The Old Stores Booking Terms

Version 3 dated 7 October 2026

These terms apply to direct bookings at theoldstores.uk, through our Smoobu booking engine, or directly with us by email or telephone. Please read them together with our Cancellation and Refund Policy before booking.

Who you are booking with

Your accommodation contract is with James Miles and Natalya Miles, trading as The Old Stores. Our address is The Limes, Bardwell Road, Sapiston, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk IP31 1RU. We are referred to below as we, us or our. Contact email: theoldstores@familymiles.co.uk. Telephone: 07912359746 (primary) or 07881028322 (backup).

The accommodation and your booking

The Old Stores is a self-contained historic annexe for up to four overnight guests, with a double bedroom and a sofa bed in the living room. Only the facilities and areas described in the listing and booking confirmation are included. Please ask before booking about any feature important to your stay, including access requirements. The property has internal steps and stairs and is not step-free.

The lead guest must be at least 18, provide accurate details, be authorised to book for the party and ensure that everyone follows these terms. Children are welcome and count towards the maximum of four guests. Only registered guests may stay overnight. Please agree any day visitors with us in advance. The accommodation is for temporary holiday stays and must not be sublet.

A booking is accepted when we send written confirmation and receive the payment due at that stage. A request or payment receipt alone is not confirmation of acceptance. If we cannot accept a request, we will return any payment in full. The confirmation records the dates, guests, total price, agreed extras, arrival and departure times, payment amounts and due dates. Tell us promptly if something is incorrect.

Prices and payments

All prices are in pounds sterling. The total shown before you book includes all unavoidable charges and applicable taxes. Optional extras apply only if you actively select or agree to them. We do not add a consumer card-payment surcharge.

The payment schedule, including any advance payment and balance due date, is displayed before you commit to the booking and repeated in your confirmation. An advance payment is part of the accommodation price and is refundable under our Cancellation and Refund Policy; it is not a non-refundable booking fee.

Payments and refunds are processed by Stripe through our booking system. We do not receive or store complete card details entered directly into Stripe. Payment methods available for your booking are shown at checkout. We will not make an additional damage charge to your card without your separate authorisation or another lawful basis.

If payment fails or a balance is overdue, we will contact you and allow a reasonable opportunity to pay before cancelling. The deadline will take account of how soon arrival is due. If we cancel an unpaid booking before you have checked in, any payments received will be refunded in full.

Changes arrival and departure

Changes to dates, guest numbers or extras require our written agreement and may change the price. If a change cannot be agreed, you may keep or cancel the original booking under our cancellation policy. We will not change the price or reduce the contractual rights of an accepted booking without your agreement, except where law requires otherwise.

Arrival and departure times are displayed before booking and included in your confirmation. Contact us to agree an early arrival or late departure. Keep any self check-in code confidential. Secure the property when leaving and return keys as instructed. For this policy, actual check-in means the first entry into the accommodation by you or someone in your party to begin the stay; receiving an access code does not itself count as checking in.

Dogs and house rules

Dogs are welcome. Tell us the number of dogs when booking so that we can confirm suitable arrangements before accepting your booking. Dogs must be supervised and kept under control, must not disturb neighbours, and must not enter the owners’ private areas. Clear up dog waste. Dogs may use beds and furniture when protected by the provided blankets. Any dog charge or agreed condition must be disclosed before you book. Assistance dog requests will be considered in accordance with our legal obligations.

No smoking or vaping inside, parties, events or commercial filming or photography without prior written agreement. Respect neighbours, especially between 23:00 and 07:00. Do not tamper with alarms, locks or safety equipment. Use appliances and furnishings with reasonable care, supervise children, and follow the safety and departure instructions provided. The owners’ private areas are excluded from your booking.

Damage and additional cleaning

Please report breakages, damage or maintenance issues promptly. The lead guest is responsible for reasonable, evidenced loss caused deliberately or negligently by their party, visitors or dogs. Fair wear and tear and ordinary cleaning are excluded. Any replacement claim will take account of the item’s age and condition; it will not automatically be charged at the price of a new item.

We will explain any claim for repair, missing items or cleaning materially beyond an ordinary stay, provide supporting evidence where available and give you a reasonable opportunity to respond. There are no automatic penalties. A cancellation refund will not be reduced by a disputed damage claim; any such claim is handled separately.

Access problems and complaints

We respect your privacy. We may enter without notice for an emergency or an urgent safety concern. For non-urgent repairs or inspection we will give reasonable notice and minimise disruption. Three external Anker Eufy security cameras cover the drives, garden and front door and record video and audio when triggered. There are no internal cameras. See our Privacy Policy for the locations, use and retention.

Tell us promptly if something is wrong so we can investigate and put it right. In an emergency contact the emergency services first. If the accommodation is not provided as agreed, we will provide an appropriate remedy, which may include repair, a price reduction or a refund. You may contact us with an unresolved complaint after your stay; there is no contractual deadline that removes your statutory rights.

Cancellation by us and serious breaches

If we cannot provide the accommodation before check-in, including because it cannot safely or lawfully be occupied, we will refund all payments in full. If a stay must end after check-in for that reason, we will refund the unprovided portion and consider any further remedy due under consumer law. Any alternative accommodation requires your agreement. Your right to compensation where legally due is unaffected.

We may end a stay for a serious breach, such as dangerous behaviour, unlawful activity or serious damage. Where safe and reasonable, we will explain the problem and give an opportunity to resolve it first. We will refund unused nights under our cancellation policy and pursue any evidenced damage or other legally recoverable loss separately. We will not impose an automatic forfeiture of all payments.

Liability and applicable law

We are responsible for foreseeable loss caused by our breach of contract or failure to use reasonable care and skill. We are not responsible for unforeseeable losses or business losses arising from a consumer holiday booking. Guests should take reasonable care of their belongings and vehicles. These terms do not exclude our responsibility for loss caused by our negligence.

Nothing limits liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence, fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation, or any right or liability that cannot lawfully be limited. Your statutory consumer rights are unaffected. Events beyond our reasonable control do not remove your right to a refund for accommodation we cannot provide.

The contract is governed by the law of England and Wales. You may use any courts available to you under applicable consumer law, including the courts of the part of the UK where you live where relevant. If a term is unenforceable, the other terms continue to apply. The terms accepted when you book govern that booking.

Bookings through other platforms

For a reservation made through Airbnb, Booking.com or another platform, the payment arrangements and cancellation policy displayed for that reservation apply. These direct-booking policies do not replace those platform arrangements. Any applicable property rules must have been disclosed before booking.