Damage Policy

We do not take a security deposit and do not place a pre-authorisation hold on your card at any point, so your available balance and credit limit are not encumbered by the stay. That does not mean there is no exposure for damage. By accepting these terms at checkout, the lead guest authorises Sassi Villas Ltd to charge the payment method on file for the cost of repairing or replacing damage to the property, its contents, or its grounds caused during the stay by the guest, the party, or invitees, up to EUR 10,000 per booking. The authorisation covers charges raised mid-stay (for damage needing immediate attention) and after check-out (for damage found at inspection), and lasts until 30 days after check-out. Where the cost exceeds the cap, we may charge the cap and recover the balance as a debt: the cap limits what we charge to the card, not your underlying liability. All damage charges are subject to the assessment, dispute, and exclusion processes below.

Each property maintains an inventory and condition record covering furnishings, appliances, fixtures, soft goods, art, outdoor furniture, pool and spa equipment, garden and grounds, and consumable stock at standard levels. The current record is reviewed at the start of each stay by the local team and is the baseline against which any post-departure damage assessment is made. Guests are invited to walk the property at the start of the stay and to flag any pre-existing condition, missing item, or fault to the Sassi Villas concierge within twelve (12) hours of check-in, by email to support@sassivillas.com or through the contact route in the welcome guide. Conditions reported within that window are recorded and removed from any subsequent damage assessment for the stay, and photographs taken by the guest at arrival are accepted as evidence of condition. Where no flag is raised within the twelve-hour window, the baseline record stands. Reporting after the window does not automatically invalidate a guest’s position (the local team will still consider photographic and other evidence) but does shift the evidential burden onto the guest.

Treat the property as a sensible person treats their own home; the standard is that of an ordinary discerning guest, not a caretaker, and reasonable wear and tear over a holiday is not damage. Beyond that, we ask you to:

• leave the property reasonably clean and tidy at check-out (the post-stay clean is included);
• dispose of waste through the property’s bins and the comune’s sorting scheme (raccolta differenziata) where it operates;
• follow the welcome-guide instructions for appliances and equipment, especially the pool and the heating and cooling systems;
• keep windows and external doors closed when air-conditioning is running;
• avoid moving heavy furniture between rooms or rearranging fixed installations;
• follow any property-specific guidance on irrigation, garden access, or water use.

Where damage results from not following the instructions provided, it is treated as attributable to the guest under this Damage Policy.

Each listing carries house rules set by the Owner, which form part of the rental contract and bind every member of your party from arrival to check-out. They typically cover smoking, noise, maximum occupancy, day visitors, music, outdoor spaces at night, barbecues and open flames, pool and spa use, and any property-specific sensitivities (for example, a fragile floor finish, an art collection, or a working farm next door). Disorderly conduct, conduct that prompts a complaint to the police or municipal authority, conduct that interferes with neighbours, and any unlawful activity may end the booking mid-stay without refund of unused nights. The lead guest is responsible for everyone they bring onto the property, including day visitors and any suppliers (chefs, drivers, and the like), and the cost of any remediation arising from their conduct is attributable to the lead guest under this Damage Policy.

Many properties feature a private swimming pool, outdoor kitchen, vegetable garden, olive grove, or terraced grounds. Use of these features is at the guest’s own risk and subject to the property-specific safety information provided at check-in. Children under twelve must be supervised by a responsible adult at all times in and around the pool, regardless of swimming ability. Diving is permitted only where the pool is expressly designed and marked for it, which in most properties is not the case. Glass items, breakable ceramics, and electrical equipment must not be brought into the pool area. Pool covers, where fitted, must be fully retracted before entry and replaced overnight where the operating instructions require. Guests must not adjust pool chemical dosing, heating set-points, or filtration timers; any adjustment triggering a chemistry incident, pump failure, or heater fault is treated as guest damage. Outdoor lighting, irrigation, and pool equipment is electrical; the guest must not attempt repairs and must report any malfunction promptly. Sassi Villas and the Owner do not accept liability for personal injury resulting from misuse of pool or outdoor facilities, save to the extent that liability for personal injury arising from negligence may not be excluded under applicable law.

Damage, breakage, malfunction, and incident of any kind must be reported to Sassi Villas as soon as the guest becomes aware of it, by email to support@sassivillas.com, through the in-stay chat in the guest’s account, or by the emergency telephone number issued at check-in. Prompt reporting typically reduces the eventual cost: a broken glass replaced on the day is a minor item, whereas a leak left undisclosed for three days can ruin a floor. Accidents are part of staying away from home, and honest reporting is always preferable to silence. We ask guests to photograph the affected item or area where it is safe to do so, and to record the time and a short note of what happened. Unreported damage discovered at the post-departure inspection may be charged at the higher of the actual replacement cost or the cost of a forensic repair (where one becomes necessary because the damage was not addressed promptly), together with an administrative assessment fee of EUR 50 to reflect the additional work of reconstructing the incident retrospectively.

