Terms & conditions

Strafford Motorhomes Ltd – Terms & Conditions of Hire

Accessibility Note: These Terms and Conditions can be printed larger on request and are available on our website at www.straffordmotorhomes.co.uk.

1. Rental Terms in Summary

Driving License Criteria

Virtually all of our motorhomes are below 3500kgs, which means they can be driven on a normal car driving license known as category B in the UK.

• Accepted Licenses: At the time of rental, you must present a full UK, EU, US, Canadian, Australian, or NZ driver’s license. Other nationality licenses may be accepted; however, you must call us prior to booking to see if our insurers can accommodate you and to confirm if any extra hire costs or higher insurance excess terms apply.

• Experience & Age: Your license must have been held for at least 2 years. Drivers must be aged between 28 and 70.

  • Under 30 (Ages 28 & 29): Drivers in this age bracket are permitted but will attract a 50% increase in the standard insurance excess and a 20% surcharge on standard hire fees.

  • Over 70: Higher-aged drivers are usually accepted but must be referred to our insurers for approval; please call to confirm.

• Driving Record & Penalty Points: A maximum of 6 penalty points in the last 5 years is allowed, with no driving bans in the last 10 years, and no more than one accident in the past 3 years. All penalty points must be disclosed at the time of booking and will attract an extra cost. If a driver has more than 6 penalty points, they must contact us by phone prior to making a booking to confirm whether we can accommodate the hire.

• Verification: You must present two recent utility bills (such as a bank statement, phone, or electricity bill) to verify your address.

Overhead Damage Exclusions

• No Insurance Cover: Please be explicitly aware that your rental insurance does not cover overhead damage.

• Hirer Responsibility: The hirer will be fully responsible for the total cost to repair any and all damages caused to the upper areas/roof of the motorhome.

Mileage Restrictions & Fair Usage Policy (FUP)

We operate a strict Fair Usage Policy (FUP) to keep basic rental charges as low as possible. We do not offer any unlimited mileage hires. * High Season (1st June – 30th September): Free mileage is not less than 500 free miles per week (between 71 and 80 per 24-hour day hired).

• Low Season (1st October – 31st May): Free mileage is not less than 250 free miles per week due to low pricing during these periods.

• Excess Mileage: Any excess miles over the included amount on your original quote and rental contract are charged at exactly £1.00 per mile.

• High Mileage Guidance: If you are driving high mileage and wish to know your exact free mileage allowance, you are advised to call our team on 01273 777777 (Option 4) before booking to get an exact quote.

Your exact FUP mileage allowance (calculated based on your hire dates, duration, and total spend) and excess charge will be contained in your emailed booking confirmation and on your rental contract. Note: Optional extras do not accrue extra free mileage.

2. Terms & Conditions of Hire in Detail

Agreement for Hire

An agreement made between Strafford Motorhomes Ltd (Rental House, 74 Preston Road, Brighton, East Sussex, BN1 4QG), hereinafter called the “Owner,” and the “Hirer” named in the schedule. The Hirer shall be a mere borrower of the vehicle, and no interest in it shall pass to the Hirer.

A. Insurance & Driver Requirements

Strafford uses leading insurance companies. Hirers must comply with the following basic criteria (terms may vary depending on when the hire is booked):

• Age Restrictions & Surcharges: The minimum age to hire is 28. Drivers aged 28 and 29 are subject to a 50% increase in their insurance excess and a 20% surcharge on hire fees. Drivers over 70 are strictly subject to insurer approval.

• UK Licenses: Full GB & Northern Ireland License accepted.

• EU/EEA Licenses: Driver must be aged 28+, held license for a minimum of 2 years. Cover subject to an additional minimum £500 excess (plus under-30 surcharge if applicable).

• Australian & NZ Licenses: Driver must be aged 28+, held license for a minimum of 2 years. Cover subject to an additional minimum £500 excess (plus under-30 surcharge if applicable).

• USA & Canadian Licenses: Driver must be aged 28+, held license for a minimum of 2 years. Cover subject to an additional minimum £600 excess (plus under-30 surcharge if applicable).

• Other Nationality Licenses: Other nationality licenses may be accepted, but you must call us first to see if our insurers can accommodate the hire and to determine if any extra hire costs or higher excess terms of hire insurance will apply. International/Overseas licenses must also include English translations.

• Endorsements & Penalty Points: Acceptable depending on the type and severity. All penalty points must be disclosed prior to booking and will attract an additional cost. Please call for quotes. All endorsements are valid for insurance purposes for 5 years from conviction (11 years for serious offenses like “DR”).

• Extra Drivers: Can be elected to drive for a small extra cost but must meet all principal driver criteria and be notified to the renting office.

• Using Hirer’s Own Insurance: The Hirer undertakes to insure the vehicle fully comprehensively with an approved insurer. Strafford’s name must be endorsed on the policy.

B. Booking, Payments & Cancellations

• Reservations & Payment: Reservations can be made by telephone, in person, fax, or post. Payment is acceptable by major credit/debit card. Cash or cheques are not accepted unless pre-authorized by management.

• Identification: Cash payments require extensive ID due to untraceability. Plastic payments usually require one extra method of ID. Passports are not accepted as primary ID as they lack an address; utility bills are required.

• Pre-Payments (Deposits): Approximately 20% is payable at the time of booking to secure the reservation. This is non-refundable. The full 80% balance is due 8 weeks before departure and is also non-refundable. If the full amount is not paid by 8 weeks before the hire, your booking is likely to be cancelled. Failure to pay the balance at 8 weeks will also result in the sliding-scale removal of any early booking discounts.

• Cancellations: No refunds are offered if your event or purpose for hiring is cancelled. Early returns and cancellations with less than 12 hours’ notice render all pre-paid money non-refundable. We advise taking out travel insurance.

