Terms & Conditions

1. RENTAL

The rent is concluded in the name and on behalf of the owner or the person responsible for the property, at the prices and conditions indicated in the contract stipulated between the parties and in the subsequent published conditions and prices. Hitsicily is a trademark of A&D SRL with registered office in Palermo (Italy) - Via Telamone 5 - VAT N°. 05882830820 - Economic Administrative Index PA- 282043

2. HOW AND WHERE TO BOOK

Clients can make reservations and services related to them exclusively through the web site Hitsicily.com. The reservation implies the knowledge and acceptance without restrictions of the terms and conditions included in this document, and also of the extensions of the rules should these be present on the specific property pages.

3. PAYMENTS - RENTAL VOUCHER

After receiving an email confirming availability of the property, the client will be required to pay (either via bank transfer or credit/debit card) a deposit up to 50% of the total amount due depending on the requested property. Upon receipt of such payment, the client will be sent a pre-booking confirmation via email.

A) The payment of the balance for villas and apartments must be made at least 60 days prior to commencement of the rental period. In the event of bookings made within the 60 days prior to the arrival date, the payment must be made concurrently with the booking with two distinct payments, one for the deposit to HitSicily and one for the balance directly the the property owner, except for other payment conditions which must be agreed with Hitsicily.

B) The deposit can be paid by credit card or bank transfer to A&D S.r.l.

C) The balance must be paid directly to the owner only by bank transfer, no other types of payment are accepted. If the client for any reasons is unable to make the bank transfer to the owner, he will lose the right to the booking and the paid deposit will not be returned

D) In some special circumstances and following the owner’s approval, if the client requested it upon booking only , A&D S.r.l. reserves the right to accept a cash payment of the balance due upon arrival at the reserved property. Should this be not feasible, the payment conditions at point C) remain valid.

Upon receipt of the balance (or deposit only in case of the balance payment on site before-mentioned), the stay documents will be available online via the client’s reserved area.

4. RENTAL GUIDELINES - PRICES

The minimum rental period varies from property to property. The property page specifies the minimum rental period based on the season. The prices published on the website are established according to market fluctuations and in agreement with the owner or person in charge. The published rental prices are calculated per day and per week (and per month if applicable) depending on the property, as clearly indicated in the relevant prices table. All prices are inclusive of certain services specifically listed under the heading “services included” and are divided according to the seasons as set out on the website. The extra obligatory services not included in the published rates, if appplicable, must be paid for directly to the owner or person in charge in cash upon arrival using the local currency. The extra obligatory services are described on the website as well as on the travel document. Hitsicily reserves the right to change the prices of its properties at any given time. No additional sum will be charged to a client who has already booked and paid for a property of which the rental rates have been subsequently increased. In the case of properties which include more housing units with different price ranges and which can be rented separately, the client only has the right to use the unit he has requested, the other units will remain closed and unavailable. These units can be opened and made available only if the client pays the additional amount corresponding to the rent of that unit for the period requested and subject to availability and the sole discretion of the owner.

5. CHECK-IN AND CHECK-OUT

For weekly rentals, the day of check-in and check-out is generally Saturday and in some cases Sunday. In some structures and/or periods of the year, check-in and check-out can also be done on weekdays, as indicated in the structure description or in the online booking form. The check-in time for all properties is between 3pm and 7pm. In some cases the check-in time may be subject to change. Some properties charge a supplementary obligatory fee for check-in after 7pm. This must be paid in cash on arrival to the owner or person in charge. The arrival time must be communicated to HitSicily upon reservation on the check-in form found on the reserved guest area, so that the owner, or his representative, can make the necessary arrangements for the guests’ arrival. Failure by the client to communicate an arrival time may result in problems up to the non-availability of the keys to the property for which Hitsicily, the owner or person in charge are in no way responsible. If the client arrives to the property after 7pm without having previously informed the owner or the person in charge, there may be problems with taking possession of the property. In case of arrival at the property after 24.00 the owner or his representative can autonomously decide not to allow entry to the structure until the following day. The check-out time for villas and apartments is by 10am on the agreed departure date. Clients must, without fail, leave the property by this time unless otherwise agreed upon with the owner or welcome manager. Failing to respect the departure time causes subsequent problems for new clients. For this reason, clients who leave the property after the specified time are subject to a penalty of up to 200 Euros for any inconvenience caused to the new clients. In the event of payment of a deposit, this amount will be retained from this.

