General Terms and Conditions

This English version is provided for international guests. French law applies and the French version prevails in the event of any discrepancy.

These General Terms and Conditions (GTC) apply to bookings made directly with the operator of Villa Christal. They set out the rules of the direct holiday rental agreement (French version V5.2), which is sent with every offer. The individual signed agreement, including its specific booking conditions, is the contractual document for the booking (Articles 48 and 53 of the French agreement). Bookings made on Airbnb remain governed by Airbnb’s terms.

Version in force on 28 September 2026.

1. The owner

• Operator: Christian FRANCOIS, sole trader registered in France as an entrepreneur individuel (EI)
• Trading name: Villa Christal
• Activity: letting of furnished tourist accommodation (meublé de tourisme)
• Address: 174 rue Louise Michel, 24200 Sarlat-la-Canéda, France
• SIRET (French business registration number): 311 449 441 00048
• Email: contact@lavillachristal.fr
• Telephone: +33 6 68 20 84 43

2. Purpose

These GTC govern the holiday rental of Villa Christal as furnished tourist accommodation, for temporary private holiday use only. The property is not the guest’s main residence, the guest may not establish a legal address there, and the rental gives no right to remain beyond the agreed end date (Article 1).

They are intended for individuals acting mainly for private purposes who take part in the stay in person. A booking made for business purposes or by a company may require a separate agreement (specific conditions, Article 2).

3. The property

The rental covers the main living level of Villa Christal, a detached house of approximately 170 m² at 174 rue Louise Michel, 24200 Sarlat-la-Canéda, and the outdoor areas made available. The basement is excluded from the rental and is not accessible to guests. The property is officially classified as 3-star furnished tourist accommodation under number 02401024-52026-0118. The equipment included is described in the agreement and in the description provided before the agreement is concluded (specific conditions, Article 3).

4. Occupancy

• Maximum contractual occupancy: 6 guests, including children. No additional bedding may be added to exceed this limit (Article 5).
• Occupants must be the persons declared; any change to the group must be reported (Article 5).
• No more than two occasional visitors may be present at the same time, without staying overnight, without any party and with respect for the neighbours (Article 6).
• The agreement is personal: assignment, subletting or passing the booking to a third party is not permitted without prior written consent (Article 3).

5. Request, offer and conclusion of the agreement

A request sent through the website, by email or by any other means is not a booking. After checking availability, the owner sends an offer including the specific conditions, the agreement, the price, the payment terms and the cancellation terms (Article 2).

The offer is valid for 24 hours from the time it is actually sent, unless a different period is stated in the offer. The booking becomes binding once the agreement has been accepted and signed electronically and the payment due on confirmation has been received within that period. Otherwise the offer lapses and neither availability nor the rate is guaranteed (Articles 2 and 8).

The signature is collected through a specialised electronic signature service (currently DocuSeal). The document signed is the agreement prepared by the owner for the booking; the guest receives or can keep a durable copy (Articles 47 and 48).

6. Price

The price is stated in the offer and in the agreement. The total contractual price excluding tourist tax comprises the accommodation price, the end-of-stay cleaning fee of €95 and, where applicable, any additional services expressly ordered (specific conditions, Article 5). It is the same whichever payment method is chosen (Article 8).

7. Tourist tax

Tourist tax (taxe de séjour) is added to the price. The amount is the one set by the regulations and rates applicable on the dates of the stay, according to the category of the property and the situation of the guests; minors are exempt. It is not included in the basis for the booking deposit or cancellation charges (specific conditions, Articles 5 and 6; Article 9).

For information, the 2026 rate for 3-star furnished accommodation is €1.76 per night per adult (including the additional departmental tax). The rate for 2027 stays had not been published by the local authority when these GTC were last updated; the amount applied will be the one in force on the dates of the stay.

8. Payment, booking deposit and balance

• Payment methods, at the guest’s choice: bank transfer or card payment through the secure Stripe payment platform, with no surcharge (Article 8). Villa Christal never receives card details, which are entered on Stripe’s payment page.
• Agreement concluded more than 30 days before arrival: booking deposit of 30% of the accommodation price plus the cleaning fee, excluding tourist tax, on conclusion; balance no later than 30 days before arrival.
• Agreement concluded 30 days or less before arrival: full payment of the accommodation and cleaning fee on conclusion.
• Amounts described as a booking deposit (acompte) are a part-payment of the price, not a forfeitable deposit (arrhes) under French law (specific conditions, Article 6).
• If the balance is not paid, the owner may send a formal notice setting a period for payment, normally 7 calendar days where the timing of the stay allows; failing payment, the owner may give notice of termination, with financial consequences determined under the cancellation rules and the loss actually suffered (Article 8).

9. Security deposit

• Amount: €1,500, separate from the price of the stay. It must be provided before the access means are finally handed over; a bank guarantee or card pre-authorisation may be preferred where technically available. The arrangements are specified to the guest before access is handed over (specific conditions, Article 7).
• The security deposit is a guarantee and not a cap on liability: where justified damage exceeds €1,500, the balance may be claimed (Article 22).
• Where no issue is found, the owner gives instructions to release or refund the deposit usually within 7 days after departure and no later than 14 days, excluding technical delays of the provider or bank (Article 22).
• Any deduction must be reasonably justified; the guest is informed and receives the relevant information and supporting documents. Normal wear and tear is not charged to the guest (Articles 19, 21 and 22).

10. Arrival and departure

• Arrival from 3:00 pm; the property must be fully vacated by 10:00 am (specific conditions, Article 4).
• Guests are normally welcomed by the local property manager or the owner’s representative, who may ask to see an identity document to check it matches the agreement, without routinely keeping a copy. A secure access device may be used (Articles 14 and 15).
• Early arrival or late departure requires prior written approval. An unauthorised delay may give rise to compensation for direct and justified costs, without any fixed penalty (Article 16).
• A joint inventory and condition report may be carried out on arrival and departure, including in digital form (Article 17).

