How to choose a cottage caretaking service: 10 questions to ask
Updated
Handing someone the keys to your cottage is a decision about trust. Websites all look alike and all promise peace of mind. Here are ten plain questions that separate one service from another — worth asking any provider, us included.
The 10 questions to ask before you sign
1. Who, exactly, will be coming to my place?
A named person, or “a member of our team”? Anonymous subcontractors? You’re entitled to know who walks into your home. Mr. Lantern is a family business: a small local team, and one person in charge — Joaquim, based in Sutton — who knows your house, schedules the visits and answers you.
2. How often — in writing, and in every season?
“Regularly” isn’t a frequency. Ask for a written schedule: every week, every two weeks, once a month, and whether the rhythm changes between summer and winter. That frequency sets how long a problem can go unseen.
3. What gets checked on every visit?
Ask to see the checklist. Is it the same every time? Does it cover the inside as well as the outside: heating, water main, under the sinks, basement, the breaker panel seen through its door, the roof seen from the ground? A fixed list means one visit can be compared with the last.
4. What do I get after the visit, and when?
A text saying “all good,” or a report with dated photos? How soon? Our time-stamped photo reports go out within 24 hours, with the day’s weather and a “keeping an eye on” section.
5. What happens if you find a problem?
Who calls me, when, and with what? Who decides to bring in a contractor, and up to what amount without reaching me? Get it in writing. Our rule: a call the same day, with photos, and you decide.
6. Who does repairs, and is there a commission?
A caretaking service shouldn’t be doing work that requires a licence. Ask whether referred contractors hold a licence from the Régie du bâtiment du Québec — something you can check online. Ask, too, whether there’s a commission on referrals: ours is 12%, disclosed in the contract.
7. What don’t you do?
A serious provider has an answer. We’re not an alarm company, a rental manager, a building assessor or a claims adjuster. Be wary of a service that claims to do it all.
8. How do you get to my place in winter, and after a storm?
On the steep roads of Sutton, Potton or Abercorn, this is a practical question. What happens if the driveway isn’t cleared? Is there a visit after freezing rain, a big snowfall or an outage? Is it included, or billed separately?
9. How are my keys, codes and information kept?
Where are the keys stored? Are they tagged with your address? Who has access to door or alarm codes? What happens to your information if you end the contract?
10. What insurance coverage do you carry, and what does the contract say?
Ask any provider, us included, where they stand on liability coverage, ask for written proof, and read it. A provider who can’t produce anything has answered you too. Read the contract as well: term, cancellation, price, what’s included. Québec’s Office de la protection du consommateur publishes information on service contracts. Prices should be published: ours are on the Services page.
Why these questions matter in the Townships
Distance and roads. A cottage at the end of a Frelighsburg back road isn’t a city house. A service based far from the area, or covering a huge territory, may struggle to get there quickly after a storm.
Equipment. Well, septic system, sump pump, propane: the more a cottage relies on equipment that has to run on its own, the more precise the checklist needs to be.
Insurance. Many policies set specific conditions when a home is empty. Conditions vary from one insurer to the next. A service that documents every visit helps you answer if the question comes up, but only your broker can say what applies to your cottage.
What you can do, and what belongs to the pros
What an owner can do:
- Ask these ten questions of at least two providers and compare the written answers.
- Ask for a sample visit report.
- Check the RBQ licence of any contractor referred to you.
- Put your instructions in writing: heat, main shut-off, who to call.
- Reread your policy and talk to your broker before choosing a frequency.
What belongs to professionals:
- Your broker: confirming what your policy requires when the house is empty.
- An RBQ-licensed contractor: any plumbing, electrical, heating or roofing repair.
- A lawyer or notary, if a contract seems unclear.
In an empty house, how long before anyone notices?
All these questions boil down to one: if something breaks at my place on a Tuesday in January, when will someone see it, and what will I know? Frequency answers the “when.” The report answers “what will I know.” The rest — licences, commissions, keys, contract — answers “can I trust them.”
What we look at on a visit
Every visit, we read the thermostat and compare it with the agreed setting, check that the main shut-off is in the position you asked for, and log the water meter or well pressure gauge with every tap closed. We open the cabinets under the sinks, make sure the driveway is passable, and photograph any notices left at the door to pass them on to you. Every finding is photographed and time-stamped in the report.
If something’s off, we call you the same day, with photos. If needed, we meet an RBQ-licensed contractor on site and document the work.