6. CANCELLATION POLICY

After making a reservation, any change of arrival date must be communicated to and approved by HitSicily at least 7 days in advance. In case of villas and apartments for which advance payment is required, no refund will be given for any reduction in the rental period. In case of unforeseen delay on the day of arrival, the client must send an e-mail or call the owner or person in charge to inform him of the delay and make a new appointment. If the owner or person in charge, who has not been previously advised, cannot be contacted and informed of a different arrival date, or if the owner or person in charge is unable to accept this change, the client is responsible for any expenses related to spending the night in alternative accommodation. There is no reimbursment of either deposits or balances for cancellations of bookings for villas or apartments.

A voucher will be issued, for the sum corresponding to the amount already paid by the customer, only for reasons of force majeure. The voucher can be used to stay at the villa in another period, chosen from those available, within the 12 months following the date of the booked stay. If the new booked period has a total cost lower than the amount of the voucher, the future guests will not be entitled to a refund of the difference. Any difference paid as an advance cannot be used for the balance and will not be refunded. If the new booked period instead has a higher cost, the customer will have to pay the difference following the payment procedure referred to in point 3. The voucher is not valid for bookings of other villas, it can be used only once, it is not renewable. Only in the event that the initially booked villa is withdrawn from the rental, the voucher can be used to book another villa of your choice. If you were to choose a villa with a lower price, the difference in price will not be refunded. If, on the other hand, a property with a higher price should be chosen, the customer will have to pay the difference in price following the payment procedure referred to in point 3.

7. ARRIVAL FORMALITIES

Upon arrival at the property the client must give the travel document to the owner or person in charge, even if not specifically requested to do so. Failure to present it may result in disruptions for which the owner or the welcome manager will not be held responsible. The travel document contains any extra services to pay on site. These services are also published on the website. Without the travel document or if these services are not shown on the same, the ones published online in the price table of the relevant property shall prevail. The client is required to pay the amount due for the extra services not included in the price upon arrival in cash and in the local currency. Failing to do so, the owner may retain the money due from the deposit.

8. SECURITY DEPOSIT

If a security deposit is required, the client must pay the sum requested in cash, in Euros, on his arrival to the owner or person in charge, as specified under the prices table and on the voucher. This deposit will be returned to him upon departure. The cost to repair or purchase any articles that might have been damaged by the client will be deducted from this amount. If the damage cannot be estimated immediately on site or both parties are unable to reach an agreement, the owner/person in charge will retain the full amount of the security deposit and send the client an itemised list of the cost of repairs or purchase of the damaged articles requesting (if applicable) an additional amount from the client or returning part of the deposit. The security deposit is due in the amount agreed only if expressly indicated on the property page on the website or on the travel document. In every case, the client is always liable for any kind of loss or damage caused to the property or to its contents during their stay. In case of damage, Hitsicily always reserves the right to charge the client for the amount in question. If a client leaves earlier than the agreed date or in the case of a disagreement between the parties, the owner or the person in charge is authorised to return the security deposit via post or bank transfer (after deducting the expenses for any kind of damage, additional charges and delivery), only after having checked the property and its contents. The sum will be returned to the client within 60 days from departure. In case the fault of the unsuccessful refund of the deposit is attributable to the client, any expenses paid to return it will be deducted from the amount. For some residences, guests are required to pay the deposit by credit card or bank transfer directly to the owner up to 15 days before arrival. This amount will be withheld by the owner until the inspection of the structure which will take place within 48 hours of check-out and after this the full amount will be refunded to the customer except in the case of ascertainment of damages suffered, in which case the quantified sum will be withheld to cover the damage. Some properties are covered by insurance for accidental damage caused to people or items inside the premises; it is the client’s responsibility to ask the owner for a copy of the insurance and to check its terms and conditions. Under no circumstances will the owner and Hitsicily be responsible for any damage to persons or items during the stay in the rented premises. Children’s care and safety is the express and exclusive responsibility of the parents/guardians. Under no circumstances can the owner, the person in charge of the property or Hitsicily be considered responsible or liable. Hitsicily declines all responsibility in the case of disputes relating to the security deposit. Quantification of the damage and subsequent agreement must be made between the client and the owner or person in charge of the property.

