Terms and Conditions – How to book with confidence
Transparency & Secure Booking
RENTAL PROPERTIES
It is important to understand that the properties we offer are not official tourist accommodations, such as hotels and resorts, but private houses owned by individuals. Being such, they do not have standards or categories that are internationally recognized. Indeed they reflect, in their architecture and furnishings, the local traditions and the personal taste of the owner.
This is precisely the kind of vacation experience that we offer you: the chance to partake in the culture of the area chosen, living for a few weeks in the same surroundings as a native would. In order to live this experience in the right spirit, it is important not only that you accept but also that you will be able to appreciate the differences in the properties we propose in comparison with those where you normally live.
For their part, our Italian agency has carefully chosen properties using a minimum and maximum quality range within which they believe that any European and indeed a citizen of the world can find a memorable experience. However, we cannot exclude the possibility that these differences can sometimes result in minor inconveniences due to the special nature of the architecture and traditions of the area.
NORTHITALY VILLAS MEDIATION
NORTHITALY VILLAS SAS
Address registered office: Corso Giacomo Matteotti 30, 10121 Turin
VAT number – Tax ID (P.IVA): IT11821900013
Company registration number (REA): TO-1243530
Registered and insured at the Italian Federation of business intermediaries (estate agents): FIMAA
Northitaly Villas is officially registered as a real estate agent (broker) and acts as mediator and also representative (by the conclusion of the contract) of the landlord, who is the actual renter, in accordance with the binding conditions requested by the landlord.
The client will be required to sign a standard tourist rental contract.
For its services Northitaly asks a commission to the client only, which is already included in the price published on our website, and for which you will see the break down in the tourist rental contract as mentioned above. Northitaly has a mandate from the owner to collect and transfer his rent. The client accordingly will receive an invoice from Northitaly for its services (commission) and a receipt/contract from the owner for his rent.
The properties for rent are not a hotel, agritourism, B&B or similar, and therefore by the Italian law on private short tourist rentals, extra services similar to those you may find in these types of accommodations, such as a reception, concierge or security, receiving mail, provision of meals and drinks, cleaning and change of linen during your stay, and amenity kits with soaps etc. are strictly prohibited.
BOOKING PROCEDURE
Following your selection of a property from our online catalog, we ask that you provide us with some basic information that is used only for the purposes of completing and servicing your requested booking. Our privacy policy is shown online and is strictly followed.
As part of the booking procedure, you will be asked to identify a single contact person who is responsible for all communication regarding the reservation. Travel documents are provided electronically once final payment has been received and will be sent to the contact person.
• Booking and rental conditions:
Before confirming your booking please carefully read the general booking conditions and the specific rental conditions of the chosen property – please double check what is included and excluded (any extra fees to be paid upon arrival). By making this reservation you accept to have read and to agree with our booking conditions and the rental conditions.
• Guest registration and tourist tax:
In order to confirm a reservation only the details of the main contact person are necessary (see rental contract and invoice below).
Before the beginning of your stay the details of all of the guests (including all passport information) need to be send to us in order for us and/or the owner to comply with the obligatory communication to the local authorities (Public Security Questura: http://www.poliziadistato.it/articolo/10618) and the payment of the municipal tourist tax.
• Rental contract and invoice:
A rental tourist contract with your identification details, according to Italian law, will need to be signed upon balance payment. Please note it will need to be the same main contact person to confirm this reservation now and to sign the rental contract later on.
Our invoice will also be issued to this person.
• Privacy:
According to our privacy policy, following the latest EU regulations, any personal details will be used only for the purpose of concluding your reservation and the rental contract.
PAYMENT PROCEDURE AND OPTIONS
Booking is accomplished by first requesting us the availability through the online form on our website or emailing us. When the availability is confirmed you will receive the Reservation Deposit Request email.
- The reservation becomes effective as soon as a down payment (deposit) of 40% of the total rental accommodation price is made.
- The balance payment is due 60 days before the start of the rental period. For bookings made less than 60 days prior to the start of the rental period, full payment is due at the time of booking.
A few villas have a different payment procedure, you will be informed as such.
We accept direct bank transfer payments (in euro only) within the Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA) without any extra charge (check your bank for local fees) or outside of the SEPA area (and Switzerland) with a 1% surcharge.
