Rental Contract – Coastal Maine Vacations

Coastal Maine Vacations Rental Contract

PAYMENTS:

Payments can vary between platforms and current promotions in general a payment of 1/3 of the grand total (or a minimum of $300) is paid at the time of booking. The remainder of the balance is to be paid 30 days prior to arrival. If you booked through Airbnb or another 3rd party site, they have collected your payments according to their payment terms & conditions. Booking.com has its own payment terms and that was disclosed at the time of the booking. Your payment terms will be as described at the time of your booking unless you request to change the terms to an earlier date of payment.

LONG-TERM RESERVATIONS:

Reservations of 28 nights or more are considered long-term and have different regulations. Long-term reservations are subject to their own cancellation policies, payment policies and terms. All monies paid for long-term reservations are non-refundable at the time the payment is collected, unless the said cancellation is initiated within the first twenty-four (24) hours of the booking. No refunds will be offered for cancellations after the first twenty-four (24) hours. One third of the total booking cost will be taken at the time of the booking. The remaining balance will be paid for in full 30 days prior to guest arrival. Unless the payment terms were otherwise described differently in the listing at the time of the booking on the platform you booked through. Long-term reservations of over 30 days are not subject to local sales and lodging taxes. Coastal Maine Vacations reserves the right to cancel long-term reservations within 72 hours of booking.

CANCELLATION POLICY:

See property listing and/or reservation confirmation for the specific cancellation policy. In the case of a Coastal Maine Vacations cancellation, through no fault of the guest, the guest may be entitled to a refund of one hundred (100) percent of the lodging for the unused nights, less certain booking costs if canceled 30 days prior to arrival. If cancellation is less than 29 and more than 14 days prior to arrival guest shall be refunded fifty (50) percent of their total rent amount minus booking costs. Reservations are non-refundable if less than 14 days before your arrival date. Coastal Maine Vacations’ liability shall not exceed fifty (50) percent of the amount paid for the unused nights in the event of cancellation. The original person who made the reservation is REQUIRED to request the cancellation or it will be denied. If you booked through a third-party site like Airbnb, VRBO or Booking.com you are required to go through that site to request the reservation to be cancelled or it will not be considered a valid cancellation request. Third party sites collect their own fees separately than those we collect, and they may not refund their fees according to the same terms as outlined above. The guests will need to contact those platforms to arrange refunds related to their fees directly.

HOW TO CANCEL:

If you find that you must cancel your reservation, please keep in mind you will need to reach out to the platform you booked through FIRST, they are the only ones who can cancel your reservation for you. If we do not receive a notice of cancellation from the booking platform we cannot cancel that reservation. For example, if you booked through VRBO, you would first cancel with them, and they will contact us notifying us that the cancellation was processed. We will then cancel your reservation and issue a refund.

REFUNDS:

Refunds for your cancellation can take up to 10 business days to process. This is due to banks and the amount of fraudulent activity in the industry. Banks now verify that cards were valid to begin with and that the charge was not an attempted chargeback resulting in a double dip, which is a crime. Further, if you chose to use a platform to book your reservation and not book with us directly that platform may have charged you hundreds of dollars in booking fees, you will have to wait for them to refund those fees directly as we do not collect them. In the rare case that you have not received your refund after 10 business days please call us at 207.579.9989 so that we can determine what the issue may be. Please do not attempt to file a chargeback without speaking to us FIRST this will just lengthen the process and force us to fight the accusation resulting in up to 90 days before you secure your refund.

COUPON CODES:

Coupon codes can also be known as promotional codes, discount codes or any variation thereof, they all are discount codes of some variation and do not have varying degrees of value due to the variation in the nomenclature. They are available for use to give convenience to our guests in discounting their rates. We do not guarantee that all discounts will apply to every rate available for the homes we have available. If you have used the discount code “NOCANCEL” or some variation thereof means the guest is receiving a discount in return for the inability or allowance to cancel your reservation in the future. If you do not agree with the terms relating to this discount or any other discount you have twenty-four (24) hours from the time of your booking to cancel. Once this time period expires the guest agrees they will be charged for the entire reservation even if you do not show for any reason.

