Terms and conditions for a bed and breakfast business

About this document

This set of T&C is suitable for any bed and breakfast business or boutique hotel - one where accomodation is offered, but additional services such as hire of conference rooms cannot be booked separately.

The template follows industry standards, and can be customised easily to suit your business. These terms are not set up for taking money via your website. If you take payment online, you should use this document on your website instead or as well as this one.

These T&C should give your guests realistic expectations about the service you provide and give no case for argument that you haven't made them aware of the rules. While there are always going to be difficult guests, having well written T&C should make it easier and less costly to resolve problems and disagreements.

Presentation

In the hotel and leisure industry, many contractual terms are also part of the explanation of what is provided (for example, what is included in the price of a room, or how a customer can cancel a reservation). We have followed the industry practice of presenting the terms in a style that does to look like a legal document and that does not use legal jargon.

That does not mean that the legal effect is in any way diminished. A clear, concise document written in plain English will benefit your business far more than a verbose one written in legalistic language. Guests are more likely to book and stay with you because:

• you set their expectations in advance as to what their stay will be like

• the tone is friendly and welcoming rather than intimidating

• the professionalism reflected in your terms is likely to be extended across other areas of your business

• they understand the rules of staying with you (particularly important in a business where many of your customers are unlikely to be native speakers)

The document itself has been written for print and used when guests walk in "off the street".

The law in this document

The law in these T&C is largely common law that deals with the basics of contracts: offer, acceptance, price and payment, provision of service, liabilities and risk. That means that, by and large, you can set the terms you want. Our guidance notes will tell you what you can change safely, and what we don't advise changing.

Alternative documents

If you are running a larger hotel, where facilities such as a swimming pool or conference rooms can be hired by non-guests, then this document will be more suitable. The equivalent document where services are booked via a website can be found here.

Document contents

The template includes provisions that cover:

• Contract: formed on the acceptance of the hotelier or B&B owner
• Security of credit card payment
• Price and payment
• Reservation and cancellation
• Arrival and departure
• Minimum contractual position
• Restrictions on the actions of guests during a stay
• Disclaimers and limitation of liability
• Indemnity
• Other miscellaneous legal provisions