Covid-19 cancellation policy for Charles Marlow holiday rentals

The holiday and travel sectors are under a lot of pressure at the moment due to the outbreak of Covid-19 and the insecurity that comes with it. On 13th March 2020 Charles Marlow thus took the initiative to add specific Covid-19-related clauses to our rental contracts. This way, we can work to try and secure our rental guests better cancellation options – without harming our trusted homeowners.

Why do I need a special Covid-19 cancellation policy?

The Charles Marlow team together in Deia in early March 2020. 10 days later, travelling in and out of Mallorca was made impossible due to Spain’s state of emergency.

First, in spring, many who thought they would be travelling in 2020 were afraid of losing money or – just as commonly – of the disease.

Later, in addition to those fears, another more political scare came about: will there be a quarantine? Will my flights be cancelled? Can I get travel insurance?

At Charles Marlow, we thoroughly understand these fears. Our regular strict cancellation policy simply doesn’t make sense as long as the Covid-19 pandemic is still leaving its marks on international travel.

Therefore, we will always aim to add temporary clauses to our booking forms, the contract between us and our holiday guests. Our hope is that creating every booking form after your needs – in a conversation with the homeowner – will give you the confidence to book a villa on The North West Coast of Mallorca or on the entire island of Ibiza in spite of the coronavirus outbreak.

If you booked a holiday in Mallorca or Ibiza before 13th March 2020, you are well protected by both Spanish and European law against Covid-19 caused travel disruption. Covid-19 is considered a ‘force majeure’ which was not expected at the time your booking was made. This only applies for travel disruption – if you booked a villa to live in during your wedding, and your wedding is cancelled, but you can still travel, unfortunately it will not protect you. Get in touch for more information.

If you book (or have already booked) your holiday after 13th March 2020, you will need to thoroughly read the terms and conditions and make sure they make you feel comfortable about booking. The virus and the effects it may have on the travel and holiday sectors are no longer considered force majeure. Therefore, if there is a quarantine, or if you suddenly can’t get a travel insurance, you can only claim a refund if your booking terms state your right to do so.

We will always try to get you a good booking form (contract) with the below terms and conditions, but ultimately, the owners of the houses will decide how much leverage they are willing to give guests. It simply depends on supply and demand.

Charles Marlow’s recommended Covid-19 cancellation policy

Most bookings made since 13th March 2020 have the following clauses added to their booking forms. We can not guarantee its inclusion, but we recommend it to our homeowners. Please read your booking form carefully.

Final payment

Our guests always have to wire the final payment (75% of the total price) at least 6 weeks prior to checking into a villa.

During the height of the pandemic’s first wave, we managed to lower this to 4 weeks across all our villas. Now, most homeowners again demand final payment 6 weeks prior to check in. Some can be convinced still to lower this in a negotiation, but it is dealt with on a case-by-case basis.

Cancellation prior to your final payment

If you wish to cancel your trip due to Covid-19, we recommend owners to allow you to do so with a full refund within a window of 28 days before your final payment date if, and only if, you can prove that your travel is or will be directly impeded by Covid-19.* Earlier that that is 10+ weeks before your arrival, and we consider it too early to say for certain if your travels will be impeded by Covid-19.

Of course, if you book a villa at the last second, this does not help you. In those cases, the following section applies:

Rescheduling after your final payment

If you wish to reschedule your trip due to Covid-19 after making your final payment (so, typically 4-6 weeks prior to check-in), we aim to always get a clause that protects your right to do this – without losing any money. At this point in time though, very homeowners offer refunds for last-minute cancellations. This severely lowers their chances of getting another booking from a guest from a country with less restrictions.

Most homeowners though are very happy with offering a voucher so you can use the deposited money to stay in the house when your situation allows for it. That way, you won’t lose any money. * / **

Note:

* This only applies if there is a travel ban between your country and Spain (or Mallorca specifically). Some home owners also accept this if your country’s Foreign Office (like the FCO in the UK) is advising “against all but essential travel” or “against all travel” to Mallorca and/or Spain.

** Be aware that if you reschedule to dates that are more expensive than your original holiday dates, you have to pay the price difference.

Remember that if you have any questions or doubts regarding our Covid-19 cancellation policy, you can contact us for a chat or a video call to discuss in detail. We’d love to speak to you.