We also accept various payment methods (credit card, debit card, bank transfer,…) through PayPal or Stripe which is charged extra with 4% of the payment made (we do not intend to gain anything from this extra fee, this is the cost or average fee charged by Paypal (Paypal transaction fees). More information and all payment methods on: www.paypal.com
RENTAL PERIODS
Most rentals run from Saturday to Saturday, with a minimum stay of one week. Arrival timing (normally between 15.00 – 18.30pm) depends on the property/caretaker. In the event that this is not possible, you are required to inform the owner or caretaker ahead of time. There may be a fee associated with an arrival outside of the stated time period and this is at the owner’s or caretaker’s discretion. You are expected to vacate the premises (after they have been inspected by the owner or owner’s representative and after any supplementary charges have been settled) between 8.30-11.00am (depending on the property) on the departure date. When departing before Saturday, it is mandatory that you contact the owner or the owner’s representative to arrange for a departure time and inspection.
LENGTH OF STAY
Under no circumstances may you, or any member of your group, exceed the period agreed upon nor may you exercise any right to remain on the premises at the end of the rental period unless an agreement has been made between you and the owner of the property.
LIABILITY
Individual property owners and Northitaly cannot be held responsible for any unforeseen events, acts of God or war, riots or civil strife, terrorist activity, industrial disputes, natural or nuclear disasters, fire, adverse weather conditions, or the actions of any person outside of NorthItaly. The responsibility of NorthItaly its agents is limited. They act only as agents in regard to the services described in these Booking Conditions.
From time to time, building work and the associated noise is unavoidable. We do not control such work and we do not receive advance notification of when such work will commence. We will notify you as soon as we are made aware of any building work that will affect your holiday. However, we will not offer compensation.
In booking through NorthItaly, you agree that NorthItaly shall not be liable for injury, damage, loss, accident, delay, or irregularity resulting from acts or defaults of others, including our Italy affiliates and their representatives or of the individual owners. Except as specifically provided in this agreement, NorthItaly expressly disclaims any representations or warranties in connection with this agreement, whether express or implied, statutory or otherwise, including, without limitation, warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose, without limiting the foregoing, the rental properties hereunder are available in accordance with these Booking Conditions and NorthItaly does not warrant that the services provided hereunder shall result in any particular level of customer satisfaction.
BALANCE PAYMENT
You agree to pay the balance to the Northitaly reservation office at least 60 days prior to the beginning of the stay. If the balance has not been paid by this date, the booking will be considered cancelled, the contract will be void and the property will be available for rental again.
LATE BOOKING
In the event that the booking occurs less than 60 days in advance of the beginning of the rental period, the total payment is required at the time of reservation.
It is your responsibility to provide us with your expected date of departure from home as soon as you know it to ensure that you receive all the travel documents on time.
CANCELLATION
All cancellations must be sent by letter, fax or email to the Northitaly reservation office and, if you have a cancellation policy, to your insurance company. For any cancellation on the part of the client, the sums withheld by the Northitaly Villas reservation office are as follows (see note below):
– 10% of the total amount from the day of reservation to 120th day before arrival
– deposit amount paid from 119th to 60th day before arrival
– 100% of the total amount from the 59th day to the day of the arrival
A few villas have a different cancellation policy, you will be informed as such.
For reservations with payments gone through portals like Airbnb, Booking, Homeaway, Tripadvisor and others, the cancellation conditions might differ from ours here above and are valid as such.
INSURANCE
The Northitaly Villas reservation office does not offer travel protection or cancellation or damage insurance. You are supposed to have insurance to cover potential cancellation or delay, and to cover property damage that you might cause.
RESPONSIBILITY OF CLIENT
It is the responsibility of the client to communicate to NorthItaly your expectations, requirements, and any special needs. We must be informed BEFORE your accommodation selection of any health conditions in your group such as allergies, heart conditions, walking problems, etc.
You are expected to treat your vacation home with the same respect as you would your own home. Doors and windows must be closed and locked each time you leave, even if for just a short time. It is your responsibility to find out at check-in time how appliances and equipment (e.g. washing machine, dishwasher, breaker box, etc.) work as well as other pertinent details of the house.
Kitchen clean up and trash removal is the duty of the client. If this is not done, the owner or the caretaker may deduct up to a sum from the security deposit for additional cleaning costs.
INTERRUPTION OF THE HOLIDAY STAY
In the event of interruption on the part of the client, no refund will be made.
NUMBER OF GUESTS ALLOWED
The rental contract is established for a specific number of persons. Only the number and names of persons on the rental contract may occupy the reserved accommodation. Any substitution of persons during the stay is forbidden without previous consent. Visitors of the clients are not allowed on the property unless previously agreed.
TRAVEL DOCUMENTS
NorthItaly Villas will not accept any liability or grant refunds for any improper, expired or invalid documents (passport, visa, medical certificate, vaccination) which might be motive for cancellation or modification of your trip or holiday stay.
