Running cottage rentals in Muskoka Lakes, where the summer calendar is written into the by-law

Before the by-law took effect, Cottage Life reported a one-hour response time for the operator or property manager to reach the cottage after a complaint, and Storeys reported that a licence would be revoked at 15 demerit points. The township's own pages did not state either when we read them, so check the by-law before relying on them. This is not legal or tax advice, and Upbridge does not file anything for you: no registrations and no tax returns.

The summer rules turn July into a planning problem. A waterfront cottage that used to take Saturday-to-Saturday weeks can still do that, because stays longer than six nights need no gap, but shorter stays need six nights between groups, and somewhere in the month seven nights have to stay empty. The township says the week off can run Tuesday to Tuesday or any other seven nights, as long as it does not cross into the next month.

The owner and their family can use the cottage during the week off, so the empty week can also be the family's week at the lake. An earlier proposal, summarized by Sorbara Law on Mondaq in November 2024, would have allowed rentals on only half the summer days and set a seven-night minimum from Victoria Day to Labour Day; the by-law the township adopted uses the monthly week off and the six-night rule instead.

Cottage Life reported in May 2025 that the township was also starting a septic re-inspection program for every property. Since occupancy above two per bedroom depends on the septic design, the septic paperwork and the licence belong in the same file.

A cottage with a bunkie and a boathouse is three buildings to clean between groups. Upbridge reads each checkout from Guesty, Hostaway, Lodgify, Uplisting or an iCal link and opens a cleaning task with a room-by-room photo checklist that can cover each building, and the licence on the wall and the renter's information package can be on the list too.

Cottages on the water burn through propane, firewood and dock towels, and a run into town takes time. Inventory per property subtracts what each group used and shows what to bring before the next arrival. Guests get the guest guide on their phone with the road in, the 911 sign to look for, and the quiet hours.

With a required week off in every summer month and gaps between short stays, the summer schedule has holes that move from cottage to cottage. The cleaning company account shows every owner's changeovers on one dated calendar, so you can fill a crew's week around those gaps, and the owners stay your clients.