Cottage Summer

The Cottage Summer Network:

Our network of cottage owners and cottage vacationers endeavors to ensure a rental experience that is lucrative and hassle free.

For owners, we are dedicated to ensuring that your cherished cottage will be rented to someone who will respect it as you do.   For vacationers, our goal is to take the guesswork out of renting a cottage in the Eastern Ontario region.

Both parties' peace of mind is our concern.  Only when peace of mind is held is an enjoyable vacation had, and repeat business ensured.   First hand, we know that family cottages are places that are highly cherished and renting them is a decision involving many factors.  We advertise, provide escrow, hold a security deposit, ensure liability and damage insurance, and can help with cottage preparation.  Whether you own a small cottage owner or a lake wide executive retreat our pledge of quality service remains the same.  

Advertising:

We don't do selling, we tell it straight.  We advertise so your cottage is seen in an accurate light to the right people at the right time. 

Finding the right people to rent your cottage to can be difficulty without tightly focused marketing.  We advertise our site electronically by purchasing per click ad spots, through select online networks and groups, and through contacts we place our adds in online classifieds.   We also advertise in print; specifically in newspaper publications in Eastern Ontario and Northern New York, as well as Cottage and Wilderness themed magazines published in North America. 

By focusing our efforts into various advertising campaigns specifically based on geographical area, time of year, and target socio economic groups, we are able to analytically measure and increase the success of various campaigns in almost real time (for electronic marketing).  This  ensures that your cottage is getting exposure at the right time to the right people.

Hassle free renting means ensuring your cottage is respected:

We take steps to ensure your cottage is rented, respected, and protected.

Imagine this nightmare:  You rent your cottage 2 weeks per year, this income will allow you to put in a new dock.   The next weekend you drive two hours to find that your bathtub was used as a bait tank, your living room as a kennel, and your kitchen as the site for a mad scientist's culinary experiment.   Later the cheque bounces. 

Not with Cottage Summer.  We take owner protection seriously and take the following measures pro actively before it's too late.

• Payment is received in two parts, weeks in advance via Credit Card payments.  The first payment ensures the balance of the amount is payed 5 weeks in advance.  The second, a securtiy deposit (often a minimum of 30% of the rental)  is held until the terms of the agreement are satisfied.
• The payment is in your hands before the start of the vacation.
• The ability to process payment in advance via credit card not only simplifies the financial transaction, the security deposit lends some financial weight to the genuine goodwill of most renters.
• For some cottages we can and will request and thoroughly check references, as well as collect and verify personal information that is required and  voluntarily provided in advance from the vacationer.
• Your cottage is never reserved without speaking to on the telephone, or meeting in person the vacationer in advance of the start date.
• No pets means no pets, no smoking means no smoking.  We don't mind taking the gloves off when a clear and fair rental contract is abused.
• Both owners and vacationers have the opportunity to fill out confidential surveys and assesments of their experience.   We privately use this information when placing vacationers.

Our Services

By Joining our Network You Access the following Services:

• Online and comprehensive listing of your property with extensive property details and description
• An extensive, high quality photo album of your property
• Compiled property information and take photos of your property.
• An UP-TO-DATE availability calendar showing when your property can be rented and the PRICES THAT YOU SEEK for that week.
• Focused advertising campaigns both locally and abroad.  Constant in the 'prep months' of December to August.
• No personal information on the net.  We are the only ones making and receiving annoying cold calls.
• A security and damage deposit held until you are satisfied with the service.
• Customers are screening minimizing the risk of a bad rental experience.
• Hassle free renting.  We handle the paper work this saves you time and advertising money