• Covid-19 Policy: Valid from Jan 1st, 2021. Cancellations are not accepted if government restrictions permit travel. However, if a UK-wide lockdown or tier restrictions legally ban non-essential travel, or if government guidance forces the closure of Strafford Motorhomes, we will move the booking to another date without penalty (subject to availability and seasonal price fluctuations).

• Price Accuracy: In the event of a pricing error on our website, we reserve the right to amend the price. The customer may accept the corrected price or cancel for a full refund.

C. Deposits & Damage Liability

• Insurance Excess / Deposit: A pre-authorized deposit (minimum £150 for smaller vehicles; larger vehicles at Strafford’s discretion) is required before departure. This covers the first portion of damage/loss. Public Sector and known institutional schools may be exempt from providing a card if they supply an official letter acknowledging excess liability payable within 14 days of an incident.

• Exclusions from Insurance Cover: You are fully liable for the following, which are not covered by insurance:

  1. Overhead damage (any damages caused to the upper areas/roof of the motorhome).

  2. Interior fitments (audio, linings, carpets, seats, dashboard, glass).

  3. Mirrors, petrol caps, antennas, exterior light clusters, wipers.

  4. Lost/broken keys and locks.

  5. Unrepairable tyre damage.

  6. Excessively dirty vehicles.

  7. Gross negligence damage (You are responsible for full recovery and repair costs).

  8. Loss of hire/demurrage due to repairs.

• Accidents: Report any accident to the owner within 12 hours (office@strafford.co.uk or 01273 687167) and to the police. Do not authorize repairs without consent. Each incident is treated as a separate claim, requiring a separate insurance excess.

D. Vehicle Care, Use & Custody

• General Use: The Hirer must drive carefully, adhering to legal requirements, axle weights, and maximum payload/seating capacities. No racing, pace-making, or carrying passengers for hire/reward.

• Speeding (Safer Hire Policy): Vehicles are fitted with Planti Telematics. If alerted that you have exceeded the legal speed limit by more than 120% (e.g., 84mph in a 70mph zone), you jeopardize safety and cause excessive wear. A charge of £25 per breach (maximum £60 per 24 hours) will be deducted from your deposit. Detailed logs can be provided upon written request.

• Overseas Travel: EU travel is permitted if notified prior to hire and the overseas premium is paid. Non-EU travel is strictly forbidden. Traveling outside the UK without consent voids insurance and risks prosecution.

• Smoking & Vaping: Strictly not permitted. We reserve the right to charge up to the full deposit.

• Pets: Allowed only with prior written consent, an increased deposit, and adherence to our Pet Policy (not left unattended, kept off upholstery). A minimum charge of £200 applies if the vehicle requires pet-related cleaning.

• Child Seats: Available in all sizes for a small extra charge.

E. Breakdowns & Mechanical Failure

• Breakdown Cover: Provided nationwide (mostly RAC). legitimate non-fault assistance is free. Driver-error callouts (out of fuel, lights left on) are chargeable. Crucial: If roadside repair fails, you MUST request relay recovery back to the original Strafford base. Secondary recoveries to other destinations will be charged to you.

• Mechanical Failure: Motorhomes are complex. In the event of internal failures, we offer fixed daily compensation (e.g., Fridge £3, Heating/Hot Water £6, Electric bed £10). Maximum compensation is capped at 25% of the total hire fee. Breakdown of the chassis cab results in a pro-rata hourly hire fee refund until fixed.

• Change of Vehicle: We have the right to supply a vehicle of similar or different capacity if the booked vehicle is unavailable. If an alternative is declined, a full refund is given with no further claim against the Owner.

F. Collection, Returns & Additional Charges

• Delayed Start: If we supply the vehicle more than 18 hours late, the Hirer may cancel for a 100% refund. Otherwise, an equivalent extension or pro-rata refund applies after 24 hours.

• Late Returns: A grace period of 30 minutes is allowed. After 31 minutes, hires are charged at 40% of the daily rate per hour. After 2.5 hours, a full non-discounted day rate applies. If overdue during closed office hours, a full extra day rate is charged. The standard late fee is £100 per hour.

• Out of Hours: £200 fee to open the office for collection/return on Sundays or Public Holidays (by prior arrangement only).

• Fuel: Return fuel at the supplied level. No cash refunds for excess fuel. Deficits charged at:

  • Diesel: ¾ to full = £75 | ½ to ¾ = £90 | ¼ to ½ = £120 | Empty to ¼ = £140.

  • LPG: £40 regardless of level.

  • AdBlue: £25 if the warning light is illuminated.

• Cleaning & Waste: A standard cleaning fee (£88 – £176) applies if the motorhome is not returned clean enough for the next hirer. A £150 fee applies if the toilet and wastewater tanks are not emptied prior to return.

G. Fines, Tolls & Penalties

The Hirer is fully liable as the owner for all parking fines, congestion charges, excess charges, and traffic offences.

• Administration Fees: If Strafford receives enforcement correspondence due to unpaid fines, we reserve the right to charge your original payment card for the fine plus a nominal administration fee.

• Dartford Crossing (Dart Charge): All northbound or southbound crossings must be PREPAID directly to Strafford Self Drive / Motorhomes either before your crossing or no later than 48 hours after.

  • Incorrect Payment: If you mistakenly pay Dart Charge directly, you will still be charged by Strafford and must call Dart Charge (0300 300 0120) for a refund.

  • Failure to pay Strafford within 48 hours results in a penalty charge plus an administration fee processed from your deposit.

Copyright STRAFFORD Motorhomes Ltd (no part of this agreement may be reproduced without prior permission from STRAFFORD Motorhomes Ltd). We reserve the right to amend tariffs without notice.