FAQs

You can read our full terms and conditions for booking a UK holiday home here: Terms and Conditions

If you are bringing your dog to one of our dog-friendly cottages or lodges, please read the relevant Terms and Conditions here: Dog Terms & Conditions

All of our UK holiday homes are self-catering so you will need to bring your own provisions, however our kitchens include a full inventory of typical items you would find in your own kitchen so you shouldn’t need to bring anything with you. We will include some matches, dishwasher tablets, kitchen roll, cling film, foil and washing powder to get you started.

Each luxury self-catering UK holiday home includes the following items to make your stay more comfortable. Where properties differ slightly in their offering and included items, this is clear within the individual property’s information.

• a seasonal welcome hamper
• a digital property guide to help you with the property and the local area during your stay
• 1 x travel size luxury toiletries: a shampoo, shower gel and a soap per bedroom
• high quality bed linen and bath towels
• a hairdryer in each bedroom
• bathrobes in most properties with hot tubs
• an initial stock of basic cleaning products
• an initial stock of refuse and recycling bags
• an initial stock of toilet roll
• a stock of kindling, logs and firelighters
• washing facilities with washing powder, iron and ironing board

Children and Infants: Please visit the individual property page to see if a travel cot and high chair are provided. Please note that neither bedding not a soft mattress is provided for the travel cot so you will need to bring this with you. Some properties can also offer a z-bed with bedding suitable for a child up to 12 years old, at a small additional charge of £25.

A travel cot and a high chair are available in each property, with some properties having two of each available. These are complimentary and must be arranged at least 7 days prior to arrival.

The travel cots have a typical travel cot base. Guests should bring their own bedding and a mattress for the cots as we do not provide this for hygiene reasons.

A number of properties have stairgates fitted, and where this is the case it is noted on the property floor plan. Fire guards are provided where there is an open fire, but not in the case of a log burning stove. Please ask for further information.

One to two z-beds for children of 2-10 years can be provided in a number of properties, at an additional charge from £25 each. Bedding is included in the price. It is not allowed to bring your own beds; we need to know the occupancy of the property to comply with insurance and health & safety policies.

You are welcome to bring your dog with you to one of our many luxury dog-friendly cottages, houses and lodges. North Yorkshire is perfect for dog-friendly holidays, with so much choice for lovely, varied walks through some of Britain’s most stunning countryside. Dogs will be charged at £10 per pet per night, and a maximum of two are allowed in most properties. We are not able to accept any pets apart from dogs in our properties.

We also offer the option to stay in a pet free property, however, this does not guarantee that there has not been any pets in the property at any point

Please read these Dog Terms and Conditions before booking your holiday in Yorkshire.

What does dog friendly mean?

Our properties being dog-friendly means they are most welcome there. We do a thorough clean after every stay to ensure all dog hairs are clear so that they maintain a five-star standard for every arrival. Not every one of our UK dog-friendly holiday homes has an escape-proof outside area, but our team can help you narrow down your search if you would like to know more about the garden enclosure.

Yes, you can. You can choose to buy one for your chosen holiday home or they can be used at any UK holiday home within the collection. They can also be redeemed against a stay and any time of year. Please contact us and we will process this for you over the phone.

Purchase a Gift Voucher

We do not offer holiday home insurance directly, but we do recommend taking it out to protect against unforeseen circumstances. If you need any information for your insurance provider please get in touch.

We also strongly recommend that the policy covers you for personal liability claims if accidental damage was to be caused by your party during your stay.

You can login here: guest login page.

The login details will have been emailed to you when you made your first booking.

We spread the by asking for a deposit of a 1/3 on placing the booking, and the balance payment request is emailed to you 8 weeks before your arrival. The deposit is due within 24 hours of placing a provisional booking, and you will receive your booking confirmation email.

For bookings made within eight weeks of the arrival date we will require the payment in full on confirmation. If you would like to pay off more of your balance before this is due, you can do this by logging into your account and making an online payment.

A non-refundable £10 booking fee applies to every booking.

Payments:

Payment can be made by bank transfer or by debit/credit card. Your booking confirmation and balance reminder will include a link to log in to your account online to make payments or amendments to your booking. You can also call us if you are having any issues paying online.

Payment by cheque is possible only with prior confirmation from Holiday at Home reception team.

We accommodate weekend breaks, midweek getaways and week-long stays. Most of our property’s ‘changeover’ days are Fridays and Mondays. Some of our properties do offer arrival on other days of the week, especially for late availability and quieter seasons; you will be able to see this by going through the individual property’s availability calendar.

