Frequently Asked Questions
General Questions
1. What is a short term apartment rental and why is it better than staying at a Hotel?
2. How do we get to the apartment we booked?
3. What if our flight or train is delayed?
Accommodations Questions
1. When is usual Check-In/Check-Out time?
2. Is it possible to have an early Check-In or late Check-Out Time?
3. Can I reserve any apartment?
4. Are there any hidden costs?
5. Is there high speed Internet in the apartments and is it free?
6. What is included with the apartment?
7. What if something breaks or malfunctions in the apartment?
8. What if someone else joins me in the apartment?
9. Can I bring my pet?
10. Can I change my check-in date?
11. How long does the reservation stay valid in cases of no-show?
12. Can myself, or my friends see an apartment before we make a reservation?
Payment Questions
1. What is the booking procedure?
2. What will I be charged at time of booking?
3. Do you offer any discounts?
4. Is security deposit required?
5. What is your Cancellation Policy?
6. Do you accept credit cards?
7. How and when will I pay for the apartment?
-------------------------------------
What is a short term apartment rental and why is it better than staying at a Hotel?
It is a cost-effective alternative to a Hotel stay. Short term apartment rental can be from 1 night up to
several months. The reason this is such a widely popular option in Eastern Europe is due to the fact that
this is a well developed and established industry, as just our company alone has been in business for over
5 years. High cost of Hotel prices and demand for privacy are just a few reasons that make apartment
rental options very attractive.
How do we get to the apartment we booked?
Once the apartment is booked, you will be provided with FREE of charge complimentary airport or train station pickup
- only if your stay exceeds 14 nights, otherwise the cost is only $40. Our driver will already know the coordinates
of your apartment and will take you directly there. Alternatively, if you choose your own means of transportation
simply call us ( contacts ) prior to your arrival and our manger
will be dispatched to meet you at the office to collect the balance and hand you the key from the apartment.
The exact address of the accommodation booked is provided to all clients in our final confirmation letter.
Our office is located on
1 Sofievskaya str., off. 29
Entrance #3
Door code: 317
(entrance from 2 Shevchenko Lane - left side of McDonalds Building on Independence Square) .
Office working hours are 9:00 - 20:00.
What if our flight or train is delayed?
Our driver, if arranged through us will know if your flight is delayed. Be assured you will be met at any hour you
land. We work 24/7, however, if your flight is delayed for more than 2 hours we reserve the right to void
complimentary pickup and in these instances will charge the standard $40 for Airport transfer. Also please note
Airport transfer during the night hours (20:00 - 9:00) costs $40 plus $5 surcharge. If you choose to arrange a cab
of your own, and your flight is delayed simply call us at any phone number listed in contacts and we will make
appropriate arrangements.
When is usual Check-In/Check-Out time?
Check-in is from 1pm (13:00) and check-out is by noon (12:00). If these times do not suite you please let us know
and we will do our best to accommodate you.
PLEASE NOTE: if you plan to check in or out between 20:00 and 9:00 (due to an early or late arrival/departure flight, etc) you MUST
arrange ground transportation to the Airport / Train Station through us which costs $40 plus $5 (if Airport) / $20 plus $5 (if Train Station) night time surcharge. This is necessary as our
driver / representative will hand/collect the key to the apartment to/from you as well as collect the balance or return the security deposit.
Alternatively: We can dispatch our manager to check you in during the non-workig hours for an extra fee of $20 (manager's taxi fee),
otherwise we order the taxi service through our company.
Is it possible to have an early Check-In or late Check-Out Time?
This is only possible when we do not have a client checking out or checking in that day.
Apartments are a very popular option and therefore it is better not to count on this to be the case.
If you want to be assured of an early check in or late check out – you should reserve the apartment from
the night before for early check in or into the following day for late check outs.
Can I reserve any apartment?
Absolutely! However, if your stay is 4 nights or less we may not be able to provide you with the
specific apartment you are reserving. If such is the case, you will be informed about it in our
first e-mail to you providing the availability of the apartment. In such instances, we offer an
equivalent or better standard apartment in the case your original option is unavailable. Please be
assured in all of these cases our clients receive the same or better accommodations in the very
center of Kiev, as our database of apartments is the largest of any Kiev rental company.
Alternatively, you can contact us 3-4 days prior to your arrival at which point we can let you
know if the specific apartment you are interested is available for a reservation.
Are there any hidden costs?
No. The price includes rent, utilities (energy consumption), maid service before check in, maid
service once every number of days as stated in the apartment description (maid service can be daily- if requested for a small extra fee) and VAT. The
deposit portion which is paid online by either Credit Card or Paypal also includes our 6%
handling fee, which is NOT included in the remainder of the payment.
Is there high speed Internet in the apartments and is it free?
Most of the apartments contain High Speed Internet. The apartments which allow for high speed
Internet will have it listed under 'amenities' in the individual apartment description.
Internet usage is extra and depends on the specific apartment. In almost all cases the
internet usage is about $1 - $4 per day in the event of standard usage (e-mail usage, websites browsing, etc).
Please note: in 99% there is not such a thing as UNLIMITED access to Internet for a flat fee in Kiev - it is always limited to a specific usage of information (Megabytes or Gigabytes) per day/month.
In some rare cases to configure your laptop to be compatible
with broadband service a technician will be required. If such is the case, you will be notified
about it in advance and the cost of the technician is $8 per visit.
What is included with the apartment?
Maid service before check in, maid service once every # of days stated in the description (typically every 4-5 days), linen – sheets, towels, kitchen
towels, kitchen utensils and everything else you may need for home like living. Daily or more
frequent maid service is available for extra charge.
