FAQ

When do I need to pay to secure my booking?

A deposit of at least 25% is required when you make a booking. The booking deposit is shown on the booking form after you have filled in your required dates of stay. 

37 days before arrival, we send out a request for the remaining balance of your accommodation cost plus the security bond.

This should allow you plenty of time to ensure that your payment is credited to the owner 30 days before your arrival.

Bookings are not confirmed until the deposit has been paid.

What payment methods do you accept?

Payment is by direct bank deposit to the owners account.  

Beachcomber House, Connemara, Park Royal and Mahi Mahi can be paid by credit card: visa or mastercard only (2% merchant fee).

Sapphire Ridge can be paid for by Visa or Mastercard without a merchant fee. 

Owner contact details are provided on making a booking.

Can I get an invoice or receipt?

An invoice is issued when you make a booking request which shows the total amount due for the accommodation and for the refundable security bond. A receipt will be sent when the initial 25% deposit is paid and when the final payment + security bond is made 30 days before arrival.

What happens to my money if I have to cancel my stay?

We strongly recommend that you take out travel insurance to cover this event.

Cancellations made between 90-30 days before arrival result in the loss of your deposit. Cancellation within the 30 day period before arrival will result in the loss of all payment made except for the security bond and any cleaning fee which will be returned.

A deposit is made to secure a booking over a particular period of time - so we have given up the ability to sell that period of time. We do not, therefore, return deposits.

If you cancel within the 30 day period, we will try to sell those days. We usually have to discount when we are trying to sell a late cancellation. Any days of your booking that we are able to sell after your cancellation will be refunded to you, less a $100 administration fee.

If you have small changes to your requested dates, we will try to fit them in where ever possible as long as it does not affect the length of your stay.

Days will not be refunded if you depart earlier than planned.

We do not refund for a change of mind on arrival.

Please make sure that you have considered all aspects of the property, and feel free to ask as many questions as you would like prior to booking.

If we are forced to cancel a stay due to unforeseen circumstances such as a cyclone, fire, damage to the building, or sale of the property, you will be given a full refund and our sincere apologies for any inconvenience caused.

Will I get a full return of my Security Bond?

Your bond will be returned in full if the home is left clean and tidy with no damages. A return is usually given within 3 working days. However, if there is damage to the property, this may take longer to assess. For prompt return of your security bond, it is essential that you provide the owner (or Cairns Holiday Homes) with your bank account details (Bank name, account name, BSB number and account number) before arrival.

What do you mean by a "clean and tidy" home?

Holiday homes are not hotels where you can expect daily service. A home does not clean itself so please tidy up every day as you would in your own home.

Before departure, please tidy up and put away all kitchen items, tableware and cutlery. If you have an early departure it is fine to stack up the dishwasher before you go but don't turn it on.

The most important word here is tidy. That means putting things back where you found them. That includes furniture which you might have moved. Searching around for missing cutlery, remote controls or any item is incredibly time consuming. If you have lost something or broken a plate, please say so. You won't necessarily be charged for every breakage - owners do understand that some breakages come under "normal wear and tear" and are therefore a business cost.

Leave all bed linen on the beds but please don’t leave wet towels on the beds - hang them up. Bed linen stains due to fake tanning products are not normal wear and tear so please be considerate.

If you use the BBQ, please clean it before you leave.

Every home has a set cleaning time depending in the size of the home. If it takes significantly longer than usual to clean a home you may have a deduction from your bond to cover any extra cleaning cost. The cleaning cost is $35 per hour.

How many can stay at the holiday home?

Each property has a maximum number of guests allowed and this must not be exceeded.

There must be an adult (21 years of age or over) in the group staying.

The person making the booking and paying the bill will sign the registration form for the house.

Can we have a party?

Large gatherings for parties or weddings are not possible. No matter how considerate you might be, large gatherings always generate a lot of noise.
If we allowed parties, then there would probably be a party every week which would not be fair to your neighbours who are not on holiday and do not want their sleep disturbed..

You must enter the number of people in your group when booking. Each property has a maximum capacity as stated on each property page. That cannot be exceeded without letting the owner know before you arrive. Always ask first.

Of course, you may meet people during your stay or have local friends or relatives whom you would like to invite for drinks or dinner (15 max). That is fine provided that you are considerate of the facilities of the house and your neighbours.

Most houses are only equipped with extra cutlery, plates and glasses for 2-4 extra people.

May we have extra guests to stay?

Each home has a stipulated maximum number of guests allowed. You must not exceed this number or the number of guests that you entered on the booking form without first referring to us.

If you have extra guests such as a friend or family member who turns up at the last minute, that is fine provided you let us know and that the maximum number of guests (as stated on the website and in your booking confirmation) is not exceeded. In other words, sleeping on sofas or air-mattresses is not permitted unless specifically agreed to.

You may lose your deposit or be asked to leave if you exceed the maximum or do not keep us informed.

Do you have a minimum stay requirement?

Yes. Minimums vary at different times of the year. The various seasons, seasonal prices, minimum stays and security bond are shown in the Details section below the calendar.

The booking calendar will also show what the minimum stay is when you enter your required dates because you will not be able to enter less than the minimum. 

What do we do if we break something, or if an appliance breaks down?

Report the matter to the owner as soon as you can. 

We will try our best to get an appliance repaired or replaced but this might not always be possible within a short time frame.