Within 48 hours of check-out, the local team conducts a post-departure inspection against the inventory and condition record. Where damage beyond ordinary wear and tear is identified, the guest receives an itemised statement by email within seven (7) days of check-out, setting out the item or area affected, the date and circumstances where known, photographic evidence, the proposed repair or replacement, and the corresponding cost supported by a receipt, quote, or comparable evidence. Charges are calculated as the actual cost of repair or the current market replacement value, whichever is lower; we do not charge new-for-old where a serviceable repair will return the item to use, and we apply no margin or markup. The aggregate charge against the payment method is capped at EUR 10,000 per booking, with any supported excess invoiced separately as a recoverable debt under the rental contract. No charge is initiated until the itemised statement has been sent and a five (5) business-day period to acknowledge it has elapsed. Charges are settled on the original payment method; where that method is no longer valid, we will ask the guest for an alternative route. The mechanics of how these charges and any refunds move through our processor are set out in our Payments & Payouts policy.

Where the post-departure inspection identifies no damage attributable to the stay, no charge is initiated against the payment method. Because Sassi Villas does not place a pre-authorisation hold on the card at any point, there is nothing to release: the guest’s available balance and credit limit are unaffected by the stay beyond the original booking charge captured at checkout. Sassi Villas will, on request, provide written confirmation that no damage was identified, which the guest may share with the issuing bank or a travel-insurance provider if helpful. This confirmation is issued by Sassi Villas as the operator of the platform, not by the Owner; the Owner does not have a separate financial position against the guest that survives a clean inspection.

Events, gatherings, weddings, milestone celebrations, photoshoots, and any other use of the property by more than the confirmed overnight party require prior written approval from Sassi Villas, even where the additional people are not staying overnight. The process is straightforward: the guest contacts support@sassivillas.com at least thirty (30) days before the event date, describing the date, the expected number of attendees, the nature of the gathering, and any suppliers (caterer, florist, DJ, planner) intended to be on site. The Owner is consulted; where approved, the booking is endorsed in writing and any conditions are recorded, which typically include the use of an approved supplier panel for catering and event management, a music curfew set by reference to local regulations, a contribution to additional cleaning and a separate event uplift charge, and confirmation that the guest holds appropriate public-liability cover. An unapproved event identified during a stay is grounds for the booking to be terminated mid-stay without refund and for the property to be charged the cost of remediation, any neighbour-complaint fines, and an administrative penalty, all within the EUR 10,000 cap (or beyond it where the cost exceeds the cap, recoverable as a debt).

Indoor smoking is prohibited at every property, including tobacco, electronic cigarettes, vaping devices, cannabis (where local law permits its use), and any other combustible. Smoking is permitted only in clearly designated outdoor areas where provided, and any smoking material must be disposed of in the designated receptacles, never in vegetation, on terraces, in pool plant, or on cushions and soft furnishings. Indoor smoking discovered at the post-departure inspection triggers a deep clean and treatment cost typically between EUR 500 and EUR 2,000 depending on the property and the affected area, chargeable under this Damage Policy. Quiet hours are typically observed between 23:00 and 08:00 local time, in line with the regulations of the relevant comune and to maintain good relations with neighbours; property-specific quiet hours in the welcome guide override this default. Noise complaints to the local police or to the comune’s vigili urbani are taken seriously; a single fine raised against the property in respect of the stay is chargeable to the guest as damage, together with any administrative cost incurred in resolving the complaint.

Where a guest disagrees with a damage charge, the guest may dispute it in writing to support@sassivillas.com within fourteen (14) days of receipt of the itemised statement, stating the booking reference, the line items contested, and any supporting evidence (photographs from the stay, communications with the local team, manufacturer’s evidence on the age or condition of an item). The Sassi Villas team will review and issue a reasoned response within ten (10) business days. Where a charge has already been initiated and is subsequently reduced or reversed, the corresponding amount is refunded to the original payment method within fourteen (14) days. Where the dispute is not resolved at this internal stage, it may be escalated to mediation under the procedure in our Terms of Service. The card-network chargeback route remains available in parallel; we ask only that the internal process is attempted first, as it is generally faster. Where a disputed amount has been charged and the dispute remains live, Sassi Villas holds the contested amount pending the outcome and does not pay it through to the Owner until the position is settled.

The following are not chargeable as damage:

• ordinary wear and tear consistent with a holiday stay (minor marks on painted surfaces, light sun-staining on outdoor cushions, ordinary kitchen use, fading of soft goods over the season);
• pre-existing damage documented in the condition record or notified within the twelve-hour arrival window;
• loss or damage from force-majeure events as defined in the Booking Policies (severe weather, earthquake, fire of non-guest origin, external flooding, prolonged utility outage);
• failures attributable to the property’s structure, plumbing, electrical infrastructure, or core appliances where not caused or accelerated by guest misuse;
• damage caused by pests, save where directly attributable to guest behaviour (for example, food waste left exposed);
• damage caused by third parties not invited by the guest.

Where the boundary between wear and damage is contested, the position is assessed against the inventory, the photographic record, and where necessary an independent professional view, the cost of which Sassi Villas bears.

The Owner’s claim against the guest is asserted, assessed, and settled through Sassi Villas, not by the Owner directly: the Owner submits damage observations and evidence at inspection and is asked not to pursue the guest directly, both to preserve the guest’s consumer protections and to avoid double recovery. Where the Owner has incurred an emergency cost at first instance, it is reimbursed out of the damage settlement net of the platform’s assessment cost. Where the EUR 10,000 cap is reached and further sums are owed, Sassi Villas supports the Owner in pursuing the residual claim directly and provides the evidential file, but is not itself a party to a claim above the cap.