Lakeside 5BR Cottage in Bala – Group Getaway

Spacious lakeside cottage in Bala on a quiet, sheltered lake, sleeps 10 across 5 bedrooms.

Set on Long Lake just south of Bala village, with 112 feet of south-west facing shoreline, a private dock, a gently sloping shoreline, and space for everyone to spread out. Ideal for an extended-family or group getaway in shoulder season or winter.

Note: this is the off-season version of our cottage, with 5 of our 7 bedrooms open. The same cottage runs as a 7-bedroom from early June through late September under `Bala Lakefront 7BR | Sleeps 14, Firepit, Pets OK`.

THE SPACE
Built into a gentle incline overlooking the lake, the cottage spans two levels plus a loft, with bright open-concept living, dining, and kitchen at its heart. Large windows pull in lake views and afternoon light; a wood-burning fireplace anchors the room on cooler evenings. The dining table seats 12 for shared meals.

SLEEPING (sleeps 10)
• Main Floor Bedroom #1: King, overlooks the top deck and lake
• Main Floor Bedroom #2: King, faces the trees
• Middle Floor Bedroom #1: Queen, mid-size window with lake view (down a flight of stairs, built into the hill, off the games room)
• Middle Floor Bedroom #2: Queen, mid-size window facing trees (down a flight of stairs, built into the hill, off the games room)
• Loft: three single beds and a double, overlooking the dining room (great for kids or the adventurous adult), up a flight of stairs

INSIDE
• Open-concept living, dining, and kitchen
• Wood-burning fireplace
• Games room with pool/ping pong table and air hockey
• Separate TV room
• Wi-Fi

OUTSIDE
• 112 feet of private, south-west facing waterfront on Long Lake
• Gently sloping shoreline with shallow entry, ideal for kids and swimmers of all ages
• Private dock
• Lakeside firepit
• BBQ grill on the deck
Watercraft is not available for guest use from September through mid-May.

LOCATION
Bala village is 2 km away (a 5-minute drive):
• Less than 1 km from the Beer Store
• Less than 2 km from Don`s Bakery, Ice Dreams Soda Shop, the LCBO, and Bala Falls
• Less than 2.5 km from Bala Freshmart (supermarket)
• Bala is also home to Muskoka Lakes Farm & Winery (cranberry wine tours, snowshoeing, and a 1.3 km ice trail in winter)
Gravenhurst and Port Carling are each about 20 minutes away by car.

GUEST ACCESS
You`ll have private access to the main cottage and waterfront: all 5 bedrooms across the main and middle floors and the loft, the living and dining areas, games room, TV room, deck, beach, private dock, and lakeside firepit.
The lower attached cottage you`ll see in some photos (lower right) is not part of this rental and will be locked off.

GETTING AROUND
A car is essential for getting to the cottage. There`s no public transit serving the Bala area, and rideshare is very limited. Most guests drive up from Toronto, about 2.5 hours away. In winter, winter tires are strongly recommended.

HOST INTERACTION
We aim to give you a private, independent stay. We won`t be on-site, but we`re always reachable by phone or text. We also have a local contact in Bala who can help quickly with anything time-sensitive.

PETS
Pet-friendly in shoulder season with prior approval. Please message us before booking with your dog`s breed, size, and number. Pets must stay off furniture and beds, not be left unattended, and be cleaned up after on the property. An additional cleaning fee applies for stays with pets.

IMPORTANT TO KNOW
Stairs and accessibility: The cottage is built into a hillside with stairs between every level. The property itself slopes down to the water. Not suitable for guests with mobility limitations or for young children who aren`t yet steady on stairs without close supervision.
Water: The cottage sits directly on Long Lake with a private dock and shoreline. Children should be supervised at all times near the water.
Noise monitor: We have a noise monitoring device on the property. It detects decibel levels only and does not record audio or conversations. It helps us keep the cottage peaceful for guests and respectful of our neighbours.
Security cameras: We have exterior security cameras at the driveway and entry to the property. They monitor the exterior approach only and do not record audio. There are no cameras inside the cottage or in any private outdoor areas.
Bylaw compliance: Our cottage operates under the Township of Muskoka Lakes Short Term Rental Accommodation Licensing Bylaw (2025-049). Quiet hours are 11 PM to 7 AM. If a bylaw officer is called to the property for noise, you`ll be charged the fine plus a response fee for our local contact.
Garbage and recycling: Sort waste into the clear bags provided (one for garbage, one for recycling). Bags can be put out for pickup on Wednesday morning during your stay. Any garbage at checkout needs to be taken to the local dump (directions in the cottage).
House Rules –
Apologies for the length of our rules - we have had great success when we are transparent about expectations - are of which we think are reasonable. If you have questions, please ask during or just after booking - and we will do our best to come up to provide the rational. They are not meant to dissuade you from enjoying your stay, but to protect our cottage and our neighbours, from the rare bad or inconsiderate guest.