9. NUMBER OF PEOPLE – SUBSTITUTION OF PEOPLE – EXTERNAL GUESTS - PETS

Only the number of people written on the Travel Document is permitted to stay in the property. The number (adults and children from 3 to 12 years of age) cannot be greater than that of the sleeping capacity indicated in the description. During the stay at the booked structure, the people of the group cannot alternate with other people even if within the maximum number allowed.Children between 0 and 2 years of age are not calculated in the overall number. Children older than 12 are considered adults. Any substitution or addition of people present during the rental period, which was not communicated at the time of the reservation, is strictly forbidden unless previously agreed with Hitsicily. In this case, the owner or welcome manager can reserve the right to refuse entry to the people not previously declared and, under such circumstances, the client has no right to claim from Hitsicily, the owner of the property or the person in charge, reimbursement, in part or in full, of the rental amount already paid. The total number of people may not exceed the maximum foreseen for the property. The person making the reservation is considered for all intents and purposes the leader of the group and represents them all. On arrival at the property, the owner or person in charge will request the identity documents of all the members of the group and will make the group leader sign the rental contract, as established by law in Italy. Upon the failure to release such data, the guests cannot take possession of the property. To reduce the bureaucracy on arrival, it is advisable to provide the general information and upload the identity documents requested of each guest of the group on the HitSicily.com site when booking. In all the structures it is not possible to organize meetings, celebrations or parties, including with friends or relatives, at any time, especially in the evening and at night. In any case, to host more than two friends or relatives during the day, you must be authorized by the owner and agree with him the access procedures for guests. In many areas there are rules that impose not to make noise of any kind that disturbs the public peace and financial penalties are foreseen. If these rules are not observed, the owner can decide the removal of the guests from the property and a refund to be quantified according to the extent of the disturbance caused.If the property accepts pets, the client is required to inform Hitsicily in advance of the size and number. The client is responsible for the behaviour and cleanliness of the animal. If the pet should cause any damage to the property or cause sanitary problems to subsequent guests, the owner of the pet will be fully responsible and will be asked to pay the cost of damage caused to persons or property. In certain cases, pets are accepted only on condition that they remain outside the property, in areas dedicated to them (gardens, cellars, etc.). In such cases, entry of the pet inside the property, for whatever reason, is strictly forbidden. If the house owner does not wish to host animals, in no case can an animal be brought over by the customer. In this case the owners will not allow guests to access the premises.

10. CLEANING and ELECTRICITY

Houses are handed over clean and tidy. In some properties, the initial cleaning service is not included in the price; in this case, the service should be paid in cash on-site upon arrival. This amount does not include, in any case, the removal of garbage and/or large or bulky objects (full sacks, plastic pools, toys, inflatable objects, boxes, glass bottles, etc.…), which is the exclusive responsibility of the client. The disposal must occur according to the rules established by the municipality of reference. If the disposal rules are unknown, it is advisable to ask the owner or welcome manager for information. Failing this, the owner or the person in charge may, at their discretion, charge an extra fee of up to €200 in addition to what is due. This amount will be retained from the security deposit if required or, alternatively, requested from the client. For some properties, part of the electricity consumption is included in the price. If the electricity consumption is higher than the maximum threshold established by that property for the rental period, the client is required to pay the owner the excess electricity consumption in cash. The rate applied by the supply company (E-Distribuzione) in Italy, generally varies from 0.35 to 0.65 € kW/h. For some properties, an extra compulsory flat fee is established and must be paid in cash on-site.

11. HEATING and AIR CONDITIONING

Given the situation of energy supply and the laws currently in force, the use of heating or air conditioning (period for turning it on or off, temperature) is ruled by different agreements which may vary from one town to another. Generally heating systems may operate from November to April, and A/C ones from June to September. Consequently, even when heating or A/C is included in the rental price, it is intended to be used during that period. If heating or A/C is charged according to consumption or as an extra and has not been paid for in advance, the client will pay the owner or the person in charge directly in cash in Euros upon arrival. In many areas during the summer periods the electricity supply could be cut off for a few hours, this does not depend on the structures but on the external electricity grid, therefore the owner could not be blamed for the malfunction of lights and/or external and internal equipment due to the lack of electricity supply by the distributor. This disservice can in some cases lead to damage to the house electrical systems and their repair and/or replacement will be necessary and the substitution times could vary from case to case.

