Owner-side care · No tenants

Property Caretaker & Estate Caretaker Services in Palm Beach County

A property caretaker is the person responsible for the condition of your house when you are not in it. It is the same work people mean by estate caretaker: one accountable owner-side contact, scheduled visits, vendors supervised, and a written record after every walk. No tenants. No staffing agency rotating strangers through the key.

We caretake private homes across Palm Beach and Martin Counties from Palm Beach Gardens. The owners of this firm walk the properties and answer the phone. If you searched property caretaker Palm Beach or estate caretaker services, this is that role, defined for a high-value seasonal or vacant residence.

Request a consultation Call an owner, 561-351-6323

Plans start at $750/month · $2,000/month · $5,000/monthSee full pricing

Definition

What a property caretaker actually is

A property caretaker (also called an estate caretaker) is a single accountable person responsible for the physical condition and daily oversight of a private residence on the owner's behalf. The role is owner-side: the caretaker answers to the owner, protects the asset, and holds the relationships with every trade that touches the house.

It is not a leasing agent, not a tenant-facing property manager, and not a live-in placement from a staffing agency. For a Palm Beach or Martin County house that stands empty part of the year, the job is discrete, scheduled oversight with documentation, not a drive-by and not a rental turnover.

What a property caretaker is

One named person who knows the house: its systems, its quirks, its history.
Owner-side by definition. Every decision is made in the owner's interest.
Responsible for physical condition: envelope, mechanicals, water, climate, grounds, security.
The single point of contact who holds vendor relationships and supervises work on site.
Discreet, insured, bonded, and background-checked, with a documented record of every visit.

What a property caretaker is not

Not rental or leasing management. No tenants, no leases, no rent, no turnovers.
Not a live-in domestic placement from a staffing agency on your household payroll.
Not a house sitter. Nobody sleeps in the residence or uses it while you are away.
Not unarmed security driving past the gate and logging a timestamp.
Not a different person with a new code every month.

The role

What the caretaker is responsible for.

Six standing obligations. Everything else is a variation on one of them.

Condition of the house: Scheduled inspection of the interior and exterior on a set cadence: air conditioning under load, condensate lines and pans, humidity held near 50–55%, every supply line and fixture, roof line, seals and shutter hardware, salt-air corrosion on coastal properties.
The maintenance calendar: A/C service intervals, filter changes, generator exercise, pest control, pool chemistry, irrigation, pressure washing and window cleaning, scheduled ahead rather than remembered late.
Vendor supervision: Trades are met at the door, watched while they work, and checked before they leave. Nothing is authorized without your approval, and invoices are passed through at cost.
Storm readiness: A written pre-landfall protocol run in sequence, not improvised, plus first access and a documented damage assessment once roads reopen.
Arrival and departure: The house cooled, aired, provisioned, and inspected before you land; closed correctly the day after you leave.
The record: Timestamped photographs and written exceptions after every visit, retained in the EstateEase portal so the residence carries a continuous service history rather than a folder of text messages.

Terminology

Property caretaker vs home watch vs estate management vs property management

Four terms used interchangeably in this market, describing four different arrangements.

RoleWho it servesCore job

Property caretaker / estate caretaker: Owner of a private home; Condition, vendors, and the written record while the owner is away. What this firm provides.
Home watch: Owner of a private home; Documented inspections and exceptions on a set cadence.
Estate management: Owner of a private home; Full household calendar, staff, and projects held by one firm.
Property management (rentals): Landlord; Tenants, leases, rent, and turnovers. Not work this firm takes on.

We do the first three. We do not do rental property management.

How the caretaker role fits together

Most caretaker engagements start with home watch services , the scheduled inspection and the photo report, and grow into full estate management in Palm Beach County once the owner would rather not run the maintenance calendar themselves. Owners weighing a caretaker on their own payroll against a retained firm will find the comparison in hiring an estate manager in Palm Beach County.

When the household side matters as much as the building, home concierge services and personal concierge service in Palm Beach cover guest readiness, provisioning, and vendor access.

For a house that will sit empty for a full season, see vacant home management and second home management in Palm Beach County. To see exactly what a visit covers, read the home watch checklist.

Questions

Property caretaker and estate caretaking, answered

What is a property caretaker?

A property caretaker is an owner-side professional responsible for the condition of a private residence while the owner is away. Visits are scheduled, vendors are supervised, and every walk is documented. In Palm Beach County the same role is often called an estate caretaker.

Is a property caretaker the same as an estate caretaker?

Yes in our practice. Both mean one accountable person protecting a private home with no tenants involved. Listings sometimes use the words for live-in staff or security drive-bys. We mean scheduled, documented, owner-side caretaking.

Is this the same as property management?

No. Property management usually means rentals: tenants, leases, and rent collection. A property caretaker works for the owner of a private home that is empty or seasonal. There is no tenant.

How often does the caretaker visit?

Every 7 to 14 days year round, weekly through hurricane season and for waterfront or fully furnished homes. Extra visits for storms, vendors, and arrivals.

What does property caretaker service cost in Palm Beach County?

A monthly retainer set after a property walk. Plans often start at $750 per month, $2,000 per month, or $5,000 per month depending on scope. Month to month, and full pricing is published on our pricing page.

Do you caretake second homes and vacant houses?

Yes. Seasonal and second homes, homes empty through a sale or settlement, and residences vacant during renovation. Related programs include snowbird home watch, vacant home management, and absentee owner property management.

Caretaker services by community

Before you hire

What is home watch?
The plain definition: a scheduled inspection of an empty home, with a photo report after every visit.
Choosing a home watch provider
What separates an accountable firm from a neighbor with a key and good intentions.
Selecting an estate manager
The credentials and habits that matter when one person speaks for the house.
Home watch cost in Palm Beach County
Why square-footage pricing gets a waterfront house wrong, and what we charge instead.
Questions owners ask first
Terms, scope, and what is included before you commit to anything.

Put one caretaker on the house

Tell us the address and how often the house sits empty. An owner calls back, or reach us at 561-351-6323.