What is not included
Excluded Services & Owner Responsibilities
The boundary, published — because a standard is only worth reading if the exclusions are published beside it.
Outside every plan
Services not included in any Cocoon plan.
Where any excluded work is identified during a visit, Cocoon documents the finding in the visit report and recommends a course of action. No work outside the agreed scope is undertaken without your prior written approval.
What you retain
Cocoon manages the property. You own it.
The following responsibilities remain with you at all times, regardless of which Cocoon plan you are on.
Your rental income
Your rent reaches your account. Not ours.
All rental income — whether from short-term guest stays or long-term tenancies — belongs to you. Under Cocoon’s standard model, tenants pay rent directly into your designated NRO account. Cocoon coordinates the payment cycle, follows up on late payments, and reports status — but the income flows directly to you. Cocoon’s management fee is invoiced to you separately. Your rental income and Cocoon’s fees are two entirely separate financial flows.
Income tax and ITR-2 filing
Records maintained by Cocoon, filing managed through your CA
Your rental income from Indian property is assessable in India regardless of where you live. Filing ITR-2, computing advance tax, and engaging a Chartered Accountant for your annual return are your obligations, not Cocoon’s. Cocoon maintains property records — tenancy periods, rent logs, maintenance records and inspection reports — in the normal course of managing your property, and your CA can request these to support your filing. Cocoon does not prepare tax computations or file returns on your behalf.
TDS on rent paid to NRI owners
The tenant’s statutory obligation, not Cocoon’s
Under Section 393(2) of the Income-tax Act, 2025, any Indian tenant paying rent to an NRI owner is legally required to deduct 31.2% TDS on every payment and deposit it with the government. Cocoon does not deduct TDS on rent payments, file Form 27Q, or issue Form 16A on anyone’s behalf. You should confirm that your tenant holds a TAN and is filing quarterly returns. Your CA can apply for a Lower TDS Certificate (Form 128 under Section 395) to reduce the withholding rate to reflect your actual liability. For the full detail, see rental income and tax compliance.
GST on short-term rental income
Your obligation above ₹20 lakh of annual accommodation income
GST registration and return filing are your obligations once that threshold is crossed. Cocoon issues its own GST-compliant invoices for its management fee only (GSTIN: 32AAZFG7923K1ZR). GST on the accommodation income you earn from guests is your responsibility, managed through your CA. Rates effective 22 September 2025: 5% on tariffs ≤ ₹7,500/night (no ITC); 18% on tariffs > ₹7,500/night (with ITC). For full detail, see rental income and tax compliance.
FEMA, NRO account and repatriation
All Indian-source rental income, credited to your NRO account
Maintaining the correct account type and complying with FEMA repatriation rules (Forms 145 and 146 under the Income-tax Act, 2025; USD 1 million annual limit) is your responsibility. Cocoon directs all rent payments only to the NRO account you specify at onboarding. Any change to your banking details must be notified to Cocoon in writing before the next payment cycle.
Property tax, society fees and utility bills
The liability remains with you
Property tax, building and luxury tax, housing society maintenance charges, and utility bill obligations are yours. Where your plan includes property tax coordination, Cocoon acts as your payment agent — with your funds and your prior written approval.
Cleaning consumables and materials
You specify the brands; Cocoon supplies the method
The products used in your home are yours to choose. You specify the brands, and whether you want eco-certified, plant-based formulations or standard retail products, and you keep the property stocked. Cocoon supplies the verified vendors and the trained professionals who do the work, together with the method and the equipment, and uses what you have specified.
Where it is easier for Cocoon to buy them — you are abroad, or stock has run out between visits — ask, and Cocoon will procure them against your prior written approval and bill them at actuals on your next invoice, with receipts attached. Nothing is added to the purchase price. Cocoon is not responsible for the performance of a product you have specified.
At onboarding, Cocoon will assemble a Home Care Kit to your specification — the cleaners, cloths, mops and brushes each surface in your home needs, colour-coded by zone and stored in one labelled place. It is supplied at actuals with an itemised receipt, and stock is counted at every visit, so the report tells you what is running low before it runs out.
Insurance
Cocoon is not a substitute for property insurance
Maintaining adequate building insurance, contents insurance and — for rental properties — landlord liability insurance is your responsibility. Cocoon documents and reports damage found during visits. It does not carry insurance coverage for the property or its contents.
Tenancy agreements and security deposits
The security deposit is held and managed by you. Cocoon documents the condition it secures and gives you an itemised statement to settle against.
Under long-term rental management, Cocoon drafts the tenancy agreement and facilitates its registration through a Cocoon-assigned lawyer. The agreement is between you and the tenant. You are the landlord. Cocoon is not a party to the tenancy agreement and does not guarantee the tenant’s performance under it.
Regulatory compliance for the property
Operational licences held by Cocoon; classification met by you
Compliance with Kerala RERA (where applicable), municipal corporation requirements, and all regulations applicable to your property as a residential or rental asset is your responsibility. For STR properties, Cocoon holds and manages the operational licences — the Kerala Tourism Serviced Villa classification and the Kochi Corporation D&O trade licence — as the on-ground operator. Ensuring the property meets the classification requirements rests with you.
Questions owners ask
The boundary, answered plainly.
Does Cocoon hold my rent or my security deposit?
No, and it is a deliberate part of how the service is built. Rent reaches your account directly from the tenant, and booking revenue directly from the platforms — it never passes through Cocoon. The security deposit is held and managed by you, not by Cocoon; what Cocoon provides is the documented condition it secures and an itemised statement to settle against. Your rent reaches your account. Not ours.
Who pays for repairs and materials?
You do, at actuals, and only after approving them. The plan fee covers Cocoon's inspection, reporting and coordination; vendor charges, materials and replacement parts are passed through without markup, and no unplanned expenditure is incurred without your prior written approval.
Why publish what Cocoon does not do?
Because a standard is only worth reading if the exclusions are published beside it. An owner eight thousand kilometres away cannot verify a promise, so the boundary is stated in full rather than discovered later — the same reason the prices are published.