IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR STAY AT HIDEAWAY COTTAGE

Thank you for choosing to enjoy your vacation at Hideaway cottage and the beautiful community of Laguna Beach, Florida. In order to ensure your stay will be as pleasurable as I know it can be I have some requests and recommendations so please read this information I have created for you.

These are the Rental Terms and Conditions that comprise your entire Rental Agreement for Hideaway cottage which you acknowledge you fully understand and accept:

CHECK IN: Check in is 4:00 p.m. Central time. Please do not arrive prior to 4:00 p.m. and ask for an early check in. My housekeeper is paid to clean the cottage from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. so as to make it properly presentable and in the manner in which it should be for you as my valued guest. This is for your benefit so please allow her the time I have given her to do her job on your behalf.

CHECK OUT: Check out is 10:00 a.m. Central time, promptly please. Late departure WILL incur a $50.00 charge to be deducted from your security deposit. If my housekeeper arrives at 10:00 a.m. and has to leave and return later to clean my home because it has not been vacated you will be charged a $50.00 trip charge for the housekeeper in addition to the late departure charge that WILL be assessed.

Upon departure, please complete the following:

1) Please place all dishes in the dishwasher and start the clean cycle.

2) Please leave all sheets ON the beds.

3) Please do not launder ANY of the linens, including towels. I am required by the health department to launder all linens in a manner that disinfects them properly so please leave the laundry for my housekeeper.

4) Please leave all towels on the towel racks and not in the laundry basket or on the floor. This is to prevent them from mildewing and having to be thrown away because mildew stains cannot be removed.

5) Please place all properly bagged, tied and secured trash in the trash cans located outside, beside the front cottage on the south side of the property. Trash collection is twice weekly on Tuesday and Friday. Please put your trash out the night before as the trash truck comes by around 6 a.m.

6) Please dispose of all opened food you do not want to take home with you. If you have unopened food you do not wish to take home you may leave it for my housekeeper as it is always appreciated.

7) Please make sure all windows and doors are properly locked. This is very important in case it rains after you leave and the housekeeping staff has not yet arrived to make sure all windows and doors are properly secured.

SECURITY DEPOSITS: A cash security deposit in the amount of $1,000.00 will be taken with your initial payment to insure the property against any damage that might occur during your stay. In the event there is any damage to my home in excess of the coverage provided for by this cash deposit, you as the leaseholder are responsible to me for any additional damage costs for repair or replacement. In the event of non-payment by you for any additional damage and I am forced to seek payment through legal channels, any and all costs incurred to recover lost damages including legal fees will also become your responsibility as the leaseholder. This $1,000.00 cash deposit will be refunded to you once your stay has ended and my housekeeper informs me the cottage was left properly upon thorough inspection post departure. I, as the owner, will also inspect the cottage post departure to be assured of its condition.

GOOD FAITH: I expect that you will be honest and let me know if there is any damage prior to my housekeeper finding it and informing me. I will do my best to treat you properly and ask that you do the same.

RESERVATION DEPOSITS: A 50% advance payment is required in the form of a personal check to be mailed to me at the address I provide. Balance of payment is due 3 weeks into the rental term, also payable via personal check.

CANCELLATIONS: You must contact me if you decide you must cancel. Cancellation or early departure for any reason whatsoever, including inclement weather, does not warrant any refund once your stay has begun. If cancellation occurs less than 60 days prior to your contracted arrival date, guest is responsible for full payment of the reservation. If I am forced to obtain payment through legal channels for a reservation cancelled less than the 60 day cancellation period, any and all fees incurred to obtain payment from the guest will also become the responsibility of the guest. In the event of an impending hurricane and you are REQUIRED to leave the cottage once your stay has begun (mandatory evacuation is called by our appropriate local government agency) I will be happy to reschedule the balance of your trip during a like time period in the future- scheduling permitting. No refunds are given for late arrivals. 



RATE: Rate includes a one-time linen and towel set-up and cleaning service upon departure. Daily maid service is not included. If additional service is required please let me know when you make your reservation and I will be happy to arrange this for you at an additional charge.

SMOKING: HIDEAWAY COTTAGE IS A NO SMOKING PROPERTY. EVIDENCE OF SMOKING INSIDE MY HOME WILL INCUR AN AUTOMATIC FORFEITURE OF YOUR ENTIRE SECURITY DEPOSIT DUE TO THE EXTENSIVE CLEANING REQUIRED TO MAKE THE COTTAGE ACCEPTABLE TO MY NEXT GUEST.