11. Cancellation by the guest

Any cancellation must be sent on a durable medium, in particular by email to contact@lavillachristal.fr. Subject to applicable law, in particular a legally recognised case of force majeure, the financial consequences are calculated on the accommodation price plus the cleaning fee, excluding tourist tax, according to the following scale (Article 9):

Tourist tax is not included in cancellation charges. Additional services are dealt with under their own terms or, failing that, according to the loss actually justified (Article 9).

Re-letting: where all or part of the cancelled dates are actually re-let, the owner may grant, as a commercial gesture and with no automatic entitlement, an additional refund taking into account the nights re-let, the rate obtained and the costs of the new booking (Article 10). Cancellation insurance is recommended but not required (Article 33).

12. No-show, late arrival and early departure

• In case of no-show, 100% of the accommodation price and cleaning fee remains payable, unless a mandatory legal provision provides otherwise (Article 9).
• A later arrival than planned does not move the end date of the stay (Article 11).
• A voluntary early departure gives no right to a refund of unused nights, without depriving the guest of their rights where the departure results from a failure attributable to the owner, a sufficiently serious non-conformity or force majeure (Article 11).

13. Changes to the stay

Any extension or change requires the owner’s prior written approval. A change to the dates, price, lead guest or an essential service is recorded in an identifiable written document and, where necessary, an amendment signed electronically (Articles 3, 4 and 52).

14. Cancellation by the owner

If the owner cancels the stay for a reason attributable to the owner, other than force majeure, amounts received for services not provided are refunded, without prejudice to the guest’s right to compensation for direct loss depending on the circumstances (Article 12).

15. Guest’s obligations

• Respect the occupancy limit, the personal nature of the agreement and the private holiday use of the property; parties, receptions, events and unlawful activities are prohibited without written permission (Articles 3, 5, 7 and 23).
• Respect the neighbours, particularly between 10:00 pm and 8:00 am (Article 24); no smoking or vaping inside (Article 25); no animals without the owner’s prior written consent, subject to the rights of people accompanied by a guide or assistance dog (Article 26).
• Follow the pool safety rules and ensure constant adult supervision of children (Article 27).
• Report without delay any fault, damage or situation likely to worsen damage, and allow reasonably necessary interventions (Articles 18, 20, 31 and 37).
• Check that personal liability insurance covers the holiday rental (Article 33).

The main instructions on site are summarised in the house rules.

16. Owner’s obligations

The owner provides accommodation and equipment matching the agreement and the description provided before the agreement is concluded (Article 36). The owner maintains the swimming pool and arranges necessary interventions, limiting disturbance and informing the guest where possible (Articles 29 to 31). No clause transfers to the guest the legal safety obligations that rest with the owner (Article 27).

17. Liability and damage

The guest is responsible, within the limits of the law, for damage and loss attributable to the guest, the occupants and anyone the guest brings onto the property. Any claim is supported by evidence (condition report, photographs, invoices, quotes, professional report…); no one-sided report is conclusive (Articles 19 and 21). The owner does not look after guests’ personal belongings, except for liability arising from the law or the owner’s proven fault (Article 35). A temporary breakdown does not automatically give rise to compensation; the guest keeps their legal remedies in the event of a sufficiently serious failure or non-conformity (Article 36).

18. Termination for breach

A serious breach of essential obligations (occupancy, parties, safety, neighbours, payment, unlawful use…) may, after a request to remedy it where possible, lead to reasoned termination of the agreement. Its financial consequences depend on the services provided, the seriousness of the breach and the actual loss; the agreement gives the owner no right of eviction outside legal procedures (Articles 39 to 41).

19. Force majeure

Force majeure is assessed under Article 1218 of the French Civil Code. Illness, strikes, accidents, breakdowns, bad weather or transport difficulties are not automatically force majeure. The party relying on it informs the other as soon as possible, with the relevant information (Article 13).

20. No statutory right of withdrawal

The booking concerns accommodation supplied on specific dates or for a specified period: under Article L.221-28, 12° of the French Consumer Code, the fourteen-day withdrawal (cooling-off) period applicable to certain distance contracts does not apply. This absence of a statutory right of withdrawal is separate from the contractual cancellation terms in section 11 above (Article 44).

21. Complaints

Complaints should be sent in writing to Christian FRANCOIS — Villa Christal, 174 rue Louise Michel, 24200 Sarlat-la-Canéda, France, or to contact@lavillachristal.fr, stating the booking reference, the facts, the date of the initial report, supporting evidence and the request. Any issue during the stay should be reported as soon as possible so that action can be taken. No unreasonably short deadline removes the guest’s legal rights (Articles 18 and 38).

22. Consumer mediation

After a prior written complaint that has not been resolved, consumers may refer the matter free of charge to a consumer mediator (Articles L.612-1 et seq. of the French Consumer Code). The contact details of the mediator for Villa Christal will be given in these GTC, in the legal notice and in the agreement as soon as the owner’s membership is effective (Article 45). Mediation does not prevent consumers from going to court.

23. Personal data

Data needed for the request, the agreement, payments, signature, the security deposit and the organisation of the stay is processed by Christian FRANCOIS EI — Villa Christal, the data controller, as described in the Privacy Policy. It is not reused for marketing purposes (Article 43).

24. Governing law and courts

The agreement is governed by French law, subject to any mandatory provisions applicable to an international situation. Failing an amicable solution, the competent courts are determined under the applicable legal rules; no clause requires a consumer to use a particular court where the law does not allow it (Article 46).

Last updated: 28 September 2026.