Are you allowed to hold a party in a rented mountain cabin in Sälen?

Can you hold a party in a rented holiday cottage? Yes – and at Sälen, it’s actually one of the most common reasons why large cottages are booked. Fiftieth birthday parties, weddings, stag parties, hen parties and family reunions belong in the mountains precisely because a large house offers something no restaurant can: the whole party under one roof, for several days, without queues for taxis or closing times. But there’s a key distinction that makes all the difference, and it’s worth understanding before you book rather than after.

The short version: celebrations amongst the residents of the house are a natural part of your stay. An event – such as a gathering with guests who do not live in the accommodation, or a larger-scale function – requires you to agree this with us in advance. This applies whether you are booking a a large mountain chalet for the whole gang or several houses next to one another. Getting written consent in advance costs nothing and makes all the difference.

Short answer: yes – with one crucial caveat

The rule that governs everything isn’t about noise levels or how late you stay up. It’s about who is in the house. As long as the people celebrating are the ones who live there, you’re within the bounds of a standard booking. As soon as non-residents join in, or as soon as the gathering takes on the character of an event with a programme, caterers and guests coming and going, it’s a different matter – and in that case, it must be agreed in advance.

It’s not a complicated rule to live by. Events, conferences and larger gatherings are permitted provided you agree this with us in advance, and we have venues that are designed specifically for that purpose. What doesn’t work is organising the event first and only telling us about it afterwards.

The difference between a celebration and an event

A party is when twelve people living in the house cook dinner together, raise a toast, play music and stay up late. It doesn’t require a licence – that’s what the house is for.

An event is any of the following: guests who are attending but not staying at the accommodation; external service providers on site, such as sound engineers, a DJ or catering staff; a wedding or ceremony with invited guests; a corporate event with a programme and participants from several properties; or an arrangement where the number of people in the house during the evening significantly exceeds the number staying overnight. All of this is possible with us – but it is organised as a planned event, not as a standard booking. We normally handle such arrangements within the framework of banquet hall in Sälen, where we have experience of exactly that sort of evening.

Guests who aren’t staying in the house – the rule everyone overlooks

This is the point that is most often overlooked. A group books a house for twenty people, and expects the twenty friends staying in another accommodation to come over on Saturday evening. In that scenario, you go from twenty to forty people in the house – and that changes everything: the strain on the property, fire safety, drainage, parking and relations with the neighbours.

The solution is simple and always the same: let us know in advance how many of you there will be during the evening, not just how many are staying overnight. Often the answer is a straightforward ‘yes’; sometimes it means a different house or a different arrangement; and sometimes it requires a supplementary agreement. But it’s always a conversation worth having, and it’s always cheaper to have it beforehand rather than afterwards. If the group is to be split across several places to stay, we’ve outlined the logistics in our guide to to rent several cottages next to one another.

Sounds, neighbours and times in a mountain setting

The mountains are quieter than you might think, and sound travels further in the cold and over snow than it does in a town. A group chatting on the balcony at one o’clock can, in practice, be heard throughout the neighbourhood. That doesn’t mean you have to be quiet – it means that after a certain time, the party belongs indoors, and that the front door, the patio door and the hot tub are the three places where sound escapes.

Practical guidelines that work: keep the music down at night, keep outdoor activities and the hot tub at a low volume late in the evening, and park in designated spaces rather than along the road. Houses in secluded locations can cope with more noise than those in densely built-up areas – this is also something we can take into account when helping you choose a house for the specific evening you’re planning.

How to get your party approved in advance – one question, one written reply

Please send us a message before booking, providing the following four details: what you’re celebrating, how many people live in the house, how many guests will be attending the evening, and whether you’ll be bringing in external caterers. Based on this information, we’ll get back to you, suggest the right house and can arrange whatever’s needed – extra bin bins, late-night cleaning, space for suppliers, and a dedicated event area.

There are two things worth bearing in mind when planning. Firstly, pets are not permitted during events and large gatherings, even in properties that are otherwise dog-friendly. Secondly: the booking terms and conditions set out the terms of your booking, and in the case of an event, these are supplemented by what you and we agree in writing. If you are a large group, there are special arrangements for exclusive accommodation for 30–50 people, where the entire event is planned from the outset.

What happens if the rules are broken – and why they exist

The rules aren’t there to put a damper on the party, but to ensure the house remains in the same condition for the next group of guests, and so that the neighbours continue to accept the houses being let out. A house that gains a reputation for being a party venue with no boundaries is a house that will eventually not be allowed to be let out at all – and then everyone loses out.

If an arrangement is made without prior agreement, the consequences may include the stay being cut short, charges for extra cleaning or damage, or the need for decontamination if pets have been brought to a property where they are not permitted. The specific terms applicable in each individual case are set out in the booking terms and conditions. In practice, this happens extremely rarely, for the simple reason that almost everyone asks first.

Summary – celebrate in style without putting your booking at risk

Holding a party in a holiday cottage in Sälen isn’t just allowed – it’s one of the best reasons to book a large house. Just bear in mind the two different scenarios: if you’re celebrating amongst the group staying in the house, you don’t need to do anything in particular; but if you’re planning an event with guests from outside the group or external suppliers, please agree the details with us in advance. An email, a written reply, and then you can spend the evening celebrating instead of wondering. If the whole group is getting together, we’ve put together some ideas and suggestions under mountain holidays for the group of friends.