TRIP STACKING:

Ghost bookings and Trip Stacking, also known by many other names are defined as making multiple bookings for the same time period at different units, then deciding where to stay later, cancelling the rest of those units. This practice, at the very least, is looked upon as a bad faith booking. Booking platforms are starting to enact rules against this on their sites and if caught you will be charged for all the bookings with no recourse, not even chargebacks. They are also looking at passing laws to stop this practice becasue it violates consumer protection laws, creating unfair advantage over other travelers trying to find a place to stay. This practice is directly responsible for airlines double-booking and hotels overbooking. Platforms like Airbnb, booking.com and VRBO charge such high booking rates to cover losses. We do not agree with this practice and report those doing this to the platforms. If you contact most hosts, they will gladly hold a unit for a few days while you decide. We don’t double-book our guests, so we only ask you to be fair to us and not book without the intention of staying.

CHECK-IN:

Your property will be ready for check in at or after 4pm EST. There are NO EARLY CHECK-INS. Guest will receive access instructions via SMS (text) messaging starting about 8 days before arrival this will have all of the required information about the home you will be staying in and access codes. Unless otherwise indicated, guests may proceed directly to their property on the day their reservation starts.

CHECK-OUT:

You must vacate the property no later than 10AM EST. Late checkouts will be assessed a $150 fee up to 11AM EST, if you check out after 11AM you will be charged an additional night. Additional night rates will be based on the property you are staying in at that time. Charges will be submitted to the credit card we have on file for the reservation on the date of late departure. Departure instructions must be followed to avoid additional charges and will be at the sole discretion of Coastal Maine Vacations.

SPECIFIC PROPERTY BOOKED:

You have booked a specific property. However, on extremely rare occasions, the specific property you booked may not be available due to circumstances beyond our control such as maintenance problems with the property booked, or a change of ownership or management of the property since you booked. If the property you booked is not available, Coastal Maine Vacations will attempt to place you into a similar or better property at the same price or offer you another property at a lower rate. If the replacement property offered is not acceptable to you for any reason, Coastal Maine Vacations will cancel your reservation and refund your total amount paid. Coastal Maine Vacations does not guarantee that a suitable property will be able to be found. If the property you have rented becomes un-occupiable before or during your stay (heat or refrigerator breaks for example), Coastal Maine Vacations will also make our best effort to find you a similar or better place to move to and if unable to do so, refund the portion of your rent unused.

EARLY DEPARTURES:

As reservations are carefully scheduled in advance, no refund will be given if a guest leaves prior to their reserved departure date, regardless of reason. This falls under the same conditions as our cancellation policy being less than 14 days’ notice.

DAMAGE, TRASH, & CLEANING:

Any damage, excessive cleaning, excessive trash, incidental charges such as added housekeeping may result in additional charges, at the sole discretion of Coastal Maine Vacations and will be charged to the card on file.

SMOKING, VAPING:

Smoking and Vaping are always prohibited in all our properties. Condo Associations restrict smoking on complex grounds and porches. Removal of smoke detectors is illegal and will result in charges. Violators are subject to a $500 fine in addition to applicable cleaning charges and reinstallation charges or replacement of any damaged detectors at the sole discretion of Coastal Maine Vacations.

LOST & FOUND:

It is the responsibility of the guest to ensure all personal items are gathered at departure time. Any item left behind in the property that a guest would like returned will be subject to a $35 handling fee plus packaging and shipping costs. We cannot guarantee an item left behind by a guest will be found.

