By mid-July, the easiest cottages to book in Devon are the ones with a catch. Not necessarily a bad catch — just a condition somebody should have read properly in February and didn't. A deposit that never comes back. A dog policy that rules out your second dog. A parking space that turns out to be a gap between a wall and a hedge.

Owners are protecting themselves during the most valuable weeks of their year, which is fair enough, and most are perfectly straight with guests. The trouble is that peak-season terms are stricter than off-season ones, and they matter more when the roads are busy, the car is full and there is nowhere else to go. Here is what to pin down before you pay.

The word "deposit" is doing two jobs

Ask what the deposit is and you may get two different answers, because there are usually two. The booking deposit is a share of the rent that secures your dates. The damage or security deposit is separate money held against breakages and left-behind mess, and it should come back to you after you leave.

They behave very differently when plans change. A booking deposit is often non-refundable, or refundable minus an administration charge, so cancelling three months out can still cost you. A damage deposit is usually returned within a week or two of departure, though it may be reduced if the cottage needs more cleaning than usual or something has been broken. Ask how long the return takes and what could reduce it.

Watch for two alternatives that guests often misread. A booking fee is a separate charge for processing the reservation and is rarely refundable. An accidental damage waiver is a non-refundable payment made instead of a deposit — you pay it whether or not you break anything, and you don't get it back. Waivers usually cover accidental damage up to a limit, but not smoking, deliberate damage or pet damage. Read what is actually included. If a dispute ever escalates, take proper advice from a solicitor or Citizens Advice rather than arguing it out by email.

Cancellation policies in peak season

Summer terms are harsher than winter ones for an obvious reason: a cottage cancelled in August is hard to re-let at short notice. Typical policies step down as the arrival date approaches — a refund minus the booking deposit beyond a certain number of weeks, part refund closer in, nothing in the final stretch. The balance is usually due several weeks before you arrive, so you may have paid in full while still a long way from your holiday.

Three questions are worth asking in writing:

• What happens if the owner has to cancel — a change of ownership, damage, a double booking? Are you offered a comparable property, a refund, or both?
• Can you move your dates instead of cancelling, and does that cost anything?
• If the cottage is re-let for your week, do you get any money back?

Holiday cancellation insurance is inexpensive next to losing a week's rent, but check what counts as a valid reason to claim and what the excess is before you rely on it. And note that booking direct with an owner and booking through a large platform can produce different terms for the same cottage.

Pet rules that catch people out

"Pet-friendly" covers everything from a towel by the door and a water bowl in the porch to one small dog, downstairs only, never on the furniture and never left alone. Both are reasonable. The problem is assuming which one you booked.

• Fees and numbers. Many places charge per dog per week, and some cap numbers or size. Two Labradors are not one Labrador doubled.
• Never leave a dog alone in the property. It is the most common rule of all, usually because of noise and damage.
• Keep dogs off beds and sofas unless the owner says otherwise. Bring your own throws if you cannot promise.
• "Enclosed garden" is not the same as secure. Hedge gaps, field gates and stream edges all turn up in Devon gardens.
• Beaches. Many Devon beaches restrict dogs between May and September. The signs at the access point are the final word, not the guidebook.
• Livestock and ground-nesting birds. Keep leads handy on the coast path, particularly in spring and early summer.

Parking: read this before you book the lane

"One parking space" can mean a generous tarmac bay or a tight slot beside a wall where you will fold a mirror getting in. In villages such as Appledore and Clovelly, and around Salcombe and Dartmouth, parking is often the hardest part of the holiday — narrow lanes, blind bends, high banks and nowhere to turn.

Ask for a photograph of the space, and ask whether reversing is needed and whether there is a turning area. Find out where a second car goes and what the nearest long-stay car park costs for the week. Ask where you unload and how far the walk is with luggage. Ask about electric vehicle charging too: plenty of owners ask guests not to charge from a domestic socket.

Arrive in daylight if you possibly can. A first arrival at eleven at night down an unfamiliar lane is memorable for all the wrong reasons.

The conditions that don't make the listing

Changeover days in peak season are usually fixed — often Friday or Saturday — and a seven-night minimum stay is normal in July and August. Arrival is typically mid to late afternoon and departure mid-morning, and some owners with pets or a hot tub need longer between guests. That matters if you are driving five hours to get there.

Check the occupancy limit honestly. "Sleeps six" means six, including children, and extra guests, tents or campervans on the drive are usually banned outright, along with parties. Linen, towels, heating and electricity are sometimes included and sometimes charged, so compare the full total rather than the headline weekly rate. Wi-Fi in rural Devon can be slow, and a property attached to the owner's house will have normal household noise rules.

A five-minute check before you pay

1. Get the cancellation policy in writing, including what happens if the owner cancels.
2. Establish which deposit is refundable, which is not, and when money comes back.
3. Confirm pet details: how many, what size, what is allowed, what is charged.
4. Ask for a photo of the parking and a note on where a second car goes.
5. Add up the true total — rent, booking fee, cleaning, linen, deposit or waiver.
6. Keep the email trail and a copy of the terms as they stood when you booked.

Ten minutes and one polite email is all it takes, and most owners will answer gladly. The ones who won't have told you something useful as well. Do this in February and you will spend August on the beach rather than on the phone.

Photo: Mimi / Pexels