Rental agreement - Dock & Loon

This is the standard rental agreement for every stay booked on Dock & Loon. Words in italics are filled in from each booking and shown to the renter before they sign.

Version 2.0. The version in force for a booking and its date are shown on the booking page and on the PDF copy.

This is the standard agreement between the cottage owner and the renter for every stay booked on Dock & Loon. The details in clause 1 fill in from the booking and are shown to the renter before the renter signs. The renter agrees by typing their full name and ticking “I agree” at checkout. The owner agrees by accepting the booking. Both receive a copy by email as soon as the booking is confirmed, and it stays on the booking page.

1. The booking

Owner: owner’s legal name (“the owner”), owner’s operating name, if any
Owner contact: owner’s mailing address for business mail (need not be a home address); telephone owner’s phone number; email owner’s email; and messages through the Dock & Loon booking page
Renter: renter’s full name (“the renter”), for the renter and everyone in the group
Cottage: listing name, township, Ontario. The exact address is shared after the owner confirms.
Dates: check-in date from owner’s check-in time; check-out date by owner’s check-out time
Guests: number guests, number pets. Maximum occupancy: number, set by the township licence / the house rules.
Price: all-in price amount CAD, the same price shown at checkout and on the receipt. It breaks down as: rent amount; owner’s required fees list and amounts; optional extras the renter chose list and amounts, or “none”; municipal accommodation tax amount, or “none”; Dock & Loon service fee amount (6% / 3% returning-guest rate of the rent and required fees); HST on the stay amount, collected by the owner / Dock & Loon; HST on the service fee amount. The security deposit is not part of the price.
Payment schedule: first payment (50%) when the owner accepts; balance on balance date, 30 days before check-in. If check-in is less than 30 days away when the owner accepts, the full price is charged at acceptance.
Cancellation policy: Flexible / Firm, copied in full as published on the Cancellations and deposits page on the booking date: policy table
Security deposit: amount, or “none”
Stay type: short stay / seasonal stay
Water: drinkable from the tap / not drinkable: bring or buy drinking water, as stated by the owner
Watercraft provided: list with lifejacket sizes, or “none”
Winter and road access: {year-round road, plowed by who / seasonal road, open dates / not applicable}

2. Who the agreement is between

This agreement is between the owner and the renter only. The owner rents the cottage and is the seller of the stay, and payments are charged by the owner through the owner’s Stripe account. If the owner is not registered for GST/HST and the stay is shorter than one month, Dock & Loon collects the HST on the stay and sends it to the Canada Revenue Agency under the federal rules for accommodation platforms. Clause 1 shows who collects the HST for this booking. Dock & Loon (an operating name of Lifestyle Basics Enterprise Inc.) runs the website and the checkout and keeps a copy of this agreement. Dock & Loon may help the two sides communicate. It is not a party to this agreement, does not own or manage the cottage, does not decide disputes between the two sides, and is not responsible for either side’s obligations under it.

3. Your group, guests and children

The cottage is rented for temporary vacation use only, for the dates in clause 1. The cottage is not anyone’s permanent home.
No more than the maximum occupancy may stay overnight, counting adults and children. Day visitors are allowed only as the house rules say, and never so that the total on the property goes over what the house rules allow.
The renter is at least 18, stays at the cottage for the booking, and is responsible for everyone in the group and every visitor.
If the owner asks, the renter gives the names of the adults staying overnight, for safety and township reasons only.
A group made up only of people under 18 cannot stay. Adults supervise children at all times, and closely near water, docks, stairs, fire pits and roads.
No subletting, no commercial use, and no camping, tents or trailers unless the house rules allow them.

4. House rules, quiet hours, events and smoking

The renter’s group follows:

the house rules on the listing on the booking date: house rules;
the township rules the renter initialled at checkout, including the occupancy limit, quiet hours, parking and fire rules;
the Good-Neighbour pledge: keep quiet hours, follow the township’s fire rules and any fire ban, never leave a fire unattended, treat the septic system with care, park only where the owner says and keep to the guest count.

Unless the township or the house rules set other hours, quiet hours are 11 pm to 7 am. No parties, weddings or other events unless the owner agrees in writing through the site. No smoking or vaping inside the cottage or any building, and smoking outside only where the house rules allow, with butts put out in a safe container.

Serious breach. A serious or repeated breach that puts people or property at risk, or that a township or police officer orders stopped, allows the owner to end the stay early. The owner records the reason in a message through the site. In that case the owner may keep the rent for the remaining nights only to cover documented losses from the breach, and the rest is refunded under clause 20.

