Why choose Northern Comfort…
Since 1997, Northern Comfort has been a leader in Ontario cottage rentals. We take pride in our 20+ years of matching quality cottage rental properties with vetted, dependable and informed vacationers.
As a full-service cottage rental agency, we put numerous safeguards in place to ensure your cottage is treated with respect and care, and to ensure prospective renters meet your rental requirements and conditions.
We efficiently handle the entire booking process from beginning to end. We are committed to providing you with convenient, hassle-free rental management.
With our comprehensive marketing program and our expertise in the competitive Ontario cottage rental market, we achieve high occupancy rates with outstanding results.
Benefit from our professional experience to ensure you have the best possible cottage rental outcome.
Our name says it all. We provide comfort!
Deciding to rent your cottage
Who will be renting my cottage? How many people will be there? Will they treat my property with respect and care?
At Northern Comfort, we recognize these concerns. As cottage owners ourselves, we understand that your cottage is much more than just a building, but rather your home on the water, and we treat it as such. It is for this reason that we put numerous safeguards into place.
We would rather leave your cottage empty than rent to someone with whom we are not comfortable. We do not book to young groups or for parties. With thousands of inquiries annually, we can afford to be choosy. If your conditions of booking are not met, we will not approve the booking.
Prospective renters are screened to match your rental conditions (maximum number of occupants, your position on pets, smoking, and any other specific concerns you may have). Bookings are only considered if they meet all your conditions.
Rental applicants must sign a detailed rental agreement which requires extensive information about their rental, including all the names, addresses and telephone numbers of all adults in the party as well as the names and ages of the children. We also ask for driver’s license and credit card information for the primary signatory.
Vetted, dependable and informed renters…
We make it very clear to our renters in speaking with them, on our website and in their booking information sent to and explained to renters, as well as on the rental agreement, that only the persons named on the form, and within the maximum occupancy noted, may be present at your cottage at any time day or night.
A Household Rules package, individualized to your cottage, also becomes a part of their rental agreement. It is here that specific conditions for your cottage can be noted and outlined to renters. We also have general conditions of rental that apply to all cottages. Our booking information forms, household rules package and directions also reiterate that the cottage is to be left in the same condition as found, and is to be thoroughly cleaned before they depart. (It is a privilege for someone to vacation at your cottage)
In addition, full rental payments are collected in advance.
Accidental Damage Waiver
Our Accidental Damage Waiver protects cottage owners with coverage up to $3,000 for accidental damages. Renters still provide us with a credit card guarantee for any extra damages. We work hard to make sure every booking goes as smoothly as possible – and with our services we are sure you will find that it does.
Privacy and Security
We respect your privacy. Unlike most other companies, we will not send potential renters to view your property, even from the outside, prior to their booking dates, for security and ‘wear and tear’ reasons.
As well, we do not publicize your location. We refrain from listing your cottage address online and give only approximate location on your lake/area map.
When using our services, renting your cottage is one less thing for you to worry about!
Our Marketing Efforts
Your cottage will be listed on NorthernComfort.com, our various social media outlets and our range of vacation property partners. All costs of marketing your cottage, including advertising on other sites, are included in our rates. We have no extra or hidden fees whatsoever!
From our 20+ years in business, we arranged thousands of successful cottage rentals. We have an extensive pool of returning, repeat renters that may be the right match for your cottage. We achieve a high satisfaction rate of matching renters with the appropriate accommodations for a successful rental experience for all involved.
Northern Comfort works with numerous real estate agents throughout cottage country. We have repeat business and word of mouth from our satisfied clients. We have referrals from other businesses. Renters call us, a rental service, who personally visits all cottages, to handle their cottage vacation needs. We have been featured on Cottage Life Television and have been interviewed by various news outlets on cottage renting.
Our Marketing Partners
Northern Comfort Cottage Rentals works with the following partners. We are always working to give your cottage the best exposure possible.
Maximum exposure with no additional costs to you
Northern Comfort networks with numerous vacation rental platforms to ensure your property receives maximum market exposure.
Our vigorous promotional campaign means your cottage will already be listed on the above platforms without any additional costs to you.
Vetted, dependable and informed renters
Northern Comfort provides the added layers of numerous safeguards. Travellers looking to book through these sites are still put through our stringent screening process to make certain your cottage obtains well-vetted, dependable and informed vacationers.
Why not just list your property on these sites yourself?
These online vacation booking companies can be expensive and often have additional and hidden costs charged to cottage owners.
Their model is to focus on the number of conversions (bookings of travellers) accepted, not the quality of renters or the care of your cottage. In fact, your cottage will be given low exposure or possibly even delisted from their site if you are not accepting a high volume of bookings from them. With NorthernComfort.com, your cottage will already be listed on these sites using our vetting requirements.
The Northern Comfort difference…
The Northern Comfort difference is our focus is on you: the cottage owner. Our arrangement with these companies requires that we have final say in any acceptance of bookings. We ensure the criteria we have set out for your cottage, all of our policies and the conditions of rental generated in conjunction with your requirements are met. We apply our stringent screening process to every booking. We would rather leave your cottage empty than rent to someone with whom we are not comfortable.
