Sidewalk Service for Property Managers · Cambridge
Sidewalk Snow Service for Cambridge Property Managers and Landlords
Cambridge gives you 36 hours and then sends officers to look without waiting for a complaint. For a manager with a dozen frontages, that is the whole argument.
Property managers and landlords in Cambridge look after rental houses and small apartment buildings through Galt, Preston and Hespeler, mixed-use buildings in the three downtowns, and the frontages of small commercial properties. Every one has a sidewalk, and the City requires the owner to have it clear of snow and ice within 36 hours of the snowfall ending. The City's officers respond to complaints and also monitor sidewalks proactively, and the consequence of a failed inspection is a summons or the City clearing the sidewalk and sending a bill.
The downtown exception
The City clears curb-faced sidewalks across most of the city, those right at the curb or with a boulevard under 0.25 m, but its own page specifically excludes the Galt, Hespeler and Preston BIA cores from that category. A storefront or apartment-over-shop in any of the three downtowns has a sidewalk the owner must clear even though it runs along the curb, and because it is a busy sidewalk in a core, it is the one most likely to be looked at. The City's sidewalk map shows which sidewalks are the owner's and which are the City's for any address, and we check it before quoting.
What the service is
- The frontage sidewalk, and the side on a corner lot, cleared after each snowfall that reaches the agreed depth, within the City's window.
- Ice control between snowfalls. The rule says snow and ice, and a refreeze on a clear day is still ice. Salt or sand goes down on those days, with sand preferred on the coldest weeks.
- Entrances, walks and steps if wanted, so the sidewalk is not the only thing that is clear.
- Multiple addresses on one agreement with one invoice and a visit record per property, so a tenant or an officer gets a date and a time.
Tenants and lease clauses
A lease that puts snow on the tenant is a private arrangement; the City holds the owner responsible and bills the owner. Tenants also travel, move mid-winter and own one shovel between a building. A manager carrying slip liability on every frontage is the reason this service exists.
What it is not
It is not instant. Sidewalk routes run through and after a storm. It is a reliable visit within the City's 36 hours every time, logged, without anyone having to remember to call.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if the City clears the sidewalk at my building?
The City publishes a sidewalk map showing owner-maintained and City-maintained sidewalks. As a rule, sidewalks along regional roads, back-lot sidewalks and most curb-faced sidewalks are the City's, but the Galt, Hespeler and Preston BIA cores are excluded. We check the map for each address before quoting.
Can a dozen properties go on one agreement?
Yes, and clustered properties are priced as a cluster. Each address is listed with what is included and the invoice is one line per property.
What if I have already received a summons?
Call. The sidewalk can usually be dealt with promptly and kept up for the rest of the season. The summons itself is between you and the City.
Serving Cambridge and surrounding areas. Contact us for a no-obligation quote specific to your property.