Choosing a concierge company in Lyon: what to ask before you sign

Two jobs behind one word

Some companies handle the letting: listings, bookings, rent, deposits, choosing guests. Acting that way on an owner's behalf requires the "gestion immobilière" professional licence and a written mandate (French law of 2 January 1970, known as the loi Hoguet).

Others handle the ground work: cleaning, linen, welcoming guests, keys, property checks, small repairs. That is a service contract — no mandate, no licence.

The two go together, and many owners work with both. See our full management page if you want to hand everything over.

First question: who collects the money?

If the person you are talking to receives the rent in your place, they are managing property on someone else's behalf: ask for their professional licence and the name of their financial guarantee. That guarantee is what protects your money if the company folds.

If they never touch your rental income and simply invoice their work, no licence applies. The next question is then simply what each visit includes.

The questions that prevent bad surprises

• Who comes to my property? Employees on the payroll, or a different subcontractor every time?
• What exactly does a visit include? Ask for the written list, not a spoken summary.
• Linen: who provides it, washes it, counts it?
• Welcome supplies and consumables: who buys them, who watches the stock?
• How am I told what happened after each visit? With photos?
• What happens on a Saturday at 6 pm, when a guest arrives and the property is not ready?
• How quickly do you come out when something is damaged?
• Do you carry professional liability insurance? Ask for the certificate.
• How long am I committed for, and what notice do I give to stop?
• If I take over again, what happens to my keys, my linen, my access codes?

How you get charged

Two logics exist. A fixed price per service: you pay for what was done. A percentage of your income: the fee follows your takings, which means someone collects on your behalf — so licence and mandate again.

Neither is better in itself. What matters is that the quote says what is included, what costs extra, and when a call-out is charged.

What no provider can promise

• guaranteed income: nobody controls your booking calendar;
• a five-star rating: it depends on the property and the area too;
• freedom from your own obligations: the town-hall declaration, the change of use and the tourist tax stay in your name.

See our guide on the rules in Lyon.

Try before you commit

A visit, a first clean, a report: that is usually enough to know whether it works. A company confident in its work accepts being judged on one visit rather than on a brochure.