The residence should be ready before you are
Scheduled oversight, documented inspections, and coordinated specialists for owners whose principal life is elsewhere, through one accountable point of contact.
A house left alone is not at rest.
It is working. Systems cycle. Seasons turn. Water finds its way. The distance between a residence that ages beautifully and one that quietly declines is not fortune. It is attendance.
Residence Watch is our standing program for owners who are elsewhere. A named steward. A fixed cadence. A written record. Nothing improvised, and nothing deferred to the week you happen to be in town.
Seven standing duties.
Each visit follows the same protocol, in the same order, whoever is at the door. Consistency is what makes a record worth keeping.
Afterward, a report is published to your owner portal: inspection photographs, checklist results, open items, and a written summary signed by your steward. Nothing is said by telephone that is not also written down.
Owner portalInterior & Exterior Inspection
Scheduled walk-throughs of every room and every elevation, documented photographically and filed the same day.
Systems Verification
HVAC, plumbing, electrical, and security confirmed on each visit. Irregularities are escalated before they become events.
Storm Preparation & Response
Shutters, drains, and grounds secured ahead of weather. First eyes on the residence once it has passed.
Vendor & Household Staff Coordination
Trades, groundskeepers, and household staff scheduled, admitted, supervised, and signed off in your absence.
Seasonal Opening & Closing
Systems drawn down and brought back up. Climate, linens, and provisions set to the date of your arrival.
Key-Holder & Alarm Response
We hold the keys and follow the response plan agreed with you, coordinating an in-person visit whenever the situation calls for one.
Concierge Presence
Deliveries received, contractors met, installations witnessed. Your presence is never the condition for progress.
Attendance, set to the residence.
The cadence can be changed at any time, and rises without discussion ahead of weather.
Monthly
For residences occupied part of the year and otherwise closed.
- Twelve scheduled visits annually
- Full interior and exterior inspection
- Systems verification on every visit
- Photographic report to your owner portal
- Key-holder status and alarm response
Every Two Weeks
The standing cadence for a New York pied-à-terre or a seasonal residence.
- Twenty-six scheduled visits annually
- Everything within Monthly
- Seasonal opening and closing
- Vendor, delivery, and contractor attendance
- Pre-arrival preparation
- A named steward assigned to the residence
Weekly
For estates, collections, and residences held under staff.
- Fifty-two scheduled visits annually
- Everything within Every Two Weeks
- Household staff coordination and oversight
- Art, wine, and collection conditions monitored
- Renovation and capital project supervision
- Insurance and compliance record-keeping
Every cadence carries key-holder status, alarm response, and storm protocols across the New York market.
The arithmetic of a second address has changed.
On July 1, 2026, the New York pied-à-terre tax took effect under Article 30-C of the Tax Law. It reaches residences that are not the owner's primary home: Class 1 houses above $5 million of market value, at a banded 0.8% to 1.3%, and condominium and cooperative units from $1 million of Department of Finance value, at a banded 4% to 6.5%. The applicable rate is applied to the full value used by the Department of Finance.
For owners who received a 2026 notice, the City has extended the exemption-response deadline to September 18, 2026. The notice and Department of Finance instructions control; valuation challenges follow the Tax Commission process.
Whether the answer is certifying a primary residence, appealing a valuation, restructuring ownership, or simply keeping the residence impeccably while you are away, the requirement beneath all four is the same. Someone must be standing at the address, keeping the record. That is the infrastructure we provide.
Estimate your exposure- Effective
- July 1, 2026
- Applies to
- Residences that are not the owner’s primary home
- Class 1 homes from $5M of DOF market value
- 0.8%–1.3%, by value band
- Condominiums and co-ops from $1M of DOF value
- 4%–6.5%, by value band
- 2026 exemption-response deadline
- September 18, 2026
- Appeals
- New York City Tax Commission
General information, not tax or legal advice. Positions on primary residence, valuation, and ownership structure should be taken with your own counsel and accountant.
Full-Service Management
Where a residence is rented, tenanted, or held as an investment, we manage it in full: the tenancy, the trades, the accounting, and the paper that follows all three.
Full-Service Management
Complete oversight of a rented or investment property, from tenant relations to maintenance coordination.
Asset Protection
Preventive maintenance, inspection records, and vendor governance that preserve the value of the asset.
Seasonal Oversight
Seasonal transitions and climate management for second homes across the New York market.
Renovation Coordination
Project management for renovations and upgrades, from design selection through contractor oversight.
Concierge Services
The particulars that make a residence feel lived in: provisions stocked, services arranged, arrival prepared.
Leasing & tenancy, administered.
- Tenant placement, screening, and references
- Lease administration, renewals, and notices
- Rent collection and arrears management
- Monthly financial reporting and year-end statements
- Household staff coordination and payroll
- Renovation and capital project management
- Insurance, compliance, and building-board correspondence
- Art and collection management
Request a Proposal
Tell us about the residence and how often you are there. We will respond within 24 hours, and follow with a proposal for its keeping.
Begin the Watch
A brief conversation is enough to establish what the residence needs.