PARKING:

Coastal Maine Vacations will NOT be held liable for ticketing and/or towing of guest vehicles. Guests exceeding the maximum number of cars will be asked to move additional cars or can be towed. No refunds or compensation will be paid to guests that ignore the parking restrictions outlined in the listing when the property is booked. Some properties have assigned parking, if you do not park in the assigned areas your vehicle will be subject to towing and you will be charged to recover your vehicle. All fees and costs associated with violating parking rules will be the responsibility of the guest and will be charged to the card on file. If your vehicle is towed for any reason while in violation of local rules, regulations or state laws it is the guest’s sole responsibility to pay all necessary fines and towing fees to recover said vehicle.

KEYS:

All keys, keycards, remotes will be left in the unit in the same locations they were found in prior to departure. Lost keys, keycards or remotes will incur a charge of $175 per item.

DOGS:

Some properties do not allow dogs. If that is the case for the property you
are staying at that means pets are always prohibited on that property. Any evidence
of dogs discovered in or around the home will result in a $250 dog fee being
charged to the card on file immediately. Charges for any damage sustained or extra
cleaning required are at the sole discretion of Coastal Maine Vacations. All homes
have pooper scoopers and trash bags to dispose of dog waste during your stay. This
is REQUIRED, NOT AN OPTION. There will be an additional $200 fee for us to
clean up the yard after your stay. To avoid this fee be a responsible dog
owner and please pick up all dog waste. There is a two dog maximum in all of the properties, although some exceptions can be made. If you have more than two dogs please contact us directly to discuss your situation.

CATS:

In most cases cats are NOT allowed in ANY of our properties. Cats are
allowed on a case-by-case basis. Minimum requirements are they be declawed and
fixed to enter the property. The pet fee for ALL cats is $300. Any evidence of cats
discovered in or around the home will result in a $300 cat fee being charged to the
card on file immediately. Charges for any damage sustained or extra cleaning
required are at the sole discretion of Coastal Maine Vacations.

PET POLICIES:

While we love animals at Coastal Maine Vacations, we have to protect the homes we are responsible for and in some cases the health of our owners who some have severe allergic reactions to pet dander and hair of said animals. For this reason, we apply charges for ALL undisclosed pets that we find at our homes. IF, you have a legal right to have the pet in the home please contact us directly so that we know ahead of time. Be prepared for us to legally ask you these two questions

How these two questions are answered determines under the laws of the State of Maine, as well as Federal Laws including all of the rental platforms if you can be charged for the pet to stay. You can also email us this information to helpme@coastalmaine.vacations or you can call us at 207.579.9989. We have put this policy into place to try to avoid confusion and accidental charges during your stay if you are an owner of an assistance animal. While you do not legally have to show documentation, we appreciate contacting us ahead of time to avoid issues with HOA’s etc.

VEHICLES:

Some locations in Maine are subject to extreme weather, including snow and ice that may make roads and driveways impassable and dangerous. All guests are encouraged to use all-wheel or 4-wheel drive vehicles. Roads can be difficult to navigate, and driveways may be steep. Coastal Maine Vacations will not provide refunds to guests unable to reach or get out of their property or to guests needing rescue or towing.

HOT TUBS and POOLS:

Guest use of any hot tub, pool or spa assumes all risks and liability. Guests are advised that there are potential dangers to children who are not carefully supervised, as well as any person using hot tub, pool or spa too long or if a person has health risks, is intoxicated, using any kind of drugs or medication, or is pregnant. Guests are advised that the chemicals used in the servicing and maintenance of the hot tub, pool and spa can lead to skin and eye irritations, rashes, and other reactions especially in children. Guests agree to waive any claim whatsoever against Coastal Maine Vacations, its owners, contractors, employees, principals, agents, and associated property owner’s accidents, illness, or injury arising from use of any hot tub or spa. The guest agrees that he/she is responsible and liable for any damages that occur to the hot tub, pool or spa through their or their guest’s misuse or negligence. Should guest or a guest’s guest contaminate the water with any foreign substance by not abiding by the rules, guest agrees to an additional charge of up to $5000.00 to cover the cost to drain, clean and refill the hot tub, pool or spa and remediate the contamination to the filtering system. Each hot tub is serviced prior to arrival and the chemical levels are checked and recorded.