SHORT TERM RENTAL ACCOMMODATION (STRA)
Township of Muskoka Lakes

RENTER’S CODE OF CONDUCT (RENTER)
1. Purpose of the Code The purpose of the Renter’s Code of Conduct is to acknowledge that Short Term Rental Accommodation premises are permitted in residential neighbourhoods and that the permanent residents of these neighbourhoods have the right to enjoy their own properties without nuisance. It also outlines specific requirements for STRAs and imposes responsibilities for both owners and renters of such properties and those owners bear the primary responsibility of conveying this information to renters of their property.

2. Objective of this Code The Objective of this Code is to establish acceptable standards of behaviour for hosts and renters to minimize any adverse impacts on their neighbours and the neighbourhood.

3. Residential Area The Primary Renter acknowledges for themselves and on behalf of other renters that they will be occupying an STRA that is located in a residential area.

4. Guiding Principles
• The premises that you are occupying is a home;
• Treat the premises as your own; and
• Respect your neighbours.

5. Noise and Residential Amenity No person shall make noise to cause a disturbance or conduct themselves in a way that is likely to disturb area residents as described within the current Township of Muskoka Lakes Noise Control Bylaw. Failure to comply with the conditions of the Township Noise Control Bylaw may result in an administrative penalty or other legal action being taken.

Please refrain from playing loud music inside after 10.00pm so not to disturb the neighbours. Please do not play loud music outside at any time.
Please be mindful of noise more generally, as we are on a lake and want to be respectful of others. You will be asked to vacate early, and forfeit your deposit if we get noise complaints. If we get a noise complaint after your departure from the municipality (and they most likely would have come to the cottage as well, though you may not have heard them) - you will forfeit your entire damage deposit. Please do not play music outdoors – the outdoors is for all our neighbours to enjoy and they may not have the same taste in music.
The plot is 112 ft wide, so neighbours are very close on both sides

6. Fireworks No person shall set off fireworks anywhere within the boundaries of the Township of Muskoka Lakes unless it is in compliance with the Township’s Fireworks Bylaw. The only days/ times fireworks are permitted to be set off are:
• Victoria Day and the Saturday and Sunday of that same holiday weekend,
• Canada Day and, i. Where Canada Day falls on a Monday or Tuesday, the preceding (before) Saturday and Sunday,
ii. Where Canada Day falls on a Wednesday, Thursday or Friday, the proceeding (following) Friday and Saturday, and,
• New Years Eve 11:00 pm to New Years Day 12:30 AM

7. Access and Parking Please familiarize yourself and your guests with respect to parking for the premises to ensure ease of access. All STRAs have parking requirements as part of the licensing process. If the premises is water access only, please ensure that the area identified for vehicular parking is utilized in accordance with the license.

8. Recycling and Garbage Please familiarize yourself with the site map, including the provisions that have been made for waste management and the day of the week in which waste collection is scheduled. Information on waste management provided by the District of Muskoka such as curbside collection and locations of transfer and landfill stations is available on the District of Muskoka website.
Please take your green bin, garbage and recycling to the green “bear proof” bin by the top of the driveway. Green bin, Garbage and recycling needs to be sorted, and only one bag of each is picked up every week. Garbage and recycling are now being picked up in clear bags. If there are things in the garbage that should be recycling or green bin, your garbage will not be picked up!!! Please take any additional garbage with you or make other arrangements with me to have it removed. 2)Empty garbage and recycling and take to “bear” box at edge of driveway for pick up. Only one bag of garbage and one bag of recycling will be accepted every week. If you have more garbage or your garbage is not picked up, the cleaning service will charge me with a dump fee of $40 per bag of recycling/garbage/green bag waste, which I will need to pass on to you through your damage deposit.
9. Dwellings on Lots on Private Sewage Disposal Systems The maximum occupancy for STRAs is two persons per bedroom unless otherwise specified on the STRA License.