There will be other guests coming after you so letting us know as soon as you can is very helpful for us to organise a repair or a replacment before they arrive.

Breakages or damage to household goods beyond normal wear and tear must be paid for.

We will organize the replacement items and deduct from the bond. If there is insufficient bond held to pay for the damage, you will be charged for the balance.

What do we do if we are unhappy about the presentation of the property or if something is not working?

Contact us immediately or as soon as you can. If you are not happy with the standard of cleanliness then neither are we. Occasionally a cleaner may miss something - usually on a same day departure and arrival where changeover time is limited. Whatever the reason, there is no excuse and we and the owner would like to put things right as quickly as possible. If you tell us after you have left, it is too late for us to do anything. 

If an item of equipment is not working, please let us know as soon as you can. We can then fix it or replace it.

Where do we pick up and drop off keys?

Most of our owners meet their guests and hand over keys in person.

If you have a very late or very early check-in/check-out and they are unable to come to the property, you will be told where to find or leave the keys.

You will always be given a contact number for any emergency concerning the home.

Please note – the loss of a key set will invoke a minimum deduction of $40 from the bond.

What do we need to bring with us?

All linen, towels including beach towels, tea towels etc are provided.

We do not service the home while you are there except for stays of longer than 2 weeks (by arrangement).

You will find a supply of cleaning equipment, soap, toilet paper, oil, salt and pepper, tea, coffee and milk available for you on arrival.

Please check each individual property on the website for the provision of Broadband Internet, Satellite TV, portacots and high chairs.

This information is available in each property description.

Is the property serviced?

Only between bookings. However, for longer bookings of 2 weeks or more, we will check with the owner about arranging a mid-stay service.

Holiday homes are not serviced on a daily basis like hotel rooms.

Consequently, guests are expected to look after their holiday home rental.

Please look after the home as you would your own home by keeping it clean and tidy.

What are your Check-in/Check-out times?

Check in time is 2pm, and check out time is 10 am.

If the house has not been booked the day before you arrive, or we are not expecting another guest on the day that you leave, we will try to be as flexible as possible with these times.

You should phone the owner a few days before you arrive/depart to see if this option is available.

Guests must check out at 10 am if there is another booking on the same day.

Failure to do so will result in the loss of $50 from your bond for every hour or part thereof over this time, as we will need to hire extra cleaners to have the house ready on time for the next guests arriving at 2pm.

We are relocating to the area, or have contract work for longer than 3 weeks.  Do you have a better rate for longer stays?

Yes we do. However, there is a limit of 42 nights for a single agreement. This is because a stay longer than 42 nights comes under the same legislation that covers long term rentals and which are formal leases - unlike the agreement which covers short term fully furnished accommodation. Staying longer requires renewing an agreement or setting up 2 or more agreements. 

Stays of longer than 2 weeks usually have different conditions attached concerning electrical use, cleaning and laundry.

I want to bring my pet along. Is this possible?

Yes. Several of our properties are pet-friendly (see individual property description). We only take dogs.

You may bring up to 2 well-behaved dogs to a pet friendly property. Dogs are not allowed inside the house.

A cleaning fee will apply, $35 per hour or part thereof, if soft furnishings have to be brushed free of hair and washed.

We ask all guests bringing dogs to give their pet a flea treatment before arrival.

You must pick up, bag and dispose of all poos from the garden. Please remember that there will be guests coming after you.

You are responsible for any damage to the property that is caused by your pet, and agree to pay for any damage.

Will the owner visit the property during my stay?

Some one will come to the property once a week for garden or pool maintenance. We try to avoid a visit when guests are staying but in peak seasons it may be unavoidable.

You will receive a phone call the day before to arrange a suitable time.

If your stay is longer than 2 weeks, the owner may do an internal house inspection.

This is to ensure that the bathrooms and kitchen are being kept well. Any cleaning deemed necessary will be pointed out,

and another inspection arranged. If this is not satisfactory on the second inspection, the owner has the right to call a professional cleaner to do the job and will deduct their fees from the bond.

Holiday homes are not serviced like a hotel room so it is essential that guests look after their rental home while staying. Cleaning equipment is provided.

Does the home have airconditioning and insect/security screens?

Each home is different, so please refer to the detailed description on the house page of our website.

Air-conditioners use a lot of electricity so we ask guests to be fair in their use of air-conditioners:

•      Please keep windows and doors shut when the air-conditioning is being used.
•      Please turn the air-conditioning off when not using a room or when leaving the home.

The remote control usually has a temperature range of 17-25 degrees. This is slightly misleading because setting the remote controller to a lower temperature does not produce colder air. It simply leaves the compressor running for longer which may eventually lower the temperature to the set level.

The problem with very low settings in our extremely humid conditions is that the air-conditioner can ice up if it is running continuously below 21 degrees. When it ices up it fails to remove moisture from the air efficiently.

It is the removal of moisture that makes us feel cooler rather than the absolute temperature.

For best and most efficient cooling please do not set the temperature below 21 degrees.

Some houses have a limit on the amount of electricity used. Sticking to the 21 degree guideline will in most cases ensure that guests do not exceed the limit and have a deduction from their bond.

Is the home wheelchair friendly?

Please check the description for each home.

At the moment, Shanee Prana and Daintree Peaks are the only homes with full wheelchair access to bathroom facilities.