Frequently asked questions

To secure your stay, we ask for 100% of the total Accommodation Fee at the time of booking, or within a 7-day period at the latest. This ensures your booking is confirmed by all parties, avoiding any disappointment.

You can pay with all major credit cards online, or via bank transfer.

You can enjoy our homes for upwards of seven nights.  Please talk to us if this doesn’t quite match your plans.

We take a tiered deposit to cover any damages that might occur.

· £1,000 – for nightly rates up to £1,000

· £5,000 – for nightly rates above £1,000

Please note that for longer stays, of 30 nights or more, an increased deposit may be applicable.

If it isn’t needed, this will be refunded within (10) days of departure. And will be fully refundable, should you need to cancel (in line with our cancellation policy).

Guests may cancel at no charge, up to 30 days prior to arrival, subject to seasonal restrictions and nightly rate.

To offer peace of mind that your dates are secured during our busiest periods, all bookings during peak season — from 01 May through to 30 September, and 01 December through to 31 December — are non-cancellable. This includes bookings that start before and fall into the peak season dates.

All bookings at our signature properties (from £1,500.00 per night) are also non-cancellable.

Note that a non-refundable reservation fee of £200 plus VAT will be applicable, which covers all administrative charges associated with processing and securing your stay.

Our properties are all truly one of a kind, and we treat them with the same level of respect we offer our guests. To keep things truly bespoke and relaxed, we’ve created an ID verification step within the booking process. This allows our homeowners – for many of whom, our properties are their home – complete piece of mind, and you to know you’re not just a number or just another faceless booking. Domus Stay is creating a community, and we want you to feel like a valued part of it.

We welcome children of all ages, but ask that any guest under the age of 18 is accompanied by an adult at all times during their stay.

Pets need to be approved on a case by case basis. Please get in touch with our team to discuss your requirements. It will always be up to the owner of the property, and we’ll always do our best to find you the perfect solution. In addition, we may ask for a higher non-refundable pet deposit so we can fumigate our homes after your stay.

Yes! These may vary from home to home, but generally cover the usuals of no smoking, no parties, and nothing illegal.

As a regulated service, we have to conduct a Smart Search. This consists of uploading a copy of your passport and completing facial recognition to check that you are who you say you are. AML checks, or Anti-Money Laundering checks, are a crucial part of the financial system and are required by various regulatory bodies. These checks are designed to prevent money laundering, terrorist financing, and other illegal activities.

The process is simple: follow the link, upload or take a clear picture of your passport (with all the corners visible) and take a selfie. We find the best way to do this is on a mobile device.

Yes! Your dedicated guest services specialist will be in touch to arrange these – and any other requirements you may have. We work with trusted suppliers for a range of equipment from bottle warmers to strollers. Even the babies must have a wonderful time in our properties.

To make sure you’re all comfortable, we work within a suggested maximum capacity for each home. Feel free to call us with your needs and we’ll find the right house to accommodate you all.

We work with professional inventory clerks, who conduct a detailed report of the property prior to your stay. This gives both you and the owner complete piece of mind. We’ll send you the details prior to arrival, and this will form part of your confirmation.

It’s entirely up to you. All we ask is that you let us know how – and when – you’ll be arriving 2 days beforehand. And remember that our guest services team are always on hand to arrange any car transfers or extra delights to be waiting for your arrival.

The address will be included with your booking confirmation. And, closer to your arrival, we’ll be in touch to reconfirm all details.

Your dedicated guest services specialist will be there, waiting to welcome you home, whether you arrive at 0700 or 2200. They’ll ask to verify your ID, and will be on hand to get the kettle on and get you settled in.

Don’t worry. Travel plans are often beyond our control. We’ll be in touch via phone or text on the day, so you can keep us posted about any changes.

Some of our properties have allocated or private parking, but many will have on-street parking.  Please speak with your guest services specialist who can advise.

