FAQ For Guests
Holiday Rentals Australia - Dedicated holiday rentals experts on your team
Frequently asked questions for Guests
What is your cancellation policy for bookings?
Full refund for cancellations up to 30 days before check-in. If booked fewer than 30 days before check-in, full refund for cancellations made within 48 hours of booking and at least 14 days before check-in. After that, 50% refund up to 7 days before check-in. No refund after that.
How do i pay for my booking?
When paying for your booking made directly through us you can make payment by bank transfer into our company Trust Account free of charge. If you wish to pay by debit or credit card then some transaction surcharges do apply of up to 3.4%. If you live overseas and want to pay by bank transfer we recommend the payment service by TransferWise (www.wise.com) to get you the best possible exchange rate and lowest international payment fees.
When do i have pay for my booking?
A deposit payment of 30% of the total booking cost (rental, cleaning and security deposit) is payable to confirm the booking at the time of making it with the balance due 14 days before arrival.
Is bedding and towels provided for guests in your properties?
Yes, all bedding and towels are provided clean for all guest stays with the beds ready-made. Beds come with a fitted and flat sheet plus a duvet/doona/bedcover with a freshly laundered cover for each stay. Beds have two pillows, one thicker and one thinner pillow both with fresh, clean pillow cases. Each guest gets a full-size bath towel and there is a bathmat and handtowel in each bathroom.
What items are included in the properties?
Unfortunately we can't give you a standard answer to this as each property is different but there are some basics we can cover for you. All apartments comes with:
Fridge, freezer, oven, stove top, microwave, plates, cutlery, glasses, cups, saucepans, cooking utensils, bedding, towels, doona/duvet/bedcover, pillows, tv, free unlimited wifi internet, hand soap, shampoo, bodywash, toilet paper, hair dryer.
If there is something you are particularly hoping to make use of during our stay please get in touch with us to check if your chosen property has that item.
How do we get access to the property?
Over the years, we've seen so many guests staying with other hosts and companies wandering the streets looking lost and anxious, staring at vague instructions that don't seem to make sense. No one loves the stress of arriving feeling lost so we do everything we can to remove that hurdle for you. We provide very detailed, step-by-step instructions along with photos of essential parts of the steps. Many guests have praised these instructions as being precisely what they needed. In some cases, where the property is a bit complicated to explain, we also provide a video showing you exactly what to do, which helps make things simpler.
Are there any additional charges we should be aware of?
We like to be clear and upfront with our charges to make sure there are no hidden charges for you in ordinary circumstances. The security deposit is refundable providing there has been no damage during your stay and the cleaning charge is shown clearly and separately on your booking. If you're booking through a site like Airbnb the security deposit is like a pre-authorisation on your account, if booking directly we take payment from you and refund within 7 days after your stay. We would like to note the cleaning charge covers the laundry as well but this is routine cleaning only. If bedding is heavily soiled or the property requires extensive cleaning following your stay then you will be liable to additional cleaning costs.
When paying for your booking made directly through us you can make payment by bank transfer into our company Trust Account free of charge. If you wish to pay by debit or credit card then some transaction surcharges do apply of up to 3.4%. If you live overseas and want to pay by bank transfer we recommend the payment service by TransferWise (www.wise.com) to get you the best possible exchange rate and lowest international payment fees.
What is the security deposit for?
The security deposit is a payment made in advance or pre-authorisation on your account if booking through sites like Airbnb that is held during your stay in case there is any damage, breakages or cleaning required at the end of your stay beyond what would be considered reasonable. It has been very rare that we need to claim on a guest's deposit because most are very considerate and take care of the properties but accidents do happen.
What does the cleaning charge cover?
The cleaning charge covers standard, routine cleaning of the apartment and washing of all bedding and towels following your stay. On departure we ask guests to leave the apartment neat and tidy with any dishwasher having been run and emptied and rubbish bags placed in the designated rubbish disposal areas for the building. If extended cleaning needs to be done for things like large messes in the kitchens, sticky child handprints all over the place, or marks on the bedding and towels for example then there may be an extra charge payable. If there are any cleaning issues we should be aware of on departure it is a significant help to be contacted by guests in advance of the cleaners turning up. Our ability to allow extra time for the cleaning following being advised by guests can really mitigate any additional costs for you.
Do we have to clean the property at the end of our stay?
No, don't worry, we don't expect you to clean but guests should be aware one of the ways booking sites asks us to review guests is on the cleanliness of a property after a stay. For us to give a guest a five star top rating we would expect everything to be put back where you found it at the start of your stay, the dishwasher having been run and emptied and the apartment left neat and tidy. That's not really a big undertaking, most guests see these things as a simple common courtesy they would do if they were staying in anyone's home as a visitor.
What do we need to do for checkout?
Each apartment comes with a printed Welcome Letter that gives you lots of useful information including what you need to do prior to checkout and where you need to leave the keys. Each property is slightly different but typically we ask you to put your rubbish bags in the external rubbish bins and leave the keys in a designated safe place.
What happens if we need help during our stay?
As a professional agency we know how important it to be there for you when something goes wrong so all guests are provided with a number they can call 24 hours a day for emergencies. We do politely urge guests to only use it for emergencies outside working hours for things that are vital for your safety or that of the property.