The following is a list of policies and rules for The Chainstay. Please be aware that our house is also our home and that we live in Oudenaarde year round. We enjoy having guests and wish to make everyone’s stay as pleasurable as possible.

Our biggest ask is RESPECT. Respect others, respect the house and respect yourself.

Rules

  • Check-in –Arrival after 3:00pm to 8:30pm & Departure by 11:00am.
  • Quiet Time – Between 10pm and 8am please keep all noise to a minimum and if you are rooming with another person please respect their desire for quiet. If you need to make any calls please use either the living or kitchen to make them.
  • Keeping things Clean – Pretty simple, if you make a mess, clean it up. This includes all dishes, crumbs, or other messes you might make.
    • All dishes should be run through the dishwasher and pre-cleaned. All pots and pans need to be cleaned and dried right after use. This is so they are available to other guests who might need them. DO NOT leave dishes out to dry as this leads to a magnet effect of more dishes and a never ending pile of semi-wet dishes on the counter.
    • When using the bike room please take care to clean up after yourself. Loose ends of cables, ends of cable housing, bar tape, etc need to be cleaned up. Used metal parts are to be put into the recycling bin for metal. If you apply any oil or lube please clean up any excess that goes on the ground.
    • Please keep the front hallway clean, especially after rainy rides. You are welcome to keep wet clothing to dry in designate spaces, but please keep things tidy and try not to forget your clothing before you leave. You would be surprised how many people leave stuff.
    • Be sure to clean your water bottles after each ride, as this is for your own health, please don’t leave them around in the house. We have water bottles to borrow, but do not enjoy cleaning other peoples used and moldy bottles after they leave.
  • Personal Property – Please ensure that all your personal property is kept safe while in the common areas. It is also required that you do not mess with other people things. This includes “just borrowing” stuff that you do not have permission to use or touch. Doing so will see you asked to leave with a loss of deposit and any money paid.
  • Bernie – Our dog Belle is a part of our family and as such please treat him with the utmost respect. He is a very loving dog and loves to be affectionate to many of our guests. You are welcome to return this affection if you like. He loves going for walks. You must also take care to secure any and all food (including things which are in the wrapping or inside zipped bags) as he will find them. Trust me, many guests have lost chocolate, boxes of energy bars and even once a whole chicken to him.
  • All Devo, Group and Long Term bookings will be required to participate in scheduled group cleaning and tidy sessions each week. This is to ensure the cleanliness of the house and the health of all our guests.
  • You are responsible for keeping your rooms clean after the booking starts. We ask that all guests please use our laundry facilites to clean their sheets and towels at least once per week. Also, if you need more than one towel, you can use another, but please don’t take a new towel each time you need to use one. Please don’t leave food around or let your room become overly dirty. We are not a hotel and try to be as eco-friendly as possible.
  • Opel Vivaro: The use of the van is restricted to races, local shopping trips and approved trips by either Gregg or Holly. The priority of the van goes to those racing, and Gregg will settle any conflicts at his discretion. The van is not to be used to go out for drinks; anyone who uses the van without permission risks expulsion from The ChainStay and/or loss of use of the van.
    • There is a fee of 5 cents per kilometer when using the van (in addition to the cost of gas as outlined below). So a 100km round trip will incur a €5 euro maintenance fee to help pay for the upkeep of the van.
    • Drivers must be 21 years of age or older with a valid and fully certified drivers license, and must be able to operate a manual transmission. Exceptions can be made for responsible younger drivers (18 or older as by Belgian law) but this will be solely at our discretion. It is also at the discretion of The Chainstay to remove the use of the van for any reason at any time.
    • You must log in all kilometers traveled, the date and the purpose of the trip in the van’s logbook. This is to ensure responsibility of the van in case of a dispute (ie speeding fine). You will also be asked to pay for the van’s gas use (1 liter will take you 10 kilometers) at the current rate of diesel. This is to be split between all who travel in the van.  Payment of the previous trip must be made before the keys will be released for the next trip.
    • This system is the most fair to everyone and allows everyone to benefit from the use of lower cost gas stations, which only take Belgian bankcards. If the van is low on fuel please inform Gregg with plenty of time to allow it to be filled up before it is needed a second time, otherwise you will have to fill up on the way.
    • One or both bench seats can be removed from the van if needed for extra storage, though priority goes to people over storage as bikes and wheels can go on the roof.