As much or as little as you like. We provide crisp bedlinens, fluffy towels and delicious toiletries by the organic South Kensington brand, Bamford. We’ll make sure there’s milk (of your choice), butter and jam in the fridge, and tea and coffee in the pot. We can arrange a full, bespoke grocery shop in advance of your arrival, and should you have a preference for particular brands, please just let us know. We’ll get you started with dishwasher and washing machine tablets, and cleaning products will be available.

If you don’t want to leave, please contact us and we’ll check availability with the homeowner.  If that’s really not possible then we’ll find you a new home nearby that you’ll equally love and we’ll help you move too.

Please just get in touch and we will act swiftly to rectify.

Things happen. Please talk to us and we’ll work it out.

Our professional cleaners conduct a top to bottom clean of the property prior to your arrival, and thereafter, every seven days. We’ll tidy, change the bedlinens and towels, and refresh toiletries.  We can arrange more frequent housekeeping on request.

Just as when you arrive, there are no rules here – all we ask is that you let us know no later than two days prior to departure, so we don’t disturb you on check-out day. In the event you have extras to pay, we can organise after you have checked out.

Simply leave your keys as directed, and we do the rest. Of course, your guest services specialist is on hand to help with car transfers… we can even sort a butler to do your packing!

Please just call us. (And we’ll call you if we spot anything left behind.)

Your damage deposit will be returned once we have completed our post departure checks, cross checked the inventory and no damages are found. This typically takes 7 days.

Houses are our passion and our profession. We know how to reveal their beauty with every tool at our disposal; incredible photography, marketing gurus, elegant wordsmiths and a powerful black book of stellar contacts from the worlds of business, art and entertainment.

In the first instance, we’ll give you a full market appraisal. Then we provide a bespoke pricing plan for your property to make sure you get a sense of the financial ebb and flow of the year from peak times to leaner months.

Beyond the unparalleled guest services and professional marketing collateral (including professional photography and floorplans), your fee will include:

· A rigorous guest verification process

· Meticulous weekly cleaning and housekeeping service

· Contents & Buildings insurance (in line with the Domus Stay T&Cs) to cover inadvertent guest damage – in addition to your own insurance.

· Surprising delights for your guests including thoughtfully curated toiletries, a beautiful welcome hamper, luxurious bed linen, towels, slippers and bathrobes.

This is a really important part of the conversation. We hold ourselves and our properties to the highest standards in every regard, and will guide you through the process to make sure you’re fully up to spec for our guests. There are the basics; such as everything working well and looking great, and then there’s that certain magic something that really makes a house feel like a home from home. We’ll help you every step of the way.

Most people tend to allocate a personal space within their home that’s out of bounds to guests. Any jewellery / valuables / incendiary secrets must be kept securely locked away, and we can help with any packing needs. You do need to make sure the guest has adequate storage space, but if this feels impractical then just talk to us and we’ll find a solution.

We send you a confirmation letter as soon as a guest makes a booking. We then take care of all guest considerations and will be happy to assist you in arranging any packing or storage services.

The guest always books directly through us. We handle all of their immediate questions and, at this point, take a deposit. Before they arrive, we arrange a complete inventory which acts as peace of mind for both the guest and the owner.

We’re in contact with the guest throughout arrival day to make sure everything’s going to plan. We then meet them at the property, complete the formal checks and walk them through any special notes about the home. We’re then on-hand throughout their stay to make sure they have a great time, and will take care of any requests from filling the fridge to finding their feet.

After departure, we carry out our thorough End of Stay and inventory process to check everything is present and correct. Our professional housekeeping team follow clearly defined procedures to ensure everything is spotless and ready for the next guest, or for your return. The dustbins will be emptied, and all unused food/toiletries will be removed and recycled wherever possible.

We hope that cancellation is always an absolutely last resort, but, if its unavoidable, please let our team know as quickly as possible. We’ll find a solution that works for everyone, but the more time we have for this, the more chance we’ll have of avoiding penalty fees.