UNFORESEEN ISSUES:

Unforeseen and uncontrollable circumstances may occur during your stay including but not limited to, internet, TV, and utility outages, inclement weather, travel delays, limited availability of town services, the closing of common & home amenities (including hot tubs, pools, and fitness centers). Guests are not entitled to full or partial refunds for any unforeseen circumstances. Coastal Maine Vacations as an entity and the reservations associated with a home are not part of or party to the sales contract for a home; in the event that a home is sold and future reservations are not accepted by the new homeowner, reservations are subject to cancellation, or the reservation may be moved to another comparable Coastal Maine Vacations property.

VIOLATIONS:

Any violations of this rental contract and/or Coastal Maine Vacations policies may result in immediate removal from the property or additional charges to the card on file.

LIABILITY RELEASE:

Coastal Maine Vacations, it’s owners, employees, contractors, principals, agents, and associated property homeowners, will be released and held harmless from any and all liability, claims, costs and expenses whatsoever arising out of or related to any loss, damage or injury that may occur while on the premises.

AGE & OCCUPANCY RESTRICTIONS:

Guests must be at least 25 years old to rent a property from Coastal Maine Vacations. Coastal Maine Vacations will request that the guest who reserved must provide a valid ID as proof of age. The person booking the property must be in the property for the entire duration of the guest stay. Maximum occupancy at any time is equal to the number of people the property sleeps in beds. No people beyond that number are allowed at any time. Exceeding this occupancy is grounds for immediate removal from the property without refund. If the guest renting the home is not staying at the residence this is grounds for eviction due to fraud.

BACKGROUND CHECKS:

Guests renting any of our properties or sister properties are verified through a simple background check done by a third-party company called SafelyStay. This system verifies you have not damaged a rental property in the past or that the guest does not have a criminal background that may be dangerous to other guests. Coastal Maine Vacations reserves the right to deny a rental to any individual that has a criminal background (regardless of the offense) or has caused damage to property in the past. By booking a rental with Coastal Maine Vacations guest agrees to said background check and to be bound by the terms of said results. The company we use to conduct these background checks is SafelyStay, they may contact you by email or by phone to complete or verify your information and to complete said check. Failure to cooperate with these checks will result in the cancellation of your reservation. We conduct these checks to protect all parties including ourselves and our other guests including you. We have properties that are in the same building or complex and can be assured they have gone through the same check to ensure your safety as well.

PARTIES:

No house parties, weddings, receptions, or events are allowed at any Coastal Maine Vacations property. If there is a party in the property (as further evidenced by a noise complaint, security report, or by excessive amounts of trash or destruction) the guest will be charged for a complete clean, replacement of damaged items and property, HOA fines, plus any additional charges necessary to return the home to its previous state. Such activities completely void the Damage Waiver.

TV:

Some properties are equipped with standard cable service (most are not); this is a service paid for by the homeowner and a benefit extended to the guest at no additional cost. Services are provided by a local service provider. Guests are not entitled to nor should they expect access to Pay Per View, Netflix, HBO or any other premium channel. Guests may never call the 3rd party service to purchase or extend the provided service. Circumstances outside of Coastal Maine Vacations control may result in service interruptions, outages, degradation or what the guest may consider less than satisfactory service to what they may be accustomed to. Coastal Maine Vacations will not reimburse or refund any monies to the guest in the event of any of the above circumstances.

INTERNET:

Most properties have internet and are Wi-Fi enabled; this is a service paid for by the homeowner and is a benefit extended to the guest at no additional cost. Services are provided by a local service provider. Coastal Maine Vacations cannot guarantee reliable or consistent internet service. Circumstances outside of Coastal Maine Vacations control may result in service interruptions, outages, degradation or what the guest may consider less than satisfactory service to what they may be accustomed to. Coastal Maine Vacations will not reimburse or refund any monies to the guest in the event of any of the above circumstances. If a guest wants to ensure optimized and reliable service, Coastal Maine Vacations recommends guests travel with their own form of access to internet services. Please ensure the area you are travelling to supports whatever service you intend to use as cellular service can be spotty at best and in some areas non-existent.

