You own a villa in the Var. You spend a few weeks there each year, the rest of the time it sits empty or is rented to holidaymakers, and you live in Paris, Lyon, Brussels or abroad. At some point, the question arises: continue managing everything yourself, or entrust your villa to a professional concierge.
This guide is designed to help you make this decision with full clarity. We present the different rental management formulas available today, their advantages and limitations, the price ranges practised in the Var, and above all the criteria that distinguish a good concierge from a poor one.
Our approach is deliberately transparent. We are a concierge based in Cotignac, so we are stakeholders in the subject. But we wrote this guide thinking first of your interest as an owner. If after reading you feel that another solution suits you better, all the better: a well-informed owner is always a better owner.
Why entrust your villa for rental management
Four reasons come up systematically when we speak with owners who decide to delegate the management of their second home.
Geographical distance
When you live several hundred kilometres from your villa, any unexpected issue becomes complicated. A water leak on a Sunday evening, a guest who can't open the gate, a tradesperson who needs to come during the week: each time, either you find a willing neighbour to make the stress call, or you waste time and energy yourself. A local concierge handles all this for you.
Lack of time
Even for owners who live relatively close, managing a rental villa is a full-time activity. Finding and vetting guests, check-in and check-out inspections, cleaning, laundry, regular maintenance, accounting, tax declarations, managing Airbnb or Booking platforms: it easily takes several hours per week, and even several days per month in high season.
Optimising rental income
A professional concierge knows the market, knows how to position rates according to seasonality, manages listings on several platforms in parallel and builds loyalty with the best guests. Over a year, the income gap between amateur management and professional management can easily offset the concierge's fee.
Preserving your property
A villa that isn't monitored closely deteriorates faster than one that is regularly looked after. A tap leaking for three months means a floor to redo. A poorly maintained pool means a liner to replace. A roof framework absorbing damp means heavy repair work. Preventive maintenance is money you don't spend later.
The different rental management formulas
Not all concierges offer the same level of service. There are three main formulas, corresponding to three different levels of commitment for the owner.
Full management
La conciergerie prend tout en charge : commercialisation (annonces sur Airbnb, Booking, sites spécialisés), accueil des locataires, ménage, maintenance, gestion des imprévus, comptabilité. Le propriétaire reçoit un revenu net mensuel et un reporting détaillé.
This is the most common formula for fully absent owners. You no longer manage anything, you watch your villa as an investment, and you collect the income at the end of the chain. This formula is particularly suited to owners living abroad or very far from the property.
Regular property management
No marketing by the concierge: you handle bookings yourself. But regular upkeep, seasonal opening and closing, periodic checks, and coordination with your existing service providers (gardener, pool technician). This formula is less expensive and works particularly well if you regularly stay in Cotignac and occasionally rent to friends or acquaintances.
This formula is less expensive than full management since the concierge does not handle marketing. But it assumes you remain involved in the day-to-day running of your villa.
À la carte check-in / check-out
Prestations ponctuelles à l'unité : accueil locataire, état des lieux, ménage, restitution des clés. Vous gérez tout le reste (annonces, communication avec les locataires, comptabilité). Vous ne payez que les prestations effectivement réalisées, pas d'abonnement mensuel.
This formula suits owners who are used to renting (often via Airbnb), who master the marketing side, but who don't want to handle the physical changeovers themselves because they live far away or because the high-season pace is too demanding.
Local concierge or national platform? Our comparison
The rental management market has structured itself into two main types of player. Understanding the difference is essential to choosing the right solution for you.
National platforms
Several national brands (GuestReady, Hostnfly, certain Airbnb hosting offers) provide a standardised concierge service across France and beyond. Their advantages: well-known brand, standardised processes, technology to manage listings and communications, and competitive pricing.
Their drawbacks: a remote team, occasional service providers (often freelancers) who change from one property to another, no in-depth knowledge of the local area, communication sometimes difficult when issues arise, and quality that varies by geographical zone. These platforms work well in urban markets (city centres of major metropolises, saturated coastal resorts) but are less suited to more confidential territories such as the Haut Var.