 

  • Zero Tolerance – There are several things that we simply cannot tolerate here at The ChainStay as these things cause grief for other guests and harbor an unsafe or unfair environment for guests and the sport of cycling. Any of the following offences will result in an immediate dismissal from The ChainStay, your deposit will not be returned to you, nor will payment towards remaining time of your booking period. In the event of a very egregious event we will inform the police and proceed to press criminal charges.
    • Stealing items from other guests or from the house
    • Using any prohibited substances listed by WADA without a therapeutic exemption. Also we have a no-needle policy in the house. If you require for a medical need to have a needle around (ie. Diabetes or epi-pen) please clear this with us before-hand.
    • Any physical violence or verbal abuse directed towards another in the house
    • Driving the house vehicle under the influence of alcohol or drugs
    • Tampering with other guests race bikes, wheels or equipment
    • Purposefully damaging house property
  • Departure – Before your departure we ask that your room be left in a tidy state. This means broom swept and or vacuumed, sheets removed from bed and placed in the laundry basket, and that all garbage and recycling is removed from your room and properly sorted downstairs. We also require you to sort through your food items in the refrigerator; items that will keep can be donated to another guest, items that will go bad or have already gone bad must be tossed or composted. – A cleaning fee of €50 will be deducted from your deposit if we have to do these things for you.

General Bookings

Deposits – We require a deposit to confirm you booking at The ChainStay. Our deposit policy is 20% to confirm your booking.

Cancellation – All general bookings who cancel more than 21 days from check-in will be refunded their deposit fee less a charge of €50 (if your deposit was less than €50, you will lose your whole deposit). Any cancellations within 21 days will lose the full deposit. If we are able to fill your booking we will refund your deposit less a €50 euro fee.

Payment – Payment for your booking is due within 1 day of your arrival. We accept Cash, Paypal, Credit Card (processed through Paypal) or bank deposit for the remainder of your booking.

If you wish to pay via Paypal or Credit Card there is a 3% fee. All Bank Deposits are to be paid in Euros with the guest being responsible for ensuring the full amount of the booking arrives in our bank account.

The only exception to the 3% fee is for all Spring Classics Bookings in which we have included this fee in our price.

Devo Program Bookings

Deposits – €250 euros deposit is our standard deposit (unless another amount was quoted for the program).

Cancellation – All Development Programs are space limited and deposits are refundable from 60 days out from the start of the program. After 60 days from the start of the program you will lose your full deposit, unless we are able to fill your place. In this instance it is up to our discretion to refund your deposit. We try to be as fair as possible with deposits for our guests.

Payment – All Devo Programs are to be paid in full two weeks before the start of each program. We prefer payment via bank transfer, but payment by Paypal incur an extra 3% added to your booking.

Spring Classics Bookings

Deposits – For the Spring Classics we require a deposit of 30% at the time of your booking.

Cancellation – All deposits are refundable less a €100 euro fee up to February 1st preceding your booking. After February 1st there are no refunds unless we are able to re-book your booking, upon which time we will take a fee of 20% of your total and refund the rest.

Payment – The remainder of your booking is due before the 1st of February preceding the Spring Classics. We prefer payment via bank transfer, but payment by Paypal is also accepted.

Group Bookings

Deposits, Cancellation, Payment – All group bookings will have deposit, cancellation and payment terms based on the booking and will be discussed in an email. If you wish to pay via Paypal or Credit Card there is a 3% fee for using either Paypal or Credit Card. All Bank Deposits are to be paid in Euros with the guest being responsible for ensuring the full amount of the booking arrives in our bank account.

Long-Term Bookings

Deposits – For long term deposits we require one month’s rent as your deposit.

Cancellation – Because of the long term nature of your booking any cancellation before you arrive will result in the loss of your deposit. If you decide to leave before your planned departure date you will be responsible for half the cost of your remaining booking and will loose your deposit.

Payment – Payment may be made in cash or bank deposit. If you wish to pay via Paypal you will incur an extra 3% fee on top of your rent cost.