What does a caretaker do in Cameroon?

A caretaker manages a property on the owner's behalf — showing the house, holding keys, answering enquiries and reporting faults. They are typically the first point of contact when the landlord does not live nearby.

Should a caretaker collect rent?

Ideally not. Rent collected by a caretaker is the commonest source of disputes. Have tenants pay the landlord directly by mobile money, which costs nothing and creates a record on both sides.

Appointing a caretaker: what to agree before you hand over the keys

Most landlords in Cameroon use a caretaker. Very few write down what the caretaker can and cannot do, and that is where the trouble starts.

If you do not live near your property, you need somebody on the ground. That is a caretaker, and the arrangement is completely normal here. What is not normal, and causes most of the disputes we hear about, is how rarely anyone writes down what was agreed.

What a caretaker is genuinely useful for

Showing the house to people who want to see it
Answering enquiries when you cannot
Holding keys and letting tradespeople in
Telling you when something breaks, before it becomes expensive
Knowing who is actually living on the compound

What should stay with you

This is the part worth being firm about, however much you trust the person.

Setting or changing the rent
Deciding who gets the house
Receiving rent or deposits — see below
Signing any agreement on your behalf
Appointing anybody else

The money question

The commonest arrangement in Bamenda is that the caretaker collects rent. It is also the commonest source of disputes: money collected and not passed on, no record of what was paid, and a tenant who insists they paid while the landlord insists they did not.

If you can possibly arrange it, have tenants pay you directly by mobile money. It costs nothing, it creates a record on both sides, and it removes the single largest thing that goes wrong in these relationships.

Worth remembering

On Nkwata, caretakers are structurally barred from receiving money, changing the rent, or transferring the property. They can show the house and answer enquiries. That separation is deliberate, and it protects the caretaker as much as the landlord.

What to write down

One page is enough. It should say who the caretaker is, which property, what they may do, what they may not do, what they are paid and when, who pays for what repairs, and how either side ends the arrangement.

How caretakers are usually paid

A monthly fee, most common for larger compounds
A percentage of rent collected — avoid this if you can, it creates the wrong incentives
Free or reduced accommodation on the compound, very common and often the cleanest arrangement
A fee per tenant found, which works well alongside one of the above

The three arrangements, and which to choose

Resident caretaker. Lives on the compound, usually rent-free or at reduced rent in exchange for the work. The most common arrangement in Bamenda and generally the best for a single compound. They are present, they know everyone, and their interest is aligned with the compound running well.

Non-resident caretaker. Lives elsewhere, visits when needed, paid a monthly fee. Suits a landlord with several properties in one area. Weaker on day-to-day awareness, stronger on independence from the tenants.

Agent as caretaker. A professional managing several properties. Most expensive, most capable, and the one where a written agreement matters most because the relationship is purely commercial.

What to pay

Arrangement	Typical
Resident, small compound	Free or reduced accommodation
Resident, larger compound	Reduced rent plus 10,000–20,000 monthly
Non-resident	15,000–35,000 monthly, by property size
Per tenant found	Half to one month's rent
Professional agent	Commonly 8–12% of rent collected

Avoid paying a percentage of rent collected to a non-professional caretaker. It creates an incentive to fill the house with anyone, and it entangles them in money, which is where the trouble is.

The written agreement, in full

One page. It should say:

Who the caretaker is, and which property or properties
The start date, and how either side ends it — one month's notice is fair
Exactly what they may do: show the property, hold keys, report faults, arrange small repairs up to a stated limit
Exactly what they may not do: set rent, choose tenants, receive rent or deposits, sign anything on your behalf, appoint anyone else
What they are paid, when, and how
The repair limit they may authorise without asking you — 10,000 francs is a common figure
What happens to keys and records when the arrangement ends

What goes wrong, and how to prevent it

Problem	Prevention
Rent collected and not passed on	Have tenants pay you directly by mobile money
Caretaker lets a friend move in	Written agreement stating tenant selection is yours alone
Tenant disputes what they paid	Direct payment creates a record on both sides
Caretaker charges tenants informally	Tell tenants in writing what they should pay and to whom
Nobody knows who has keys	Count keys at the start, record it, count them at the end

Worth remembering

On Nkwata a caretaker can show the house, answer enquiries and mark it taken. They cannot receive money, change the rent, or transfer the property — not by policy, but because the platform will not let them. That protects the caretaker from suspicion as much as it protects you from loss.

Ending the arrangement well

Give notice in writing. Collect every key and record that you have done so. Tell the tenants directly, in writing, who to contact from now on and where to pay — otherwise a former caretaker can keep collecting from tenants who do not know.

That last point causes more disputes than anything else on this page. Do not skip it.