PHONE:

Guests understand that phones (land line or VoIP) may not be present in a property and should not be expected. Guests are encouraged to have mobile phones charged for communication in an emergency. Some properties have poor or non-existent cellular coverage which is beyond Coastal Maine Vacations control. Refunds and credits will not be provided to guests for slow or nonexistent service. No properties are guaranteed to have any type of outside communication medium availability.

ELECTRICITY:

Coastal Maine Vacations properties are serviced by a variety of power companies. Power interruptions and outages may occur at any time. Coastal Maine Vacations cannot guarantee power, heat or electricity in the event of a power outage or interruption. Coastal Maine Vacations will not reimburse or refund any monies to the guest in the event of any of the above circumstances.

WEATHER:

Coastal Maine Vacations will not refund guests for any weatherrelated issues including but not limited to road conditions, lack of snow, too much snow, or inability to get to the property due to weather or flight delays/cancellations; or issues resulting in weather conditions such as power outages, etc. Weather can change suddenly in this state and can cause serious injury and even death. Please make sure you stay aware of weather conditions when out enjoying the wild of Maine.

ENVIRONMENT & SNOW:

Coastal Maine Vacations is located in the northeast – some properties may be get up to 12-30 inches of snow in the winter months. There is typically 50-90% humidity year-round. Summer temperatures may average 60-100 degrees with low in the 40-50s. MOST properties at Coastal Maine Vacations DO NOT have Air Conditioning (AC) fans are provided for guest comfort. Winter temperatures may vary widely from negative 10 to 50 degrees. Most properties in Coastal Maine Vacations have baseboard heat which may take several hours to register heat changes. Turning up thermostats to 90 does nothing for fast heat. Set Thermostats at 72 and allow the home to normalize. Most homes are set to 65 before your arrival. Coastal Maine Vacations, HOA’s and building managers make efforts to clear private drives, sidewalks, stairs and access points but in this environment ice and snow will always exist… take care while walking and moving about to avoid falls and slips. Some access points, stairs and decks may not be shoveled if it is not the primary access to the property, note that sometimes the garage is the primary access point. Driveways will be plowed when there is more than 6 inches overnight and there may be delays in equipment reaching properties as major roadways need to be cleared by the county first and foremost. Despite efforts, ice and snow will remain, ice melt is provided at properties. Decks, stairs, entranceways, sidewalks, driveways, paths and patios may be slippery; use caution at all times. Be cautious of roof overhangs where snow and ice are likely to build up and can suddenly fall from the roofline.

COMMON-USE AREAS & HOAs:

Condominiums and townhouses are managed by 3rd party Homeowners Associations (HOAs). These HOAs manage and control shared amenities which include but are not limited to outdoor grills, hot tubs, pool, fitness areas, parking structures and areas, picnic areas and landscaping. Be aware that during non-peak times amenities may be unavailable due to circumstances out of Coastal Maine Vacations control such as building and amenity maintenance or closures. Also, even during peak times HOAs may need to make buildings and amenities unavailable for emergency maintenance and other reasons out of Coastal Maine Vacations control. For no reason will Coastal Maine Vacations provide a refund if amenities are unavailable due to HOA closures or maintenance. Coastal Maine Vacations offers vacation rentals 365 days a year and has no control over the availability of amenities controlled by HOAs or complexes; nor does Coastal Maine Vacations have any obligation to disclose availability to guests. Coastal Maine Vacations will not provide any refunds to guests for the unavailability of such services.