IMPORTANT - most of our clients prefer privacy and therefore we ask that you notify us
exactly when you would like to schedule your maid service. Please call our main phone
numbers a day or two prior to your desired maid service and let us know what time you
would like the cleaning lady to visit.
What if something breaks or malfunctions in the apartment?
If something breaks of malfunctions in your apartment we will dispatch a repairman immediately
to fix the problem. We employ various repair man on call to fix any problems in the remote
chance they arise. In a worst case scenario, we function like a Hotel where if the problem
can't be fixed in a reasonable time we will relocate you to another apartment of equivalent
or better standard.
What if someone else joins me in the apartment?
There will be no extra charges unless they will be a full time tenant in which case there
may be an additional nightly surcharge depending on the apartment. In other words, if a
three bedroom apartment is occupied by five single travelers there are additional nightly
surcharges applied varying by season and the individual apartments. We will of course let
you know of surcharges of any at the time of your booking, at which time you should let
us know how many full time tenants there will be.
Can I bring my pet?
If you are bringing a pet along, your apartment choices might be limited. Most landlords
do not allow pets. It may also depend on the breed and temperament of the dog. If you plan
on bringing a pet, please notify us at the time of booking.
Can I change my check-in date?
No – as your reservation deposit guarantees the apartment for the EXACT dates which you
provided. However, if you notify us well in advance of your slight change in arrival
date it is likely we are able to shift your reservation without any penalty.
How long does the reservation stay valid in cases of no-show?
In these events, when customers fail to arrive on their scheduled date it is YOUR duty to
inform us of these changes either by phone or e-mail on the day of your scheduled arrival.
Otherwise, the by default we assume a no show and the apartment is available
for rent for other clients.
Can myself, or my friends see an apartment before we make a reservation?
Our policy does not permit us to show the apartments to prospective tenants. There are many
reasons for this, one of them being the fact that apartments are occupied 90% of the time by
tenants. However, we do understand that if you have a long stay (1 month or more) we can
attempt to show the apartment prior to the booking – only if this is possible. Please be
assured that our online photos and descriptions are completely accurate and up to date.
What is the booking procedure?
Once we confirm availability and you are interested in booking the apartment for the period
of your stay, you will be asked to pay reservation deposit which is one night's rent for
each 7 nights or less stay, two nights rent for reservations in length of 8 nights or more.
Reservations excess of 15 nights may require deposits of three night's rent or more. You
can choose one of the following payment options:
- Credit card
- Paypal
- Bank transfer ($20 fee per transfer for International Wires)
- Western Union Services
- Money Gram
- Direct Deposit into Citibank or Commerce Bank (United States Only)
What will I be charged at time of booking?
Once we confirm availability, reservation deposit equivalent of one night rent guarantees
the booking for stays of 7 nights or less. For 8-14 night stays a deposit of 2 night’s
rent is required. For stays excess of 15 nights, a deposit of three nights or more rent
is typically required. PLEASE NOTE that we do not ever charge our client’s credit cards
ourselves. ALL payments are initiated by our clients and for security reasons we do
not receive our client’s credit card information.
Do you offer any discounts?
Yes. If you book with us for more than 14 nights we will arrange your transportation from
the airport for free. Just let us know your flight arrival time and we will personally
pick you up and your ride is on us. Furthermore, we can of course offer attractive
discounts for lengthy stays and offer weekly and monthly rates in for your stay in Kiev.
Is security deposit required?
Depending on the apartment, security deposits ranging from $50 - $200 are required. If
we choose to collect a security deposit, you will be issued an invoice stating the
deposit is fully refundable provided everything within the apartment is returned in the
original shape. An invoice is issued if the security deposit is collected.
NOTE: Travelers with small children and pets - please notify us in advance if you are
travelers with either. In situations with small children, we require an additional
$50 - $100 security deposit depending on the apartment. In situations with pets, we
require additional $100-$200 to assure the apartment is left in the shape it was received.
Please notify us what time you will be checking out on the day of your departure and our
manager will visit to collect the keys and refund the deposit.
What is your Cancellation Policy?
Booking an apartment is a mutual commitment. We reserve the apartment’s availability
for the entire term of your stay and refuse other clients interested in this apartment
(if the dates conflict).
Bookings cancelled by customer - reservation deposit is not refundable in the case of
cancellation, however, in cases of trip postponement we may be able to salvage the
deposit for a later date of arrival. We encourage our clients to plan their dates
carefully and in the event of a trip being shortened as a standard no refund can be
provided. However, each situation is different and we do our best to be flexible and
accommodate our clients and find a solution suitable for everyone.
Bookings cancelled by owner (landlords) - in the unlikely event the owner of the
apartment has to cancel a confirmed booking, we will make every reasonable effort
to find you alternative accommodation of equal or better standards for the dates of
your travel. If the alternative accommodation is not found to be suitable we can
also issue 100% refund of the deposit.
Do you accept credit cards?
We accept credit cards for deposit purposes only. The balance of the payment has
to be paid in cash upon check in to the apartment. Our manager or driver will
gladly show you the nearest ATM which can dispense up to $400 per day as a standard.
Further, most banks will allow you to withdraw any amount you wish using your passport
and ATM card via a teller. In rare cases, we will make an exception and accept a
credit card for the balance of the payment – typically for regular visitors or business
travelers who critically require it for their business expenses purposes.
How and when will I pay for the apartment?
The balance of the payment is paid to our manager at the check-in to the apartment in cash, in full.
Payment can be made in USD, Euros or Hryvnias according to that day's National Bank rate. If you are using Euros or Hrivnias for your balance
payment, we will be using that day’s sell exchange rate for adjustment purposes. We will
of course be glad to issue an invoice / receipt for each and every transaction.
Still have a question? Please feel free to
e-mail us.
