have questions?

We've got the answers, check out the commonly asked questions below.

Booking

Yes. For bookings made at least 7 days before the arrival date, we offer a 24 hour cool off period from the point of booking confirmation, where guests can cancel for a 100% refund.

Before cancelling, please ensure that you have read and understood our cancellation policy

Our cancellation policies vary, and may offer full, partial or no refund depending on how close your cancellation is to your check-in date. In order to cancel your booking, please get in touch with your Guest Services agent via email or phone.

Refunds can take between 5-10 business days, depending on your bank / credit cards processing times. It’s important to note that we are only able to refund back to the original bank account or credit card used for the booking. You will receive an email confirmation of your refund after it has been processed.

Possibly. In order to make a change to your existing booking, you will need to get in touch with us. If your desired dates are not available on your property, we can help you find alternative properties.

It depends. Our rates get updated daily depending on demand and season. If the price on the property you like has increased then you will be unable to book under the old price.

Yes. To transfer your booking to another guest, you’ll need to get in touch with us. Please have all the relevant information to hand, including the details of the person you’ll be transferring the booking to. All lead guests must be over 25 years old.

You can get in touch with our guest services team via phone, email or live chat on our site.

Check-in

Yes, a member of our guest services team will be waiting there for you when you arrive. As they get there before you, they’ll be inside the property. Because we send one of our friendly faces from our office, it’s really important we know your arrival time. If you are going to be running late, or indeed early, please let us know as soon as soon you can so that we can we can reschedule your arrival appointment.

The lead guest is the person who arrives at the property to stay. This person can be different from the one who made the booking, but you must let us know if that’s going to be the case when you book. One other thing – the lead guest must be over the age of 25.

Yes, the lead guest will have to, so we can check their details against the booking record, and make sure it is their credit or debit card that will be pre-authorised (see ‘Do you need to take a security deposit for our stay?’ below). So do please make sure the lead guest has brought along some form of ID.

Yes. On arrival we will pre-authorise a credit or debit card in your name. We'll pre-authorise a ‘hold’ on the card for £100, and it will be held until you check out.

In certain circumstances we can allow the booker to pre-authorise the card before the stay, so that the lead guest can complete arrival without having to go through the process. For that to happen, the booker will need to complete a third-party billing authorisation form (not as scary as it sounds), as well as provide copies of both sides of the credit card to be authorised, and their photo ID (passport or driving licence). Don’t worry, our guest services team can help you out with all of this.

You’ll normally receive two sets of keys per property, although for some properties this may vary. Our staff will give them to you once the lead guest’s ID has been checked, and the deposit has been pre-authorised.

Yes, absolutely. These will be presented to you, and explained, by our team on check-in, along with details of the wifi network and password. Please make sure you do stick to the rules.

Check-out

Usually yes, however that may vary depending on your check out time. Some guests might have a flight to catch at 4am! In those cases, prior arrangements will be made with our team and the guest can simply lock the door and put the keys through the letter box. We will check over the property later that day.

It varies, therefore our team will explain exactly what you’ll need to do when you leave the property. In addition, it will be explained in the House Rules, a copy of which will be given to you upon your arrival.

We will release the hold when we meet you for check-out and inspect the property as well as receive the keys.

Check-in & Check-out times

Standard check-in is from 15:00pm. Standard check-out is any time before 11:00am.

Yes. If you know that you’re arriving early then tell us and you can choose to use our free bag drop service. The process is the same: we meet you at the home, pre-authorise a credit or debit card and check ID, so you can then get the keys, drop your bags and then leave the home whilst we continue to prepare it. You can then return any time after 15:00. It’s a great chance to start exploring the local neighbourhood where you’ll be staying.

Of course. We know that not all flights land at sociable hours. If you’re arriving before 15:00, we can offer you early check-in. In these cases we block the home off to all other bookings the day before your arrival, so we have enough time to clean and prepare it the night before your arrival. This is subject to home availability and may have a fee, just have a chat with our team.

Yes, but of course it's is subject to availability and a fee.

If you are arriving before 15:00, you can opt for the bag drop option (see ‘Can we leave our bags with you if we arrive a bit early?’ above), which will enable you to leave your bags at the property. For any other times, just get in touch and we'll make other arrangements.

ONCE INSIDE

For security reasons, we don't write the house/flat numbers on the listings, although we write the street. The number will be given to you by Guest Services after the booking has been confirmed.

Many of the things you’d expect from a hotel, and some you wouldn’t:

  • Fluffy towels, and boutique toiletries
  • A hairdryer
  • A starter pack of washing up equipment, and dishwasher and washing machine tablets
  • Various kitchen utensils, plus an iron, ironing board and vacuum cleaner
  • Nespresso
  • A welcome pack, with some nibbles to keep you going after your journey.

If you’re staying with us for 7 nights or more, you’ll also receive a free maid service, where we’ll change your bed linens and towels, give you fresh toiletries and generally make things sparkle. We can arrange additional maid services for you which will cost a little extra– please get in touch with us to find out more.

We do a thorough inspection before and after each stay. If we do find damage, we’ll get in touch with you.

All the properties shown on our site are private residences and you will be the only people staying in there during your booking. Which means it's more private than a hotel, because housekeeping won't be entering without knocking every two hours.

The extras

You can book more maid services if you wish. The cost depends on the number of bedrooms the home you’re staying in has, and whether you want a standard or deluxe service. Get in touch with our team to find out more and book.

We can provide cribs for babies or young children and can also provide you with highchairs, should you need them, just let us know in the notes at the point of booking.

If you have extra guests, we can supply 2 single foldable beds with mattresses which can be set up anywhere you wish. That's why you may see for example "2 Bedroom flat", but in the description it "sleeps 6" We will make them up with our linens and place them in the home ready for your arrival. Just let guest services know when you book.

Travelling into London

If you’re a guest flying from outside the UK, and arriving at one of London’s three main airports (Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted), please be aware that if your flight is long haul, it can take between 1-2 hours to clear customs and immigration. If you’re flying short haul, that wait can be up to 60 minutes, depending on the time of day you’re travelling. You can find out more information from:www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/customs-travel/customs

All three major airports have express train services into the centre of London:

  • Heathrow Express: This goes direct from the airport into London Paddington Station in 15 minutes. Tickets cost about £20-£25 www.heathrowexpress.com
  • Gatwick Express: This goes direct from the airport into London Victoria Station in 30 minutes. Tickets cost about £20. www.gatwickexpress.com
  • Stansted Express: This goes direct from the airport into London Liverpool Street Station in 47 minutes. Tickets cost just over £20. www.stanstedexpress.com

Heathrow is the only major London airport on the Underground network. All five terminals are on the Piccadilly Line (the dark blue one), and the journey to Piccadilly Circus takes around 40 – 50 minutes. It’s a cost-effective choice, but not a good option if you have lots of luggage. For more information and the tube map see:www.tfl.gov.uk/assets/downloads/standard-tube-map.pdf

Some of our properties do have parking facilities: ask, and we’ll let you know about those. For those that don’t the following parking website should help you out: www.parkopedia.co.uk

You should now be all set for your stay with us. If you haven’t found the answer you were looking for, just get in touch.

Safe travels, and see you soon.

- Guest Services Team