Checklist
What to Ask Before Booking a Group House
Seven questions that settle most group-house surprises before any money moves: confirmed sleeping capacity, the real rate and what sits on top of it, minimum stays, house rules, who confirms the dates, what is actually confirmed at all, and the per-person number. Each one below says how our own listings answer it, so you can hold any listing, ours included, to the same standard.
The seven
The questions, in the order they bite
How many people can actually sleep there?
Ask for the confirmed number, not the count of sofas. On our own pages, 24 of 61 houses carry a Sleeps figure the owner confirmed; the rest say so rather than guessing. Anywhere you book, an unconfirmed capacity is the first thing to pin down in writing.
Is the rate published, and what sits on top of it?
51 of our 61 houses publish a nightly rate; the others are rate on request and say exactly that. Then ask what is added: our listings show a cleaning fee and a refundable damage deposit where the owner publishes one, and nothing else is quietly assumed.
Is there a minimum stay for your dates?
Ask the desk to confirm the minimum stay for the exact house and dates you are considering. Our source listings do not supply a minimum-stay number, so a published nightly rate is not confirmation that your requested stay length is accepted.
What are the rules on pets and smoking?
Ask whether pets and smoking are allowed at the exact house, and request any restrictions or additional charges in writing. Our listings do not provide a confirmed collection-wide policy, and photographs do not answer either question.
Who confirms the booking?
On this site a person confirms dates and rate with the owner; sending an inquiry does not hold a house. Wherever you book, know whether you are holding dates or just asking about them.
What is actually confirmed, and what is guesswork?
Our listings state only what the owner confirmed and mark the rest as not confirmed. Apply the same test anywhere: if the listing does not say it, treat it as unknown and ask, especially for anything your group cannot do without.
What does it come to per person?
One whole-house rate is hard to compare until you divide it. The calculator turns any nightly rate, nights, headcount and cleaning fee into a per-person figure, and the index pre-computes it for every rated house we list.
Next step
Rather ask us directly?
Send your dates and headcount and we will answer all seven for any house in the collection.