5. Pets and service animals

Only the pets declared in clause 1 may come, and only if the listing allows pets. Pets follow the house rules, are not left alone in the cottage unless the house rules allow it, and are cleaned up after.
If an undeclared pet comes, the owner may claim documented extra cleaning or damage costs under clause 18. If the cottage is pet-free for allergy reasons, the owner may also ask that the pet leave.
A service animal is welcome where the law requires it, even at a pet-free cottage. The renter is asked to tell the owner in advance through the site, so the owner can prepare.

6. What the owner provides

The cottage as described in the listing, clean, reasonably safe and ready at check-in, with the amenities listed in working order.
Working smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms as the Ontario Fire Code requires, a fire extinguisher, and a basic first-aid kit.
An emergency card at the cottage with the 911 civic address, the nearest hospital, and how to reach the owner or the owner’s local contact.
Notice in the listing or the arrival instructions of any known hazard that a visitor would not expect, such as a steep drop, a weak dock section, a shallow diving area, or ice conditions.
Arrival instructions from 48 hours before check-in.
A licence or permit where the township requires one, kept valid for the stay.
A way to reach the owner during the stay, through the site or as stated in the arrival instructions.

If the cottage is not available or is materially different from the listing, the renter tells the owner through the site at once. If it cannot be fixed within a reasonable time, the renter may leave and gets a refund for the nights not used under clause 20.

7. Water, well and septic

The owner states in clause 1 whether the tap water is drinkable. If it is not, the renter’s group uses bottled or other safe water for drinking and cooking.
Many cottages have a well and a septic system. The renter’s group uses water sparingly, flushes only toilet paper, and follows any extra instructions in the house rules, such as no wipes, grease, food waste or harsh chemicals.
A blockage or septic problem caused by the group’s misuse counts as damage under clause 18. A failure that the group did not cause is the owner’s to fix under clause 16.

8. Fire, fire bans, fireworks and firewood

Campfires only in the fire pit the owner provides, only when no fire ban or restriction is in force for that area, and never left unattended. The group puts out every fire fully with water before leaving it or going to bed.
The renter checks the township’s fire status during the stay. A ban announced during the stay applies at once.
No fireworks unless both the township and the house rules allow them.
The group uses the firewood the owner provides or buys local firewood near the cottage, and does not bring firewood from far away.
Barbecues are used outdoors only, away from walls, decks and railings, as the house rules say.

9. Boats, watercraft and life jackets

The group uses only the watercraft listed in clause 1, and only as the house rules allow.
For each boat, canoe, kayak or paddleboard the owner provides, the owner provides a lifejacket or PFD in good condition for each seat, in the sizes stated in clause 1. If children’s sizes are not listed, the renter brings them.
Everyone on a watercraft has a properly sized lifejacket or PFD on board, as federal boating rules require, and children wear theirs.
Anyone driving a motorboat holds the Pleasure Craft Operator Card or other proof of competency the law requires. No one operates a watercraft while impaired by alcohol, cannabis or drugs.
The group returns watercraft and gear to where it was found and reports any damage or loss through the site the same day.

10. Swimming, docks and outdoor risks

The renter understands that a cottage stay has natural risks that the owner cannot remove, including cold or deep water, no lifeguard, currents, rocks and weeds, slippery docks and stairs, uneven ground, insects, weather and, in season, ice. The renter’s group uses the waterfront, dock, boats, water toys, stairs, trails and fire pit with care, at its own judgement, and supervises children at all times. No diving from docks or rocks unless the owner states the water is deep enough. No one swims or boats while impaired.

This clause does not reduce the owner’s duty to keep the cottage reasonably safe, to disclose known hazards under clause 6, or the owner’s responsibility for the owner’s own negligence.

11. Wildlife and garbage

The group does not feed or approach wildlife, keeps food and garbage inside or in the closed bins the owner provides, and keeps barbecues clean.
The group sorts garbage and recycling and follows the owner’s instructions for the township pickup, dump or transfer station. If the house rules say to take garbage away, the group does.
Pests or wildlife are not, on their own, a reason for a refund, unless they make the cottage unfit to use and the owner cannot deal with them within a reasonable time under clause 16.

12. Arrival, departure and overstays

The group arrives no earlier than the check-in time and leaves by the check-out time in clause 1, unless the owner agrees otherwise in writing through the site.
If the group stays past check-out without the owner’s OK, the owner may claim documented costs under clause 18, including a refund the owner had to give the next guest because of the delay.
If weather or road conditions make a safe departure impossible, the renter tells the owner at once. Both sides act reasonably, and the delay is not an overstay.

13. Keys and codes

The renter keeps door codes and lockbox codes private and does not share them outside the group.
The group locks the cottage and closes windows when out and at check-out, and returns keys as the arrival instructions say.
If a key is lost or not returned, the owner may claim the documented cost to replace it or rekey the lock under clause 18.