Local concierges
Local concierges, like Les Clés de Provence, are physically rooted in their territory, with a stable and identifiable team. Their advantages: real physical presence, a team you know by first name, in-depth knowledge of the local fabric (tradespeople, shopkeepers, authorities, neighbours), immediate responsiveness in case of emergency, and a human relationship over time.
Their drawbacks: lower visibility, sometimes more limited capacity than the large platforms, often less sophisticated technology (though improving), and sometimes slightly higher rates. These drawbacks are offset by service quality and relationship stability.
Our conviction
For a villa in the Haut Var, the local concierge is the option that offers the best quality-to-price ratio in the long run. Physical proximity changes everything for unexpected issues. When your pool breaks down in mid-August with guests on site, you want someone who can be there within the hour, not a remote team calling a subcontractor available the day after tomorrow.
This conviction commits only us, and we argue it honestly: we will read the case for any alternative side, and it's for each owner to judge according to their own criteria.
How much does rental management cost in the Var?
Three pricing models exist on the market. Here is how they work.
The percentage model
This is the standard for full management. The concierge takes a percentage of the rental income excluding taxes (generally between fifteen and twenty-five percent depending on regions and services included). Advantage: this model aligns the interests of the owner and the concierge. The higher your income, the better the concierge is paid. They therefore have every interest in optimising occupancy rates and pricing.
The monthly fixed fee
A fixed monthly rate, independent of rental activity. Well suited to regular property management without intensive rental activity. Expect between three hundred and one thousand euros per month depending on the villa and the services included (visits, seasonal opening, contractor coordination).
The per-service fee
A unit price for each service performed: check-in, check-out, cleaning, emergency call-out. This model suits owners who manage in direct but outsource the changeovers. Expect fifty to one hundred and fifty euros per check-in/out depending on the villa, and thirty to sixty euros per hour for one-off interventions.
Our concierge applies the percentage model for full management and the per-service fee for à la carte check-in/out. The quote is always established after visiting the villa, and is without commitment.
How to choose a good concierge?
Six concrete criteria will allow you to evaluate a concierge before signing.
Real local presence
Check the physical address. Not a commercial headquarters in Paris or Aix that would have local subcontractors: a real address, on the territory, with offices you can visit. Ask who will physically come to your villa, and where these people live. If the answer is vague, that's a warning sign.
Experience and references
How many villas has the concierge managed, and for how long? Ask to speak with one or two existing owners. A good concierge has no problem providing references: their satisfied clients are their best marketing tool. If you are met with claims of confidentiality or hesitation, that's a warning sign.
Transparency of reporting
Ask to see an anonymised example of a monthly report. A good report details all interventions performed, expenses (with supporting documents), income collected (in full management), and points of attention identified for the villa. Access to an online dashboard to track activity in real time is a plus.
Network of tradespeople
A good concierge has their local address book: plumber, electrician, gardener, pool technician, heating specialist, painter, roofer. Ask for references of tradespeople they've been working with for more than two years. A recent or superficial network is worth nothing in terms of results.
Availability
Twenty-four-hour availability for emergencies. Response time for standard requests (reasonable benchmark: within four hours during the day). A direct phone number, not an overloaded switchboard. A named person as your main point of contact, not an anonymous service.
The contract and terms
Read carefully before signing. Minimum commitment period (our approach: annual and renewable, no multi-year commitment). Termination terms (reasonable notice, neither too long nor too short). Possible exit fees (be wary of significant penalties). Clauses on damage and insurance (who covers what).
Questions to ask before signing
During your appointment with a concierge, here are the questions that will allow you to evaluate their professionalism.
- How many villas do you currently manage and for how long have you been established?
- Who will be my direct point of contact? Can I meet them before signing?
- Which team will physically come to my villa? Can you describe a typical intervention?
- What is your policy in case of emergency on weekends or at night?
- Can you provide contact details of two existing owners so that I can speak with them?
- What does a monthly report look like at your concierge? Do you have an anonymised example to show me?
- Who are your usual tradespeople? How long have you known them?
- How do you handle a dispute with a guest? Do you have professional liability insurance?
- What is the minimum commitment period and the termination terms?