FORMALITIES UPON ARRIVAL
Upon arrival, all guests must show their passport to the owner or the owner’s representative. These identification details, according to the Italian regulations on short rentals, will be communicated to the local authorities as the Police (Questura) and to the local town/province/region administration, also with regards to any tourist tax (imposta di soggiorno) obligations.
Please read carefully the ‘Arrival and Departure Conditions’ to guide you through the check-in and check-out process (see below).
HOUSE CLEANING AND MAINTENANCE
The final cleaning is either included in the rental price or charged as a supplemental cost, as indicated on the booking voucher and the property’s web page. This amount does not however include the cleaning of the kitchen area and the removal of trash, which are your responsibility. If this has not been done, the owner or his/her representative may charge an additional fee. The owner is allowed on the property for maintenance and gardening purposes.
SECURITY DEPOSIT AND DAMAGES
The security deposit has to be paid cash (in euro) upon arrival to the keyholder unless otherwise stated. The sum is indicated on the booking contract. The security deposit will be returned to you at departure, subject to the premises being left in good order. The keyholder can refuse occupancy of the rental property if the security deposit is not paid.
Should there be damages to the property, deductions from the security deposit will be held for repair/refurbishment/renewal as determined by the owner or caretaker. If such costs or damage exceed the deposit, you will be informed by the keyholder and agree to pay the additional amount to the keyholder in Euros cash or settle any compensation accordingly as determined by the keyholder/owner. You are responsible for all damages caused by you, your family or your guests.
Northitaly Villas is not responsible in the event of complaints and disagreements about the security deposit between the guest and the keyholder/owner, nor can we be held liable in anyway.
Any dispute regarding a deduction from the security deposit is to be addressed directly to the owner.
SUPPLEMENTARY COSTS AND SERVICES
If the property requires a fee for final cleaning, linen/towels, and other, this is noted on the booking voucher and is collected in Euros cash by the keyholder at arrival. In accommodations where air conditioning or heat will be used (depending on the season), an advanced deposit in Euros cash is required, and is also collected in Euros cash at arrival. This is also noted on the booking voucher. If the amount of air conditioning or heat consumption exceeds the deposit, you will be required to pay any sum exceeding the deposit. If the booking voucher specifies that other utilities (besides air conditioning or heat) such as gas or electricity or internet be paid according to consumption, these are metered and paid accordingly in Euros cash at check out.
Any fees for special additional services (extra maid service, laundry service, cooking service) must be paid in Euros cash when the service is rendered directly to the service provider.
Northitaly does not get involved in any extra fees or services, the payment and responsibility is directly with the owner or his representative or the service provider.
AMENITIES
The use of amenities, such as swimming pool, moorings, boats and bicycles is entirely at your own risk. Northitaly Villas is not liable for injury to a user or visitor and loss or damage to your belongings.
CLAIMS/DISPUTES
Northitaly declines all responsibility for any modifications to available services or to the property made by the owners without our knowledge. All discrepancies relating to the general specifications or the inventory of the premises must be communicated to the keyholder AND the Northitaly reservation office within 24 hours and s/he be allowed the necessary time to fix the problem. If the matter cannot be corrected, you must contact Northitaly again by telephone and then in writing within 2 days.
IMPORTANT: No consideration will be given to complaints that are received after the end of your rental period and you forfeit your rights for a possible refund of the rental price.
Whenever possible you are urged to settle minor grievances (burnt-out light bulbs, faulty appliances, etc.) with the keyholder before filing a formal complaint. Often the owner is not aware of these minor problems.
No reimbursement will be made for a late arrival or early departure.
ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE CONDITIONS
Please read carefully the ‘Arrival and Departure Conditions’ to guide you through the check-in and check-out process. Depending on the property, some details can be different from these general conditions: check your confirmation voucher and the contact details for specific information concerning your booked property.
INTRODUCTION OF TOURIST TAX AT SEVERAL ITALIAN DESTINATIONS
A number of Italian municipalities (not all) have opted to apply the recently introduced tourist tax (imposta di soggiorno). Tax rates and regulations vary in different places and types (hotel, b&b, home,…) and the tax must be paid directly by tourists at the accommodation. The rate is generally between 0,5 euro (homes) and 5 euro (5* hotels) per person per night.
We must however specify that we cannot be held responsible for any variations or supplements that may be decided by the competent authorities at any time and without prior notification.
JURISDICTION
In the event of legal claims or disputes, this contract shall be governed by the laws of the Italian Government. Any legal action brought against Northitaly Villas shall be brought in Turin, Italy.