14. Cleaning

The group leaves the cottage as it found it: dishes washed and put away, garbage and recycling handled under clause 11, food removed from the fridge, and no unusual mess. The cleaning fee in the price covers normal cleaning. Extra cleaning may be claimed under clause 18 only if the house rules say so and the claim shows what extra work was needed.

15. Owner entry

The owner or the owner’s contact may enter during the stay:

at any time in an emergency, or to prevent damage, such as a fire, flood, burst pipe or alarm; or
for a repair or a needed check, at a reasonable time after giving at least 24 hours’ notice through the site, or sooner if the renter agrees.

Otherwise the renter’s group has the cottage to itself for the stay. The owner tells the renter in the arrival instructions about any other person who may come onto the property during the stay, such as a cleaner, a contractor or a plow.

16. Utilities, outages and breakdowns

The renter reports any breakdown through the site as soon as it is noticed.
The owner fixes failures of essential services within the owner’s control (water, septic, heat in the cold season, power to the cottage, toilets) within a reasonable time.
Rural power or internet outages caused by the utility, storms or other events outside the owner’s control are not the owner’s fault. Other listed items, such as a TV, Wi-Fi, a hot tub or an appliance, are fixed when possible. If a listed item is out of service for a large part of the stay and cannot be fixed, the owner offers a fair partial refund through the site.
If an essential service is out for more than 24 hours in a row through no fault of the group, so that the cottage cannot reasonably be used, the renter may choose to leave and gets a refund for the nights not used. The renter and the owner may also agree a partial refund through the site.

17. Payment

The renter pays the all-in price on the schedule in clause 1 through the Dock & Loon checkout. The owner pays the card processing costs, and no surcharge is added to the renter. The renter authorizes the balance to be charged to the saved card, or by bank debit if the renter chose it, on the balance date. If the balance payment fails, the renter is told through the site and by email and has 2 days to pay. If it is still unpaid 2 days after that notice, the owner may cancel the booking. It is then treated as a cancellation by the renter on that day under the policy in clause 1. Neither side may ask for or make any payment for this stay outside the checkout, except a payment for losses above the deposit agreed between them or ordered by a court under clause 25.

18. Security deposit and damage claims

If there is a security deposit, a hold for that amount is placed on the renter’s saved card on check-in day. It is a hold, not a charge. The hold ends at check-out if the owner reports no damage, or earlier when the renter’s card network ends it, which is usually within 5 to 7 days. After the hold ends, a damage claim made under this clause within 7 days after check-out can still be charged to the saved card, up to the deposit amount.
If the hold cannot be placed, the renter is told through the site and by email and is asked to update the card. The claim steps below still apply to the saved card.
After check-out, the owner has 7 days to make a damage claim through the site. A claim lists what was damaged, missing or needed extra cleaning, and includes dated photos and a receipt, invoice or written quote.
The renter sees the claim, gets a reminder through the site and by email, and has 7 days after that reminder to accept the claim or answer it with their own evidence through the site.
The renter authorizes the owner to charge an accepted claim, or a claim the renter has not answered within those 7 days, to the deposit hold or, if the hold has ended, to the saved card, up to the deposit amount. A claim the renter disputes is not charged to the card. The owner and the renter settle it between themselves under clause 25.
If there is no security deposit, nothing is charged to the card for damage. The owner may still claim directly from the renter under clause 25.
Normal wear and tear is not damage. The renter is encouraged to report accidents through the site when they happen.
The deposit limit applies to card charges only. It does not limit what either side can claim under clause 25 for losses above it.

19. Cancellation, and if the owner cancels

The owner chose the Flexible or Firm policy shown in clause 1. Renter cancellations follow that policy, counted in days before check-in in Ottawa time, and are refunded under clause 20.
The owner cancels only for a serious reason, such as damage to the cottage, a safety problem, a township order or the owner’s own emergency, and tells the renter through the site as soon as the owner knows.
If the owner cancels, the renter gets a full refund of everything paid, including the Dock & Loon service fee, started within 5 business days.
Dock & Loon may show the renter similar cottages that are free on the same dates. No match or price is promised.

20. How refunds work

Every refund under this agreement includes the same share of the Dock & Loon service fee and of the taxes as the share of the rent refunded. If the owner cancels, the refund is everything paid, including the full service fee. Dock & Loon refunds its service fee and any HST it collected under its renter terms. Refunds go back to the card used, or to the bank account if the balance was paid by bank debit. Any part of the price not yet charged is cancelled.