- What happens if I'm not satisfied? Can I stop without fees after a trial period?
The answers to these ten questions will give you a very clear picture of the quality of the concierge. Be wary of evasive answers or overly pre-packaged sales arguments.
Legal and tax aspects: what you need to know
Seasonal rental in France is governed by several laws. Without going into detail (consult an accountant or specialised lawyer), here are the main points.
Any seasonal rental of a second home must be declared at the town hall. In certain communes of the Var, prior authorisation is required and a registration number must appear on the listings.
Tourist tax is mandatory and its amount varies according to the commune. In most cases, the professional concierge collects this tax from guests and pays it to the town hall for villas under full management.
Non-professional furnished rental (LMNP)
This is the most common tax regime for second homes that are rented. It offers significant tax advantages, including the possibility to depreciate the property and furniture over several years, which significantly reduces (or even eliminates) the tax on rental income.
The thresholds of the LMNP regime are regularly adjusted. Beyond certain ceilings (twenty-three thousand euros as main activity), you switch to professional furnished rental (LMP), with a different tax regime. We strongly recommend consulting a specialised accountant to optimise your situation. Accounting fees are tax-deductible.
Our approach at Les Clés de Provence
To situate our approach within the landscape of Var concierges, here in a few words is what defines Les Clés de Provence.
Our physical address is in Cotignac, right in the heart of the village. Our team lives in Cotignac and in the surrounding hamlets. We currently look after around ten villas in the Haut Var, with carefully managed growth so as not to dilute the quality of service.
Our formulas are transparent: three main options (full management, regular property management, à la carte check-in/out), every detail spelled out in our quotes, contract with no multi-year commitment. If you are not satisfied, you stop at term, with no penalty.
Our network of tradespeople is well-established. We have been working for several years with the same plumbers, electricians, gardeners and pool technicians in the area. We generally obtain preferential rates that we pass on to owners, and we guarantee the quality of the work.
We are reachable twenty-four hours a day for emergencies. During the day, we answer routine requests within a maximum of four hours. Each owner has the direct mobile number of Philippe Torres, the founder, and can reach him by email or phone at any time.
To discover our formulas and services in more detail, visit our Concierge for Owners page or simply request an appointment, contact us. We come in person to visit your villa and prepare a quote with no commitment.
FAQs
Frequently asked questions
A real estate agency sells or rents properties on behalf of owners. A concierge does neither: it takes care of the day-to-day life of a villa entrusted to it (upkeep, guest welcome, maintenance, coordination of service providers). The two can be complementary, but they meet different needs.
The standard ranges from fifteen to twenty-five percent of rental income excluding taxes for full management (marketing, guest welcome, cleaning, maintenance, accounting). Monthly fixed fees for pure property management (without intensive rental activity) range from three hundred to one thousand two hundred euros depending on the villa. Our concierge prepares a personalised quote after visiting your villa.
A good concierge carries out a systematic inventory check at both check-in and check-out. In case of damage, the security deposit is used first. If the amount exceeds the deposit, the guest's holiday rental insurance takes over. Our approach: full transparency, before-and-after photos, and support throughout any insurance procedure if necessary.
This varies from one concierge to another. Our approach at Les Clés de Provence is an annual renewable contract, with the possibility of termination subject to two months' notice. We believe that long-term commitment must be earned through service quality, not imposed by a restrictive clause.
Our concierge sends a detailed monthly report: interventions performed, expenses (with supporting documents), guest changeovers, income collected (under full management), and points of attention regarding the villa. For urgent matters, we communicate by phone, email or WhatsApp. A quarterly video call review is included in the full management formula.
Let's discuss your project
Entrusting your villa to a concierge is an important decision that deserves careful thought. If reading this guide raises questions about our approach, or if you simply wish to compare with other options, we remain available for a first meeting.
Our concierge is based in Cotignac and we operate throughout the Haut Var (Cotignac, Tourtour, Salernes, Entrecasteaux, Pontevès and surrounding areas). To discuss your situation, contact Philippe Torres directly. First phone exchange with no commitment, visit to your villa if you wish, detailed quote within forty-eight hours.