Building Concierge Guide for Managed Properties in Montreal

This guide helps property managers and condo boards define responsibilities, access, observations, and boundaries for a concierge assignment. To review the scope offered by Nickel & Krome, see our building concierge service in Montreal.

Planning begins before the first visit. It should separate scheduled tasks, conditions to observe, authorized contacts, and requests that require a separate management decision.

Define the assignment before service begins

A concierge assignment is more than a presence in the building. The written scope should identify covered areas, cadence, access windows, expected observations, and the method for reporting an issue. It should also state which matters belong to another provider or require prior authorization.

• Included and excluded areas
• Routine duties and one-time requests
• Authorized contacts and escalation order
• Expected format for notes, approved photos, or reports
• Instructions for visitors and external contractors

Organize access, keys, cards, and alarms

The manager should confirm permitted doors, issued keys or cards, alarm schedules, and lockup procedures. Clear instructions also explain how to report a lost card, refused access, or a door that cannot be secured normally. Concierge personnel do not automatically have authority to change access rights.

Set observation and reporting expectations

Routine observations should remain factual: location, time, visible condition, and any action completed within scope. The manager selects a useful channel for the property, such as a targeted note, an approved photo, or a consolidated report. Follow-up should not turn every detail into an emergency or present an opinion as a technical diagnosis.

• Observed condition and exact location
• Authorized action already completed, if any
• Contact notified according to the approved list
• Decision or outside intervention still required

Establish escalation rules

Before the contract starts, the manager should define what can wait for the routine report and what requires prompt notice to a designated contact. A leak, damaged door, overflowing bin, or blocked access may be observed and reported, but repair, security action, or remediation does not automatically become a concierge responsibility.

Separate concierge, cleaning, security, and repairs

Operational concierge support may combine an on-site presence, observations, access coordination, and manager notes. Cleaning covers the agreed maintenance tasks. Security belongs to authorized people and providers responsible for control or intervention decisions. Repairs, plumbing, electrical work, and mechanical work remain separate trades or assignments.

Concierge personnel do not replace the property manager, security guard, or specialized contractor. They follow a defined scope and report matters outside it.

What the manager should confirm

• Address, property type, covered areas, and occupancy hours
• Authorized contacts and escalation details
• Keys, cards, alarms, elevators, and loading areas involved
• Expected observations and reporting frequency
• Rules for moves, deliveries, and contractors
• Requests requiring approval or a separate quote

Examples of matters outside the assignment

Repairs, security decisions, regulated work, tenancy administration, spending authorization, continuous surveillance, and emergency response are not included automatically. The same applies to specialized work or restoration tasks that do not appear in the approved scope.

Move from the guide to a service scope

Need an operational assignment? Review the full building concierge service scope to confirm responsibilities, limits, and the information needed before requesting a proposal.