We’ll help you identify the dates on which you want your property to be available – as well as those you’d prefer not to offer. As long as there are no bookings already in place, you’re free to change your dates as often as necessary.

Domus Stay has an insurance policy which covers your home and interiors. In addition, we take a deposit from each guest to ensure any accidental damage is fixed swiftly and with minimum hassle. We will, of course, keep you informed. We conduct a professional inventory check between each stay, so you’ll have complete piece of mind. We’ll also help you store your treasured items as we recognise certain items are irreplaceable.

Providing our guests with a wonderful stay is our top priority, and it’s crucial to keep every aspect of your property up to the highest levels of expectation. Our dedicated property team will be on hand throughout every stay to handle any issues swiftly and professionally, but it remains your responsibility to make sure your home is properly maintained. Please talk to us about how we can help with regular deep cleaning, window cleaning, gardening and more.

The two key elements are that you have the right to let your property under the terms of your mortgage, or relevant permissions from the freeholder or leaseholder, and that you’re covered for any personal liability relating to damage, loss or other unexpected surprises that may occur during guest stays.

Beyond this, we’ll help make sure your home is fully prepared and elegantly welcoming for your guests, and will be on hand to guide you through all relevant housing and safety regulations. A more exhaustive list of the requirements and standards that must be met are fully listed in our ‘owner’s guide to legal obligations’.

This section only applies if your home falls within one of the designated Westminster wards. Here is an interactive map to cross reference if your home falls within one of the wards;

1. It is the sole responsibility of the Homeowner or Landlord to ensure their property complies with all applicable laws and regulations, including (without limitation) obtaining any necessary licences required by Westminster City Council under the Selective Licensing Scheme, any Additional Licensing Scheme or the Mandatory Licensing scheme,  or any similar or successor schemes introduced already, now, or in the future. It is the responsibility of all Homeowners or Landlord to ensure they are aware of the Regulations regarding a House in Multiple Occupation (“HMO”) and any other existing or new Regulations imposed by Westminster City Council.
2. No property located within the designated Westminster wards may be marketed, listed, or let through Domus Stay unless the Homeowner or Landlord has: (a) submitted a valid licence application for an HMO or to comply with other legislation and provided satisfactory evidence of such submission to Domus Stay; or b)  obtained the required licence for an HMO or other legislation from Westminster City Council.
3. Domus Stay does not accept responsibility or liability for a Homeowner’s or Landlord’s failure to obtain or maintain a valid property licence for an HMO or other legislation. The Homeowner or Landlord acknowledges compliance with all licensing requirements is their legal obligation.
4. Where Domus Stay assists in the preparation and/or submission of a licence application (including as part of a paid service), such assistance is provided on an administrative basis only. Domus Stay gives no guarantee any licence application will be approved, and accepts no liability for any delay, refusal, penalty, or enforcement action arising from or in connection with the licensing process.
5. If Domus Stay are instructed to obtain the license by the Homeowner, the full Council fee and Domus Stay fee for this service must be paid in advance of the application being submitted. Domus Stay will require all the information to answer all questions and comply with the requirements of the HMO licence. If a landlord provides incorrect information Domus Stay take no liability. The Homeowner and Landlord agrees to compensate Domus Stay for all costs, penalties, or any other fine which might be incurred due to the error or omission of the Homeowner or Landlord.
6. The Homeowner and Landlord agrees to indemnify and hold harmless Domus Stay, its employees, and agents from and against all losses, fines, penalties, damages, costs, or expenses (including reasonable legal fees) arising out of or related to the Homeowner’s or Landlord’s failure to comply with applicable licensing requirements.
7. Domus Stay reserves the right to suspend marketing, booking, or management services for any property that does not hold (or has not applied for) a valid licence for an HMO or to comply with any other Regulations where required by law.