TOWN & RESORT SERVICES:

Coastal Maine Vacations operates within many towns which offer wonderful events, entertainment, restaurants, cultural activities and more. Coastal Maine Vacations offers vacation rentals 365 days a year and has no control over the availability of resort, town or county services and activities; nor does Coastal Maine Vacations have any obligation to disclose availability to guests. Coastal Maine Vacations will not provide any refunds to guests for the unavailability of such services.

OWNERSHIP OF PROPERTY:

The guest acknowledges that they do not own or have any rights to the property. The guest may never alter the appearance or function of any part or contents of the property at any time (this includes but is not limited to paint, window coverings, furniture, appliances). Additionally, the guest may never employ directly or on the behalf of Coastal Maine Vacations or the homeowner a 3rd party contractor or vendor to perform any work or services within or to the property (this includes but is not limited to hiring housekeepers, handymen, contacting internet or TV providers directly). The guest may not move any furniture or electronics at any time. Guests are not allowed to disconnect any electronics to install their own devices like game consoles etc. Any damages to electronics due to violations of these policies will be the sole responsibility of the guest for repair or replacement. This is NOT covered under damage insurance as it is a willful violation of company policy.

FOR SALE:

Coastal Maine Vacations provides short-term rental services to properties that may be For Sale. If a property is For Sale, and a potential buyer would like to view or tour the property during a guest stay Coastal Maine Vacations will notify the guest prior to the showing. Coastal Maine Vacations will make every attempt to not interfere with your vacation to accommodate a showing. If a property is sold, reservations may be cancelled and refunded, or the guest may be moved to another comparable Coastal Maine Vacations property will be provided to the guest.

LIMITATION OF LIABILITY:

Coastal Maine Vacations assumes no liability for your stay in Maine or the activities that you take part in while here. The limit of Coastal Maine Vacations’ liability is the total amount of compensation we have received for your home rental.

CAMERAS:

For the protection of the home and homeowner’s rights to continue to rent their home, be advised that some homes have outdoor cameras that are in place to ensure compliance with County, Town or HOA Short-Term Rental rules (parking compliance, noise violations, trash violations, etc.) and violations of terms and conditions will result in guest fines, ticketing or even eviction. There are no cameras inside the homes.

AUTHORIZATION FOR CHARGES:

I hereby authorize Coastal Maine Vacations to charge my credit card for all charges related to my rental that may include damage to the property, excessive cleaning or trash, unpaid fees and charges applicable to the rental. If I booked through a 3rd party, I agree that Coastal Maine Vacations may pursue collections of monies due through the 3rd party and I agree that will comply with the policies and decisions of the 3rd party to award Coastal Maine Vacations reimbursement of any costs related to property damage, excessive cleaning or trash, unpaid fees, and charges applicable to the rental. I further agree that I will not charge back said charges. I agree not to dispute the charges made under this agreement. Guests understand that in some jurisdictions it is a crime to initiate a chargeback against accommodations. In the state of Maine a reservation is a legal contract and you can be held liable for charges if you cancel your reservation and it cannot be rented to another. Please review our cancellation policies for further details.

COLLECTION AGENCY ASSIGNMENT:

If you have charges that you have incurred either before or during your stay and have not paid them in a timely manner, Coastal Maine Vacations may at our own discretion turn the account over to a collection agency of our choice. If those charges get turned over to a collection agency, that collection agency can add additional collection charges to the original amount owed to cover the cost of collecting said debt from you. This will increase the amount owed at that time.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT:

By accepting this reservation, you acknowledge that you have read, and do hereby accept and will abide by the terms & conditions contained herein. If you have any questions, you can contact Coastal Maine Vacations directly.

REFUSAL:

If you do not agree with this contract, or do not want to sign it please contact us to cancel your reservation. Our insurance does not allow us to host individuals without a signed rental agreement. This contract provides protection and rights for guests, owners and the property management company that hosts the homes. If you have questions, feel free to reach out to us for clarification at 207.579.9989 This rental agreement may be changed at any time and without notice. (REV. 5.2.25)