21. Weather, emergencies, fire bans and road access

Weather, a fire ban, bugs, lake levels or water temperature are not, on their own, reasons for a refund. The cancellation policy still applies.
A seasonal road or access limit stated in clause 1 or the listing is not a reason for a refund.
If a government order (such as an evacuation order or a ban on short-term rentals in the area), a fire, flood or storm damage, or an unexpected road closure makes the cottage unsafe or impossible to reach for some or all nights, the renter gets a refund for the nights that cannot be used. Neither side owes the other anything more because of that event, unless one side caused it or did not tell the other as soon as it knew.
For winter and shoulder-season stays, the owner states in clause 1 how the road and driveway are kept open. The renter brings a vehicle suited to the season, such as one with winter tires. If the owner’s plowing is late, the owner tells the renter as soon as possible, and any night that cannot be reached is refunded.

22. Belongings and vehicles

The owner is not responsible for loss of or damage to the group’s belongings or vehicles, except where the owner or the owner’s contact caused it through negligence or a deliberate act. Items left behind are kept for 30 days. The owner tells the renter through the site, and the renter pays any shipping.

23. Responsibility for people and property

The renter is responsible for the group and its visitors, and for damage they cause beyond normal wear and tear.
The renter will cover the owner for claims by other people, and for fines, that are caused by the group’s breach of this agreement, carelessness or deliberate acts. This does not apply to anything the owner caused.
The owner will cover the renter for claims by other people, and for fines, that are caused by the owner’s breach of this agreement, carelessness or deliberate acts, including a missing township licence.
The owner is responsible for keeping the cottage in the condition described and for following the law that applies to renting it.

24. Insurance

The owner is responsible for having property insurance that allows short-term rental of the cottage and covers liability to guests. Each side is responsible for its own insurance. The renter is encouraged to have personal liability coverage, which is often part of home or tenant insurance, and travel or cancellation insurance.

25. Problems and disputes

If something goes wrong during the stay, the renter tells the owner through the site at once, so the owner has a fair chance to fix it.
Both sides try in good faith to settle any disagreement through the site’s messages. Dock & Loon may help the two sides communicate but does not decide the outcome.
If they cannot agree, either side may go to the courts of Ontario, including the Small Claims Court. Nothing in this agreement stops the renter from using any other right or court available under Ontario consumer protection law, including a class proceeding.

26. Whole agreement, changes and transfer

This agreement, the listing as it stood on the booking date, the house rules, the township rules the renter initialled and the cancellation policy in clause 1 together form the whole agreement for this stay. If they conflict, this agreement applies, except that a promise in the listing still counts in the renter’s favour.
Changes to dates, guests or price are made only by both sides agreeing through the site. A change is not binding until both have agreed there.
The renter may not transfer the booking to someone else without the owner’s OK through the site.

27. Signing and copies

Both sides sign this agreement electronically, as Ontario’s Electronic Commerce Act, 2000 allows: the renter by typing their full name and ticking “I agree”, and the owner by accepting the booking. Each side receives a copy by email as soon as the booking is confirmed. The copy stays on the booking page and can be downloaded as a PDF.

28. Notices

Notices under this agreement are given through the Dock & Loon booking messages, and are also sent by email. Days and times are in Ottawa time.

29. Seasonal stays

For a seasonal stay (28 to 120 nights), the Seasonal Vacation Stay Agreement signed at checkout is part of this agreement. The renter confirms a permanent residence at the address given and that the cottage will not be their permanent home. The stay ends on the check-out date and does not renew. Seasonal stays by the same renter at the same cottage need at least 30 days between them. The Residential Tenancies Act, 2006 excludes living accommodation provided to the vacationing public, including a cottage or vacation home, under section 5(a). Whether any law, including that Act or a municipal by-law, applies depends on the facts of the stay and is not decided by this agreement.

30. Privacy

Each side uses the other’s information only for this stay. Neither side shares it, except where the law or a township licence requires, and neither adds the other to a mailing list without consent. For stays under 28 nights, Dock & Loon keeps the Ontario guest register required by O. Reg. 292/25: the booker’s name, billing address and phone and, if known at booking, the make, model, plate and province or state of a vehicle parked at the cottage. It is encrypted, the owner does not see it, it is kept for 6 years after the end of Dock & Loon’s fiscal year in which it was recorded, and it is disclosed only as that law allows. Dock & Loon’s privacy policy applies to the information Dock & Loon holds.

31. Law

This agreement is governed by the laws of Ontario and the federal laws of Canada that apply there. If a part of it cannot be enforced, the rest still applies. Nothing in it takes away rights either side has under Ontario or Canadian consumer protection law that cannot be waived.

Signed electronically by the renter: typed name, date and time. Accepted by the owner: owner’s legal name, date and time of acceptance.