At Northern Comfort, we want to make sure renters understand their obligations and that they meet your conditions of renting. We like to make sure they are booking the right cottage for their needs. This, in turn, promotes better care and respect for your property. We appreciate the time and effort it takes to make each booking a great one and to ensure your cottage has happy, returning guests.
Northern Comfort Cottage Rentals Incorporated (NorthernComfort.com) is fully licensed to operate in Ontario and we are accredited by the Travel Industry Council of Ontario under the Travel Industry Act. This Act requires annual financial reviews offering additional levels of security for both cottage owners and renter-travellers. Our employees all have the TICO Supervisor/Manager designation for the Education Standards of Travel Counsellor for travel services.
Northern Comfort works with our community travel partners in Ontario’s cottage country.
Our Services
Our services are designed to save you time and maximize your rental income. We take care of all the details involved in successful renting. Northern Comfort’s professional rental management service will personally visit your property to:
- Determine its market potential
- Photograph your cottage property inside and outside
- Set up a detailed, individualized information package on your cottage for all renters (including the household rules, emergency contacts, information on waste disposal and septic systems, an inventory list, a cottage cleaning list and other educational information on your cottage and ‘cottaging’ in general, ensuring your cottage is treated with respect and care!)
- Advise on how to increase your cottage’s appeal to the rental market and can make recommendations on getting your cottage renter-ready. provide a range of downloadable resources/templates to help prepare you and your cottage for rental.
- Endeavour to ensure every booking goes as smoothly as possible for a successful rental management experience
Northern Comfort efficiently handles the entire booking process from beginning to end, including all advertising, all inquiries, all qualifying of renters, securing of contracts, providing directions and trip planner information to renters, and most importantly, remittance of payment to owners prior to occupancy.
Our Rates
There are no registration or service fees for owners. You pay for our services only for those weeks we book your cottage. Our fees are on a per booking basis and depend on the duration of each booking, as follows:
18% of rental rate for a booking of 3 weeks or less
15% of rental rate for a booking of more than 3 weeks and less than 9 weeks
10% of rental rate for a booking of 9 weeks or more
The booking fee (+ HST on our fee) is deducted from each remittance we forward to the owners.
Our services are tax-deductible. There can be tax benefits to rental income, such as tax-deductible expenses. Consult your accountant for details.
What is Expected of You?
Our philosophy is to provide you with comfort and maximize the rental income of your cottage. It is essential that your cottage and property be clean and tidy.
All equipment and appliances must be in good working order. Ensuring these requirements are met increases your rental rate and it also encourages renters to leave the cottage in the same condition as they found it.
Insurance
All cottage owners must ensure that adequate coverage of liability and property damage insurance for the cottage, its contents and its recreational equipment (i.e., boats), is maintained during rental periods. Verify with an insurance agent that renting your cottage does not affect your basic fire, liability and theft protection coverage. Some insurance companies may require a change to your policy and perhaps an additional premium. Consult your insurance agent. Should you encounter any concerns with insurance we work with a number of providers who may be able to assist you.
Let’s Get Started
Please fill out the attached cottage information sheet and cottage rental management agreement or visit https://northerncomfort.com/owner-agreement to get started. We look forward to meeting you and representing your cottage.
More questions?
Please do not hesitate to contact us: (705)877-9999 cottages@northerncomfort.com
List your cottage with Northern Comfort Cottage Rentals
Hear from other cottage owners
Thank you for your work in finding people to rent our cottage. This year you rented it for 7 weeks, and that was great. We very much appreciate it. We received a lovely note from the people who rented for the weeks August 22 to September 5. They said they may be interested in renting again next year. Could you send them an email for us telling them that we really appreciated their note, and that we would be delighted to have them back? I hope they do come back. The cottage was left in perfect condition.
– Catherine C
It’s been a pleasure working with you and Dave, we truly enjoyed our stay at that the cottage and will definitely book again next summer. Will be in touch once we sort out our holidays for next year.
– Best wishes, Sarah F.
Hi Folks at Northern Comfort! Thank you for a wonderful week. Beautiful lake, beautiful cottage. We left it in spotless condition and we want to rent it for the long weekend in May next spring too. Thank
you so much for once again another great summer.– Connie W
Hello Dave, I would have absolutely no hesitation in recommending your services
Many thanks for all your assistance throughout the years in helping us rent our cottage. It is very much appreciated as we would not have so easily rented it without it.– With regards, Dawn L
Northern Comfort always provided us with very reputable renters. Indeed, we consider you to be a reputable, effective cottage rental company. Thanks for all the services you have provided.
– Trevor D.
Dave, We have been working with you for a number of years in renting our property. We have been very pleased with the total arrangement, and want to thank you for your services on our behalf. We would highlyrecommend you to anyone
who is thinking of renting their place.– Gord C.