Policies & Procedures  

Our office is open year-around. Office hours: October through May: Monday through Friday 9 am to 4pm; June through September: Monday through Saturday 9 am to 5 pm. We are closed on Easter, Thanksgiving, and for a week between Christmas and New Year’s Day. All reservations are subject to a 7% Maine Lodging tax and a credit card hold for a cleaning deposit.

Look through our beautiful brochure or check out our convenient website (www.cottageconnection.com). The website offers a listing of all our current properties and detailed pictures of each individual cottage. Call us at 1-800-823-9501, or e-mail us: rentme@cottageconnection.com and one of our vacation specialists will help you book the perfect vacation home for you.

Those who make pre-reservations prior to the New Year have the choice of making payments in three installments. The first of the three payments is due by January 1st in the amount of 25%. The second installment is 50% due by January 31st. The third and final payment is the balance due, or 50%, by March 31st. Those who choose to pay in installments will be charged a $25 reservation fee. Anyone making reservations after these dates are expected to pay in full upon confirmation of the reservation.

In the event of a cancellation, Cottage Connection will attempt to rebook the reserved time period to another group or individual. If this attempt is successful on our part, canceling parties will receive 75% of all monies paid. If this attempt is unsuccessful, all monies will be forfeited unless covered by the Lodging Guarantee.

Check-in time is 4pm to 6 pm on the date of arrival and check-out time is 10 am on the date of your departure.

Your vacation is nearing an end, and we know it is hard to leave, but please check out according to the time listed on your Rental Agreement so that we may make the cottage ready for the next guest. If you have any questions regarding check-out time, please call our office.

Remember, these cottages are private homes. We ask that the property be left in the manner it was received. Please make sure the following chores are completed before check-out:

• Garbage bins should be out where they can be easily seen from the road. Trash should always be bagged and placed in these animal-proof bins, ready for pick up at 8:30 am.
• Wipe out and empty the refrigerator and cupboards of all items brought into the house.
• Wash and put away dishes.
• Gather all personal items. We will not be held responsible for items lost or left behind. Items that are recovered and mailed will be charged a fee.
• Leave all furniture arranged in the order it was found.
• Lock all windows and doors.
• In the summer, water the flowers if necessary.
• In the cold weather months, keep the thermostats turned on.
• Return all keys to our office and report any problems by 10:00 am.
• Finally, have a safe trip home and we hope to see you again next year!

If you will be arriving after 6:00 pm on the day of check-in, please notify our office so that other arrangements can be made.

Each cottage has an occupancy limit found on the Guest Confirmation form. Owners have given their property this limit for a reason. Some of our older cottages have septic systems that cannot withstand additional persons. Property wear and tear and insurance purposes add to the many other reasons why these occupancy limits must be adhered to by guests.

Why worry that someone in your party might accidentally break something? Relax and enjoy your stay. If an accident happens, report the details, and leave the rest to us. The Peace of Mind Damage Waiver is included in your weekly rental rate and is designed to protect you from the risk of substantial charges related to accidental damage to the rental home during your stay. This waiver excuses you from house damages up to $500 as long as the damage is not intentional or negligent in nature (excluding damage by a pet). This waiver is in lieu of a Security Deposit and is already built in to each reservation.

Just like at home, some appliances just quit, the wind knocks the power out, or the weatherman predicts a week of rain. No refund will be made in the event of appliance malfunctions or other equipment on the property, utility outages, inclimate weather, allergies, or acts of God. Guests will not be eligible for a refund for leaving the property before the end of the rental term.

Many of our cottages do not provide linen. Guests are welcome to bring their own linen or rent it through Cottage Connection. Our reservation specialists can tell you which cottages provide linen.

Each town in this region has its own boating ordinances which we ask guests to abide by, for everyone’s safety. Some of our cottages have docks and floats for use by guests. Please be sure when tying up your boat that your dock is not a half-tide dock or a shared dock that has a tie up time limit. This can be an area of strong currents and winds, so please use caution while boating and when leaving your boat unattended.

Bringing your computer on vacation with you? Planning to use the internet? Check with our office about a local dial-up number if you do not have a toll-free access number.

We can give you first refusal on your vacation house for next year with our pre-reservation process. Cottage Connection of Maine offers you FIRST RIGHTS to book the property you stayed in this year for the same timeframe next year until 5pm the day you check-out. If you do not pre-reserve your cottage on check-out day, the cottage will go back on the market and become available to the next interested party. If the owner of this property has reserved your time next year, we will happily assist you in finding another beautiful home. The pre-reservation process does require a non-refundable “hold” fee.

For everyone’s health and safety, our cottages are 100% smoke-free.

There is no need to leave “Annabelle” in a cramped kennel while you are enjoying the ocean. Many of our homes are pet friendly. Let us know when making your reservation if your furry friend is coming along. Please abide by the pet rules found in your Agreement. There is a non-refundable pet fee.

Some of our cottages are for sale. We will have told you if yours is one of these. If you have rented a cottage that is for sale, you may be asked to allow a showing to prospective buyers with 24 hours’ advance notice. If this is not for you, please choose a cottage that is not for sale. If you are not informed in advance, you do not have to permit showings or be disturbed during your stay.

Each of our cottages is privately owned and the furnishings in each reflect the taste and style of the owners. All cottages are equipped with stoves, refrigerators, pots, pans, dishes, silverware, and cooking utensils. Quality and quantity will vary with each individual cottage.

The majority of our cottages have a telephone which may be used for local calls or long distance calls with either a credit or calling card. Any emergency messages can be left by calling the Cottages Connection office or by calling our emergency cell phone line.

If you are expecting a package, it can be sent to our office at 675 Wiscasset Road, Boothbay, ME 04537. You may receive or send faxes at our office for a fee. Our fax number is 207-633-3043.

To ensure the privacy of our guests and owners, we must limit giving out directions to the cottages until the day of check-in. We have an extensive photo array of each cottage that can be viewed on our website at www.cottageconnection.com to help assist you.

We are strictly a vacation rental company. If you are interested in a cottage we rent that is FOR SALE we ask you get in touch with the real estate agency representing the property for any information on showings or questions in reference to the sale.