Who looks after your home while you’re away?

Before leaving, agree what the person holding your key is responsible for. Letting a contractor in, checking the home and approving a bill are separate jobs. One person may do all three, but that needs an explicit agreement.

Start with the last visit, not “all fine”

Ask for the visit date, the person who attended and what they checked. Leave unobserved items marked unchecked. If they found a problem, record where it is, the next action and who will follow it up. A photograph can help describe a fault; it does not by itself show that a system works or that a repair is complete.

Agree when the next report is due and what happens if the planned visit is missed. Set the visit frequency with the person managing this particular home. The guide has no verified inspection schedule that applies to every property.

Separate keyholding from permission to work

Keep a named keyholder and a backup contact. Ask your manager which channel applies to contractor entry, what the contractor needs and who confirms the arrangement. An owner's invitation, a contractor appointment and permission to use facilities should not be treated as interchangeable.

Leave written, property-specific instructions for the manager and qualified technicians. Keep a reference to those instructions in your handover. Water valves, cooling settings, appliances, meters and cart batteries need the instructions for the actual installation; a general guide cannot supply a safe shutdown procedure for all homes.

A routine repair contact is not a response promise

Somabay's Coral Maintenance page lists AC, plumbing, electrical and other home work, the marina location, 09:00–17:00 and maintenance@sbtfm.net. Its contact-number field is empty. The service description includes emergency water-valve repairs; it does not establish a phone dispatch route, after-hours attendance, a price or a response time.

The page's publication and modification metadata are dated 10 March 2024. We read it again on 3 October 2026; that is a research date, not a confirmation from Coral. Before relying on a visit, ask whether it covers your home and fault, who will attend, the call-out charge, the quote and the arrangements for extra work. Agree your urgent property contact and backup separately.

Keep approval and completion in separate records

Put the amount, currency and approval rule in writing before work starts. Record who can approve a change if the owner is unavailable. Keep the quote, job scope and attendance date together so an invoice can be matched to the work requested.

Use a clear stage for each job: issue observed, quote requested, work approved, work booked, completion reported or completion reviewed. “Approved” does not mean someone attended. “Reported complete” still leaves you to agree who reviews the result and how. Record any unresolved item and its next action instead of closing the entire job as “done”.

Laundry: settle collection and return before departure

The Somabay Laundry page publishes +20 127 533 4995, 09:00–19:00 and the location description “Hotels & Delivery”. It does not confirm collection from your home, your address's coverage, prices or turnaround. Its modification metadata is 10 March 2024; we re-read it on 3 October 2026, without contacting the service.

If you arrange laundry, agree who hands it over, what was collected, the promised return date and who receives it while you are away. Leave unresolved collections on the handover record.

Owner administration: what the app description establishes

Somabay's website links to the Somabay App's Google Play listing. The developer describes service requests, issue reporting, communication with community management, identity badges and guest invitations. Google Play shows an app update dated 21 September 2026. That date does not confirm today's gate rules or response arrangements.

We have not signed in, tested registration or established which functions apply to your account, unit, tenant or contractor. Ask your manager to show you the applicable workflow and an alternative if the app is unavailable. Utility accounts, service-charge queries and fault escalation still need home-specific answers; the guide has not established a public utility contact chain.

Close the absence with an arrival handover

Before the next trip, ask for the return-home condition report. Set its due date early enough to address a problem that would affect your first night. Check which jobs remain open, who has the keys and who will meet you. Use the guest sheet if someone else arrives first, and the connection worksheet if they will depend on home internet.

The worksheet below records the agreement you make. It does not appoint a manager, confirm entry, book maintenance or approve spending.

PRIVATE OWNER WORKSHEET

Your home between visits.

Agree this with the person looking after your home. Use short references; keep entry codes, identity documents and account passwords elsewhere.

Entries stay on this page. They are not sent or saved, and clear on reload. Download the text before leaving the page if you want to keep it. This worksheet does not book a visit or authorise anyone.

01 / People and period

Home referenceAway from · untilKeyholder · contactBackup person · contactOwner or approver · contactEntry arrangements · person who confirms them

02 / Visits and instructions

Agreed visit dates or frequencyWhat to check · what needs a technicianProperty instructions · file reference · agreed dateReport due · evidence required · what happens if a visit is missedNext visit · responsible person

03 / Work and approval

Spending limit · currency · who approves changesUrgent property contact · backup arrangementOne outstanding job · location or short referenceJob stageUnchecked / not enteredIssue observedQuote requestedWork approvedWork bookedCompletion reportedCompletion reviewedPerson responsible for this jobFinding · agreed scope · quote reference · attendance dateCompletion evidence · reviewed by · date · unresolved itemsNext action · person · due date

04 / Return handover

Arrival readiness report due · who reviews itOpen items · fallback for anything affecting arrival

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Planning record supplied by its author. Soma Bay Guide has not inspected the property, arranged visits, approved costs or confirmed work.