A booking fee of £10 applies (including VAT) for all bookings.

You may like to book in with one of our partners who are tried and tested local companies or individuals to enhance your stay. These ‘Extras’ are outlined on each property’s page, and they do get busy so early booking is best which can be done through reception by emailing [email protected].

Each partner will be clear on what they bring with them, so you don’t need to lift a finger. For the dining, menu choices and dietary requirements need to be emailed to reception at least 10 days before your arrival. Flowers, activities with Alfresco Adventures and Love Science can be booked online. For dining, beauty treatments, and personal training/fitness you pay by cash or cheque on the day.

Please note that all Partners who attend the property must have public liability insurance appropriate for the service they are providing. This is particularly important for the Private Chefs.

Our Exclusives

10 days before your stay you will receive a pre-arrival email asking you to call us so we can take a pre-cautionary damage security deposit. We take the details of your debit or credit card as a pre-authorisation to be held securely using SagePay until after you depart. We will only charge your card in the event of damage to the property or its contents after we have informed you. The card details will not be held after your departure if no issues are reported.

After your stay, if the property sustained damage, loss of contents or any reasonable additional costs, we would get in touch regarding deductions from your deposit before charging any monies. This does not include normal wear and tear and minor incidentals.

For some of our largest properties, a refundable deposit will be required and you will be informed during your booking process. This will be taken a week before arrival.

For full details of the Damage Policy, please refer to our Terms & Conditions. We reserve the right to hold the security deposit details for longer than four weeks if there is a dispute over damage, or we are awaiting bills/proof of damage.

We have a selection of properties suited to guests using wheelchairs or those with reduced mobility. Discover our accessible properties here. Our properties each have a floor plan online to help you better understand the property layout as all our UK holiday homes do vary. Many of our properties have access statements, and our team on reception can guide you through any further information you require.

We have shower seats, ramps and portable grab handles available which are complimentary at a selection of properties, however these must be requested 7 days prior to arrival.

For guests with specific requirements please always get in touch in advance so we can prepare the house for your arrival or recommend which accommodation is most suitable.

As we are professional self-catering UK holiday home company rather than letting out owner’s homes, in many of our properties we have been able to configure our bedrooms so they can be set up as either twin beds or double beds. Almost all our double beds are either king or super king size. You will be asked what set-up you would like during the booking process, and you can change it later if you need to.

Many of our properties are independently owned and as such no VAT is payable. Where VAT is payable the tax is included in the booking value. The prices published on the website and agreed to on the booking confirmation are the final price. If you have any questions, please do get in touch.

No refunds will be given in the event of a cancellation, unless we can resell the property over the booked dates, in which case a full or partial refund may be given. Within 8 weeks of arrival, the deposit will be non-refundable, and the balance payment will be refunded if the dates are resold. A cancellation fee of £75 inc vat will apply for all cancelled bookings in addition to any further applicable charges to cover the cost of administration and remarketing.

You can find out more in our Terms and Conditions, Paragraph 4. Please contact us should you have any questions.

We highly recommend you take out your own holiday insurance, which can also cover accidental damage during your stay. We do not offer holiday insurance but there are lots of portals offering quotations online.

If your guest numbers significantly change it may be possible to transfer your booking to a bigger property. An administrative charge may apply.

In the case of additional services (e.g. chefs, treatments) being booked for the cancelled dates, it remains the responsibility of the Guest to cancel these directly with the supplier, or to request Holiday at Home do so where the agency has arranged the service directly.

Yes we do, for guests who rebook within 10 days; we will send you a voucher code after your departure.

For guests who regularly rebook, we run a loyalty scheme which spans all properties in the Holiday at Home collection.

We appreciate you recommending us, so we also have a great Refer-a-Friend scheme; you earn a £50 off voucher for every new guest you refer to us, and they also get £50 off. Find out more here.

After the booking has been paid in full, you will receive a pre-arrival email 10 days before your arrival date which includes confirmation of the booking information, arrival times, travel directions and how to pick up the keys for the property. To check on the bedroom configuration or what extras you have requested in the meantime you will be able to log into your online account at any time, the details of which are sent to you with your first booking.

Where will the keys be?

Instructions for how to collect the keys will be included in the pre-arrival email, approximately 10 days before arrival. The keys are typically in a key safe.

We normally invite you to arrive from 4pm and vacate your property between 10am. Your booking confirmation email will confirm the exact time.

