Should You Get Snow Removal for a Cottage or Rental?

3 min read · Thames Valley Snow, London, Ontario

Owning a second property near London, whether a cottage, a rental you manage, or a place you visit only occasionally, raises a different set of snow removal questions than a primary residence you're at every day. Deciding whether professional service makes sense depends heavily on how often you're actually there to use it.

For a property you visit only on weekends, seasonal contracts still make sense if you need reliable access every time you arrive, regardless of the day of the week. Nobody wants to drive out to a cottage on a Friday evening only to find the driveway buried under snow from a midweek storm nobody cleared. A standing contract removes this risk entirely.

Rental properties present a different case, since tenant safety becomes the driving concern rather than your own convenience. If you're renting out a property, keeping the driveway and walkways clear isn't optional, it's a liability responsibility you carry as the landlord. An unclear walkway that causes a tenant or their guest to fall creates real legal exposure, making snow removal a necessary operating cost rather than a nice-to-have.

For properties visited rarely, like a cottage used only a few weekends a season, per-push service triggered by a phone call or app might make more financial sense than a full seasonal contract, since you're not paying for coverage during long stretches when nobody's there anyway.

Thames Valley Snow services second properties and rentals throughout the London area with flexible arrangements built around how often the property is actually used. Matching your service type to your actual usage pattern, rather than defaulting to a standard residential contract, usually saves money on a property you're not at every day.

Rentals: who is responsible

In many leases the landlord handles snow, and the City of London bylaw sets expectations for sidewalks. Check the lease, and if you own the property, a seasonal plan means tenants are not left waiting after a storm.

Away properties

For a property you are not at all winter, automatic visits at 5 cm keep access open for tenants, deliveries and emergency services, and the timestamped photo after each visit shows you the work was done.

Service area

We serve all of London. For cottages and properties outside London, ask and the team will check and confirm.

Frequently asked questions

Can invoices go to someone else?

Yes. Invoices and visit updates go to whoever you choose.

Can tenants text the crew?

Tenants can call or text (548) 888-8702 with questions.

What's included… and what's extra

A Thames Valley Snow seasonal residential plan starts from $650 for a standard driveway. It covers clearing the driveway every time snowfall reaches the trigger depth in your agreement, plus the windrow the city plow leaves at the end of the driveway. Larger driveways are priced on our snow removal prices page.

Popular add-ons, priced per season: walkway and steps $150–175, salting $175, priority service $125, pet-safe salt $120, driveway extension $95 and city sidewalk clearing $90. Add only what your property needs; everything is listed on the quote so there are no surprises. Get your fixed price or call or text (548) 888-8702.