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Property & rentals 2 signers 3 pages 22 blanks to fill in

Property Caretaker Agreement Template

Someone lives on or looks after your property in return for accommodation, pay or both — duties, housing, expenses and ending agreed in writing.

Use This Template — Free See the Agreement Signers don’t need an account
Property caretaker agreement
The blanks in brackets are what you fill in. VergeHR adds each signer’s signature and date boxes.
Property caretaker agreement — page 1 of 3
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Property caretaker agreement — page 2 of 3
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Property caretaker agreement — page 3 of 3
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Use This Template Fill in the blanks, name who signs, and send — from VergeHR eSignature.

What is a property caretaker agreement?

A caretaker agreement is for an owner who needs someone to look after a property — a vacation home in the off-season, a rural estate, a farm cottage, an empty house waiting for sale — and a caretaker who does it in return for somewhere to live, pay, or both. Without a written agreement it is easy to disagree about how much work is expected, who pays the electricity, and how quickly the caretaker must move out when it ends.

This template covers the term, a list of duties with expected hours and regular updates to the owner, the accommodation (if the caretaker lives on site) and utilities, pay or accommodation-only, a limit on expenses the caretaker can pay without asking, rules about guests, pets and smoking, the owner's access, insurance and responsibility for damage, and ending the arrangement with a notice period and a set time to move out. It also flags that local law may treat a caretaker as an employee or a tenant, and that those rights apply where they exist.

Best for
Second-home owners, estates, farms, camps and empty properties
Arrangement
Live-in or visiting, paid, accommodation-only or both
Signed by
The owner and the caretaker
Length
About 3 pages, initialled on every page

When to Use a property caretaker agreement

  • A lakeside cabin owner who needs someone on site over the winter
  • A rural estate providing a cottage to a caretaker in return for grounds work
  • An empty house waiting for sale that needs checking, heating and mowing
  • A summer camp or retreat centre with an off-season caretaker
  • A relative living in a property rent-free in return for looking after it

What You Fill In

22 blanks, then the name and email of each person who signs: owner, caretaker.

1 The parties

  • Owner (person or company)*
  • Owner's phone or email*
  • Caretaker's full name*

2 The property

  • Property address*
  • Description
  • Where the Caretaker lives* The Caretaker lives at the Property · The Caretaker lives elsewhere and visits
  • Accommodation provided

3 Duties

  • Duties*
  • Expected time
  • Updates to the Owner

4 Pay and costs

  • Pay (leave empty if accommodation only)
  • Currency*
  • Pay is* per month · per week · per hour
  • Utilities for the accommodation* paid by the Owner · paid by the Caretaker · shared as described below
  • Utility details
  • Property expenses the Caretaker may pay without asking, up to*

5 Rules

  • Rules (guests, pets, smoking, vehicles)

6 Term

  • Start date*
  • End date (if fixed)
  • Notice to end (days)*
  • Days to move out after it ends*
  • Governing law*

7 Who signs

  • Owner signature and date, initials on every page · The owner of the property, or the person who controls it.
  • Caretaker signature and date, initials on every page · The person who will look after the property.

What the property caretaker agreement Covers

  1. Term
  2. Duties
  3. Accommodation
  4. Pay and value of the arrangement
  5. Expenses
  6. Rules
  7. The Owner's access
  8. Insurance and responsibility
  9. Ending the agreement
  10. General

Using the property caretaker agreement, step by step

1 Describe the property and the arrangement

Enter the address, a short description, and whether the caretaker lives there or visits. If they live there, say which accommodation they get and who pays its utilities.

2 List the duties

Write one duty per line — daily walk-rounds, mowing, running taps in winter, letting in contractors, forwarding mail. Add the expected time and how often the caretaker updates you. The agreement says the caretaker won't do licensed-trade or unsafe work.

3 Agree pay and expenses

Enter pay (or leave it empty for accommodation only) and the most the caretaker can spend on supplies and small repairs without asking. Approved expenses are reimbursed within 14 days of receipts.

4 Set rules and the ending

Add rules on guests, pets and smoking, the notice period, and how many days the caretaker has to move out when it ends. Send it to the caretaker to sign; the signed copy is filed in Files.

Tips Before You Send It

  • Depending on where you are, a caretaker who gets free housing for work may be an employee (with minimum wage and tax rules) or may have tenant protections. Take local advice if the arrangement is long term.
  • Tell your property insurer that a caretaker is in place — some policies have conditions for unoccupied or occupied-by-others property.
  • Keep the duties list realistic for the hours you expect, so it doesn't turn into a full-time job without pay.
  • Agree how the caretaker reaches you in an emergency, and who else they should call if you are unavailable.

Sign It Online In Minutes

  1. Fill in the blanks. Names, dates and amounts go straight into the agreement — the preview shows exactly where.
  2. Name who signs. Tick “This is me” for your own part. VergeHR builds the PDF with every signature, date and initials box on the right line, and you can check or move anything before sending.
  3. Send it. Each signer gets a secure link and signs from any device — no account needed. The signed PDF, with an audit trail and a Certificate of Completion, is filed in Files and emailed to everyone.
Use the property caretaker agreement Template — It’s Free

Property caretaker agreement: frequently asked questions

Is a live-in caretaker a tenant?

The agreement says the parties don't intend a tenancy and that the accommodation lasts only as long as the role. But local law decides what rights an occupier has, and where it gives the caretaker tenant-like rights or requires a court process to remove them, those rules apply.

Does the caretaker have to be paid?

Not under the agreement — you can choose accommodation only. But in some places, housing given in return for work is treated as pay, and minimum wage or tax rules may apply. The agreement makes the owner responsible for meeting those obligations if they do.

Can the owner still visit the property?

Yes. The owner may visit and use the property at any time, but gives the caretaker reasonable notice before entering the caretaker's own accommodation, except in an emergency.

How is this different from a house sitting agreement?

A house sitting agreement covers a short stay while the owner is away — pets, plants, mail and the house itself. A caretaker agreement is for a longer, ongoing role looking after a property, often with accommodation given in return for work, pay for the duties, an expense limit and a set time to move out when it ends.

Is an e-signature valid for this?

In the US (ESIGN Act and UETA), the UK, the EU (eIDAS) and Canada, electronic signatures are generally valid for ordinary contracts like this one. VergeHR keeps an audit trail and a Certificate of Completion with the signed PDF as evidence of who signed and when.

Is this template free?

Yes. The template is free to use with the eSignature app in VergeHR. The other party doesn't need a VergeHR login to sign.

Use This Template — Free