We do endeavour to offer some flexibility, and early arrival and lazy check out can sometimes be arranged, especially out of high season, from only £40. Contact us a week before your stay to check availability.

On arrival we ask that you check in online, to let us know you’ve arrived safely and to confirm everything is tip-top.

A seasonal welcome hamper will be waiting for you in your property on arrival. The products included do vary throughout the year as we try to stay seasonal and everything is locally sourced in Yorkshire. An example hamper includes Acorn Dairy milk, Yorkshire Tea, our specially brewed Lonton coffee, a cake from a local bakery or Yorkshire biscuits, Yorkshire crisps, and a hamper bag you’re welcome to take with you to reuse.

Please bear in mind that welcome packs are at the discretion of each individual owner. To find out what is provided, please do ask during your pre-arrival call with our Reception team.

Holiday at Home has a list of recommended independent suppliers. After the initial enquiry Holiday at Home will put the supplier and guest in contact directly, as is relevant.

We do allow external suppliers such as beauty therapists, private chefs and activity organisers on the understanding that Holiday at Home will be notified of this in advance of arrival, and that the supplier has valid and appropriate public liability insurance documentation. It is the Guest’s responsibility to ensure the property Terms are adhered to.

Holiday at Home reserves the right to refuse to access to a supplier on behalf of the property Owner in the case of them not meeting the property terms and conditions. Holiday at Home cannot accept liability for any external suppliers.

If you have guests joining you for only part of your stay, please let us know so we can include the correct bed linen and bath towels. The maximum occupancy is clearly outlined on each property’s information.

If you expect to have guests join you just for the day in your luxury UK holiday home, we appreciate you letting us know how many people this will be in advance of your arrival. Not all properties are suitable for day guests, and this will be stated in the booking confirmation. Do bear in mind appropriate guest numbers for the size of the property, as well as parking restrictions.

All our properties include complimentary access to Wi-Fi. The password, where applicable, can be found in the property.

When you arrive at the property you will find a guest book with helpful information about your UK holiday home. We also have more information about discovering the local area. If you cannot find what you need here you can contact the Holiday at Home reception 7 days a week.

You will be asked in the guest book to “Check-In” to let us know everything is ok. If you are unhappy or are experiencing problems during your stay, please contact us. Please do not leave it until you have returned home as we are unable to help by that point.

There is an out-of-hours number for emergencies detailed in the guest book.

We kindly request that you vacate your property by 10am on your day of departure, unless specifically agreed otherwise. This will ensure that we have time to prepare the property to the same high standard for the next guests. Departing guests are requested to please lock the property and pop the key back as outlined in the pre-arrival email. You do not need to have cleaned your property before departure, but we ask you put on the dishwasher for any remaining dirty items.

In each property, there are detailed instructions on how to use the hot tub and hot to ensure the water is tested safely. Holiday at Home requires all its properties to observe HSG282 regulations for maintaining hot tubs, and should you have any questions please get in touch.

Read more on hot tub safety and guidance in your property guestbook on arrival.

More on our hot tub cotages.

We understand how wear and tear is inevitable during your stay, including the odd broken glass or chipped plate. We ask that you contact Reception or leave a note on the guest feedback form to notify the owner if something is broken during your stay so this can be fixed/replaced before the next guests arrive.

For more serious damage or more expensive items to replace, the amount will be taken from your security deposit. Please ensure you notify us of any damage as soon as possible.

Read out Terms for our comprehensive damage policy.

We feel very proud to have so many guests return time and again, whether to their firm favourite or to try a new property every time. You can become a loyalty card holder as the lead guest after your 3rd visit to any Holiday at Home property. This entitles you to a 5% discount off your 4th+ booking.

Being one of our loyalty cardholders also gives you access to hot new properties before anyone else, and exclusive offers throughout the year.

Our Loyalty Terms and Conditions

If you refer us to your friends and family and they place a booking with us for the first time they benefit from a £50 voucher towards their stay and you receive a £50 Holiday at Home voucher when they depart! The more new friends and family you refer, the more credit you earn.

Simply ask them to quote your name when they book over the phone, or if they are booking online then ask them to select the Booking Source dropdown = Refer a Friend.

You can also share their details with us via email, copying them into the email, and we will get in touch with them directly.

Whichever way you recommend us, thank you and we will take care of the rest. We’re looking for more friends like you!

Contact us to make a recommendation.

We offer 5% off to guests who rebook within 14 days of departure. The code will be sent to you after your departure.

We also offer a credit to every guest who recommends our property to a new guest who books; to avail this £50 voucher please read more above.