PLEASE!!! NO CIGARETTE BUTTS IN THE YARD! DRY PINE STRAW IN THE YARD CATCH FIRE VERY EASILY. PLEASE FIND AN APPROPRIATE RECEPTACLE FOR ALL TOBACCO PRODUCTS AND MATCHES.

PETS: PLEASE LEAVE ANY AND ALL PETS AT HOME. EVIDENCE OF A PET INSIDE MY HOME AT ANY TIME DURING YOUR STAY WILL INCUR AN AUTOMATIC FORFEITURE OF YOUR ENTIRE SECURITY DEPOSIT DUE TO THE EXTENSIVE CLEANING REQUIRED AND YOU WILL NEVER BE ALLOWED TO RETURN. DO NOT SNEAK YOUR PETS INTO MY COTTAGE. PLEASE BOARD THEM OR ASK SOMEONE TO WATCH THEM WHILE YOU ARE AWAY. I HAVE MANY GUESTS WITH PET ALLERGIES SO I TRY TO KEEP THE COTTAGE AS USER FRIENDLY AS POSSIBLE FOR ALL PARTIES. PLEASE BE CONSIDERATE OF OTHERS.

OUT DOOR GRILLING: PLEASE USE THE BARBECUE GRILL ON THE DECK ONLY! THE BARBECUE GRILL IS NOT TO BE TAKEN INSIDE THE FRONT PORCH TO USE. IT IS A FIRE HAZARD TO USE THE GRILL UNDER AN AWNING AND IS PROHIBITED BY THE FIRE MARSHAL. BEACH WINDS ARE EVER CHANGING AND UNCERTAIN AND CAN TURN A BARBECUE FLAME INTO A FULL-BLOWN FIRE IN MOMENTS! PLEASE DO NOT JEOPARDIZE MY HOME FOR A FEW MINUTES OF PLEASURE OR CONVENIENCE! PLEASE DO NOT LEAVE YOUR GRILL UNATTENDED AT ANY TIME. ADDITIONALLY, THE GRILL WILL BE CLEAN WHEN YOU ARRIVE. IF YOU USE THE GRILL PLEASE DUMP ALL ASH INTO THE TRASH BAGS PROVIDED WHICH ARE LOCATED UNDER THE KITCHEN SINK AND PLACE THE ASH INTO THE OUTSIDE TRASH CANS PRIOR TO YOUR DEPARTURE. DO NOT DUMP THE ASH INTO MY GARDEN UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCE WHATSOEVER OR YOU WILL FORFEIT YOUR ENTIRE SECURITY DEPOSIT FOR MY LAWN CARE COMPANY TO CLEAN UP AFTER YOU. THE YARD IS INSPECTED AFTER EACH GUEST DEPARTURE FOR CIGARETTE BUTTS, TRASH, BBQ GRILL ASH, SO IF YOU LEAVE ANY OF THESE IN THE YARD, I WILL BE INFORMED BY MY HOUSEKEEPING STAFF ON THE DAY OF YOUR DEPARTURE AND YOU WILL BE CHARGED ACCORDINGLY FOR CLEAN-UP SERVICE.

CARS: Automobiles must be parked off the street. I can accommodate ONE car in the driveway on the SOUTHWEST side of the front cottage on the lot. DO NOT park in the parking space on the NORTHWEST side of the front cottage. This is my personal parking space and I am known to arrive at the cottage at any time and want to be able to park at the front cottage. If you disregard these parking directions and park here anyway and your vehicle leaks oil onto the white shell driveway, you will automatically forfeit your entire security deposit to clean the oil from the driveway. No exceptions.

BEACH TOWELS: Beach towels and beach blankets are not provided so please plan on bringing these with you from home.

OCCUPANCY: Please note that your reservation has been accepted and confirmed based on the number of guests stated at the time you made your reservation. No other guests are allowed into my home. Renters found to exceed the original stated number of guests will be escorted from the premises by the Bay County Sheriff’s Department personnel. Any reservation obtained under false pretense will be subject to forfeiture of advance payment, security deposit, and/or entire rental fee and the party will not be permitted to check in.

Maximum occupancy for Hideaway cottage is 2 guests. No contract will be entered into with any person age 28 or less. Photo identification either in the form of a valid driver’s license or passport will be required to reserve Hideaway cottage.

For onsite needs at Hideaway Cottage please call:

Housekeeping: Linda Presnell @ 850-699-8155

Owner/manager: Denise Smith @ 615-881-8000

Hideaway cottage phone number is 850-588-8141

I WISH YOU A LOVELY STAY AT HIDEAWAY COTTAGE!

THANK YOU FOR YOUR BUSINESS!