin liners and placed in the "wheely bins", and soiled dishes are placed in the dishwasher and cleaned. One load of laundry is started. All charges accrued during the stay are paid prior to departure. The house is left locked.

Utilities/Phone: We will pay for normal usage of gas, water and electricity. Cable TV, internet access plus local and international phone calls from the landline in the home are also included in the rental price.

Pool and Spa information. Pool and Spa heating is available at $30 per day for the full duration of your stay, and we recommend ordering it prior to arrival. Charges commence from your arrival date until your date of departure. Most pools take up to 24 hours to heat up from the time of being turned on, and the spa will normally take about 10 minutes as it has it's own separate heating system.

If you have requested pool heat, we recommend that you use the pool "blanket" we have provided and cover the water completely with it at night so it stays warmer for the next days use. This really will make a big difference, and it's on a roller so it's very easy to use.

Occasionally, when the ambient air temperature falls below 55F, the water heating equipment will not function as efficiently as desired. If this happens during your vacation unfortunately there is nothing that can be done other than to wait for the weather to improve. This is a known deficiency with heat pump technology, but in Florida this is rarely an issue. Refunds for pool and/or spa heat payments will only be issued for complete equipment failure and this will need to be verified by a qualified pool heat pump technician. Refunds will not be issued because poor weather conditions resulted in lower water temperatures than desired.

Pool safety equipment must be checked upon arrival, and used at all times when the pool is not in use. This consists of a safety fence separating the pool from the home, and / or an alarm on the exterior doors leading to the pool area.

The pool is cleaned once per week and the details are displayed in the home

Linens and Kitchen Supplies: We will provide all bed linen and towels. This is a self catering holiday and we will supply you with a starter pack of paper products, but you will need to supply your own when these run out.
 
Trash Removal: Please put the trash out on Sunday and Wednesday nights for collection the following mornings. The large green "wheely bins" in the games room should be wheeled out to the curb at the front of the house the night before collection, and all rubbish must be properly bagged in bin liners before being put in the bins or a bin cleaning charge may be imposed by the management company. A third party inventory is taken before and after each rental period.
 
Hurricane or Storm Policy : We regret that no refunds will be given under any circumstances, and we strongly recommend that all guests purchase adequate travel insurance.

Please note : In the unlikely event of anything being wrong with your vacation home, the management company must be informed at the earliest opportunity during your vacation and given a reasonable amount of time (48 hours is normal) to address any issues.

Every effort will be made to fix any and all issues in a timely manner. However, compensation will not be paid for issues beyond our control including but not limited to equipment failure affecting items such as air conditioning units, refrigerators, freezers, televisions, pool and/or spa heating, games room equipment etc.

Other Important Points:  We mutually agree to the following:

The property will not be occupied by more people than we have specified in this agreement.

You will not allow dogs, cats, or any other pets or animals onto the property.
 
Smoking is not permitted anywhere.
 
Neither you nor your guests will use illegal drugs on the property.
 
You will take care not to play excessively loud music or otherwise create a nuisance to the neighbors.
 
Due to rules enforced by the Home Owners Association, we regret that RVs (Recreational Vehicles) are not allowed to park or stay at Emerald Island.
 
The house will be clean when you arrive, and we request that you leave it in good order. You will notify our Management Company promptly of any damage or problems that arise.
 
Unless there's an emergency we will notify you 24 hours in advance prior to entering the property during your rental period.
 
We accept no liability for personal loss or injury to the Guest during the Rental Period, and it is a condition of booking that all Guests must have adequate insurance cover. The Guest must also ensure that Children under the age of 18 years are supervised at all times.
 
 
Please let us know if you have any questions. We look forward to your visit, and hope that you and your family have a wonderful vacation here in Emerald Island.
 
Sincerely,
 
Mark Dawson