Rev. August 2025: Subject to revision at the discretion of the agency.
Reservations & Deposits: Reservations are taken on a conditional basis. Your lease is fully confirmed once the landlord has executed it with their signature and payment has cleared. In order to secure your booking, your lease must be signed and your deposit received within 7 days. Deposits may be made by check, credit/debit card, or money order. Overseas transactions must be paid in US funds through a US bank, with any and all fees associated with payment being the sole responsibility of the TENANT. The processing fee and damage waiver fee are required on all leases. Final payment and cleaning fees are due 30 days prior to your arrival. A late payment fee of $25 will be applied to all late payments.
Full payment is required immediately on any lease booked after June 1st for June, July, or August of the same year.
Payment by certified check, credit card, or money order is required on all bookings made within 30 days prior to arrival.
Processing & Damage: The processing fee is $150. The damage waiver fee will only cover reported accidental damage. Damage waiver (DW) fees are as follows: $150 DW fee covers up to $500, $200 DW fee covers up to $1000, and $250 DW fee covers up to $1500 of reported accidental damage. A representative of our agency inspects each property both prior to your arrival and at your departure. Agents inspect the properties for damages and/or excessive use and will notify you as promptly as possible if any problem for which you will be billed is discovered.
Cancellations: Please notify our office immediately if you need to cancel your lease. All cancellations must follow in writing. If we are able to re-rent your dates for said property, all rents will be refunded less a 15% (of total rent) cancellation fee. The processing fee & damage waiver fee are non-refundable. The tenant is not responsible for the cleaning charges. Please be advised that under the terms of your lease you are responsible for all rents due. We will do our best to re-rent the property to a new tenant under the same terms as your lease; however, we cannot guarantee re-rental.
Chatham Rentals/John C. Ricotta & Associates reserves the right to cancel your lease and in some instances the same cancellation policy will apply:
1) If leases and initial payment are not received within 7 days of booking;
2) If a deposit check bounces;
3) If your final payment is not received 30 days prior to your arrival.
Travel Insurance: To protect your investment, John C. Ricotta & Associates strongly advises that tenants purchase trip cancellation insurance. We offer, through our cooperating partner, Generali Global Assistance, a plan that will cover most instances of trip interruptions. To ensure a refund you will need to contact the insurance provider, be it Generali or another insurance group, and file a claim. If you have not purchased trip insurance, there will be no refund offered for lost time.
Accommodations: We make every effort to ensure accurate descriptions of the homes we represent. We cannot, however, be responsible for typographical errors or changes made by owners in furnishings or equipment. If a tenant does not personally inspect the premises prior to signing their lease, they agree to accept the rental property as is, provided it meets the basic standards of habitability under MA law. The tenant will not be entitled to a refund and will have no recourse against the agent or Chatham Rentals/John C. Ricotta & Associates if the property does not meet their expectations. Although we cannot guarantee the operation of all appliances (e.g. air conditioning, WiFi, pool equipment, etc.) our staff makes every reasonable effort to ensure that the equipment and appliances are in working order. Agents, authorized employees or repairmen may enter the premises for purposes connected with repair, care, or maintenance of the rental property. We will do our utmost to have any malfunction repaired in a timely manner; however, no refunds are given for equipment or appliance failure.
Tenants will not be permitted to sublet any properties without prior written permission from the property owner.
Tenants will be charged for refusing any scheduled maintenance during their stay. ie: landscaper, pool service, etc.
Leases on properties that are listed for sale at the time of booking include a 24-hour show clause. This means you will be given 24-hour notice prior to showings. On rare occasion an owner will list their property for sale after a lease has been executed. The same 24-hour advance notice applies.
Internet Service: We will make every effort to have the internet service up and running. However, we can make no guarantee for continuous service during your stay due to user error, down provider services, or equipment malfunction. Service is not always reliable; however, we offer our tenants the use of our Business Center Monday-Saturday 9-3 which includes free WiFi as an alternative (again, as long as the provider's service is available). We recommend that you refer to the trouble shooting tips listed in each home.
Construction: We cannot move tenants or give refunds for construction noise or inconvenience.
Occupancy: Maximum occupancy, including infants in cribs, is set by the owner. Violation of the occupancy limit is grounds for immediate eviction. No exceptions and no refunds can be made.
Telephones: Most owners choose to have a long distance block in place and some choose to not have a landline. Please come prepared to use your cell phone.
Linens and towels: Our rentals do not include linens or towels. Please supply your own or contact our office to discuss adding this service to your reservation.
Pets/Allergies: We make NO GUARANTEE for an allergen-free home. We know allergies are a serious health matter and, as such, must strictly abide by our no pets policy. Allowing pets on the premises, either your own or a guests, will result in a $500 penalty and will be subject to immediate termination of your lease. No refunds will be issued. If your rental is dog-friendly and you plan to bring a dog to the property a Pet lease will need to be signed and an additional $150 pet-cleaning fee will be charged.
EV SURCHARGE: Unless previously authorized by John C. Ricotta & Associates and the Landlord, charging of electric vehicles (EVs) at the subject property is prohibited. Unauthorized EV charging shall be subject to a $100/day lease surcharge determined at the sole discretion of Chatham Rentals. The per diem surcharge shall not exceed the length of stay.
Smoking: Smoking is not permitted in or upon our rental properties. If there is evidence that smoking has occurred inside a rental property you will be charged an additional $1000 cleaning and ionization fee. THIS POLICY IS STRICTLY ENFORCED.
Cleaning Policy: Rental homes are professionally cleaned before and after every rental at the tenant’s expense. The customary charge is listed on the data sheet and delineated in your lease. Additional charges will apply for excessive cleaning, replacement of furniture to its original place, and/or laundering of linens. For long term stays, (15 days or longer), mid stay cleanings, at the tenants’ expense, are required and scheduled by our office. The mid stay cleaning is a light cleaning of the common areas. If you arrive at your home and believe that the house has not been cleaned to your satisfaction, you must notify the office within 24 hours.
Check-in/Check-out: Check-in time is 3:00 PM. Keys may be picked up at our office at that time. If you will be arriving after 5:00 PM, please call the office to let us know and to make arrangements to pick up your keys. Check-out time is 10:00 AM (unless otherwise noted on your lease). There are no exceptions. Keys must be dropped at our office. There is a $25 charge for lost keys or keys not returned by 10:30 a.m. on the day of departure.
Lost Items: Chatham Rentals/John C. Ricotta & Associates is not responsible for lost or stolen items. A service fee of $20 and actual postage costs will be applied for attempted retrieval or retrieval and return of items left at your rental property.
Agency Disclosure and Property Maintenance: Chatham Rentals/John C. Ricotta & Associates represents the property owner(s). We make every effort to assist tenants. Chatham Rentals/John C. Ricotta & Associates is a vacation rental company and the management of the property is the sole responsibility of the owner.