12. INDOOR AND OUTDOOR MAINTENANCE

If necessary, the owner or the person in charge reserves the right to allow personnel to enter the property to carry out necessary maintenance work and/or cleaning at times of their choice or, wherever possible, at times agreed with the client if specifically requested by them. At certain properties, as indicated on the web site, personnel responsible for guarding or maintenance of the property live and work on the premises. In this case, by booking the structure, the customer implicitly accepts the presence of these people at the house.

13. DISPUTES

For all disputes which should arise following the application, interpretation, validity, enforceability, performance and termination of this contract before initiating any arbitration or judicial proceedings the parties shall attempt conciliation according to Leg. Dec. 28/2010 and subsequent Min. Dec. 180/2010 and subsequent Min. Dec. 145/2011 according to the rules of conciliation of a Body registered with the Minister of Justice. If this attempt of conciliation has a negative outcome or it has not been resolved within 4 months starting from the application for mediation, the dispute will be referred to the competent judicial authority of the Court of Palermo - Italy.

14. CONTRACT CLAUSES

The filling in and sending of the information form and reservation with payment of the amount requested for the property, imply knowledge of the general contract conditions of Hitsicily and their unconditional acceptance. If some conditions of this contract were or should turn out to be not valid or, in the case of an omission, the validity of the remaining conditions may not be called into question.

15. RESPONSIBILITIES

Each property has been visited and periodically inspected by Hitsicily. The descriptions on the web site are correct and drawn up in good faith. Hitsicily therefore declines all responsibility for any changes made without prior notice by the owner or the person in charge or for any potential small differences from what described on the website of which the Company is unaware. During the guests' stay Hitsicily, in agreement with the owner, undertakes to solve, as soon as possible, the problems deriving from malfunctions, breakages or lack of agreed amenities in the house. Guests must report these problems during their stay within the first 48 hours or at the time of occurrence of the same. If the problems encountered are very serious and therefore unsolvable in a short time and in any case hinder the continuation of the customer's holiday at the booked villa, if they are also proven by Hitsicily, the same will promptly propose to the customer an alternative accommodation of equal or higher category. In the event that the customer accepts accommodation at another structure with a higher price than the one booked, he will have to pay Hitsicily the difference in price. If the customer has decided to spend the entire holiday in the structure originally booked and therefore enjoyed his holiday, he cannot subsequently request any refund, even partial, for any reasons. If, due to force majeure or any other reason beyond its control, Hitsicily should be obliged to cancel the reservation of the accommodation booked by the customer and by mutual agreement with the latter, it will assign him an accommodation of the same category or superior, always on condition that Hitsicily is able to offer such a solution. If the price of the substitute accommodation is lower, Hitsicily will refund the difference to the customer. In the event that it is not possible to find a replacement accommodation, Hitsicily will refund the customer only the rental price paid, excluding any other refund. The refund of the amount will in any case take place within 60 days from the date of the stay.
Many of the properties are private residences, so they may not have the same facilities as a hotel. As such, they have no standards or internationally recognized categories applied to them. The architecture, furniture and facilities reflect the taste and needs of the owner. All the characteristics of the property are described in detail on the website and furnished with photos of almost all the environments, both inside and out. On the Hitsicily website, there are categories of properties with characteristics and prices very different from each other. The client is responsible for his/her choice, so we advise to carefully read all the descriptions of the property or ask for additional information before choosing it. To improve the future quality standard of the properties proposed, Hitsicily gathers the feedback of clients to identify any critical problems present in the property. These can be reported to info@hitsicily.com

16. PROTECTION OF PERSONAL DATA

In conformity with law 679/2016 concerning the protection of personal privacy and handling of personal data, Hitsicily informs that the personal data of clients will be handled for the purposes connected to or instrumental to the company's business. Please view the regulation on the Privacy page of our website