Property Management Fees: Average Monthly & One-Time Costs

Property Management Fees: Average Monthly & One-Time Costs

Last Updated: October 19, 2023 by Cameron Smith

Property management fees cost up to 8% -12% of your monthly rental income. But, keep in mind property managers will take care of most of the day-to-day tasks of being a landlord. While this expense can significantly affect your bottom line, it frees up your time to focus on other tasks. 

What Does a Property Manager Do?

Each property manager or property management company has their way of handling rental tasks. Typically, rental property managers handle:

  • Help determine the rent price
  • Prepare vacant rentals
  • List and advertise rental vacancies
  • Screen and approve tenants
  • Provide a lease agreement
  • Enforce the lease agreement
  • Collect rent
  • Maintenance requests and repairs
  • Document property records, including needed tax documents

Property Management Fees: A Quick Look

Check out the chart below to see typical fee ranges for property management services:

Fee Cost Fee type
Fixed Management $100+ Monthly
Percentage-based Management 8% – 12% of rental price Monthly
Onboarding/Set-Up $100 – $300 One-time
Tenant Placement $300 – $500 Occasional
Vacant Property Oversight $100+ Monthly (when the unit is vacant)
Repair Reserve $1,000 – $3,000 Occasional
Bill Pay $50 – $300 Monthly
Unpaid invoice !% – 2% of bill Occasional
Lease Renewal Less than $200 Occasional
Eviction $200 – $500 Occasional
Eviction Insurance $50 – $100 Monthly
Returned Check Fee $25 – $50 Occasional
Contract Termination $50 – $1,000 One-time
Extra Duty Fees $50+ Occasional

Fixed Management Fees vs. Percentage-Based Management Fees

A fixed management fee stays the same no matter what. 

example

If you collect $1500 in rent one month but $1200 in rent the next month due to a vacant property, you’ll still pay your property manager the same rate.

A fixed management fee structure can be advantageous in some circumstances, such as when you make more rental income than you do normally. However, fixed management fees may not incentivize management companies to collect rent from your properties as eagerly as otherwise.

Percentage-based management fees are much more common than fixed fees. They are anywhere between 8% and 12% of the total collected monthly rent in most cases.

As a result, you may pay a property management company more or less money each month depending on how much money you bring in.

example

If you collect $1500 in rent for one month with a 10% property management fee, you’ll owe the property manager $150. But if you collect $1200 in rent another month, you’ll only owe them $120.

A percentage-based management fee structure can be beneficial, as you pay less money when you make less as well.

Property manager costs   on iPropertyManagement.com

Management Fees – Rent Due vs. Rent Collected

Percentage-based management fees are calculated based on “rent due” or “rent collected.” Your contract should always state that the fee is calculated based on “rent collected.” Otherwise, you will have to pay the stated monthly percentage even if you don’t collect as much in rental income as you project. But, there’s never any guarantee your tenants will pay that money.

example

The rent due for your property is $2,000 for two units, but one of your tenants moves out suddenly and does not pay $1,000. You’re $1,000 in the hole. But if your contract requires you to pay your property manager 10% based on rent due, you owe them $200 even though you did not collect half of your month’s rent.

If a property management company does not agree to charge you based on rent collected, do not hire them. Find and choose another property manager instead.

Average Management Fees & How They Can Differ

Most property management companies charge around 10% of rent collected from properties they oversee. However, the exact monthly rent charged depends on the management company and the types of properties they oversee.

Property management companies that oversee properties with many units, such as 10 or more, may charge a lower percentage for their monthly rates.

The reverse is true for management companies that oversee a few single-family homes.

example

You own a property and charge $2,000 in monthly rent to the tenant. A 5% fee would only net the property management company $100. That’s hardly enough to cover the cost of doing business.

Instead, such a company might charge a 10% fee or $200, which is much more reasonable.

Some companies, particularly large ones with many clients, may offer “discounted” or “low-cost rates” for new property owners or those with few rental units to manage. Discounted or low-cost management fee packages may be cheaper than average (possibly even less than 10% per month). But they may lack some of the features you expect from a management company, such as:

  • Property maintenance services
  • Eviction services
  • Tenant placement

On the other hand, some property management companies offer premium service packages for higher-than-average rates. If you choose a high-quality, high-cost property management service package, you may benefit from additional services such as:

  • Tenant recycling services
  • Maintenance of advanced tenant amenities or facilities (i.e., pools, gyms, etc.)
  • Better or more aggressive marketing
  • HOA standard checks and maintenance

These high-cost packages can be good if you have the income for it and you think they’ll increase the value of your rental properties (thereby drawing more tenants to them and allowing you to make more money).

Property manager costs   on iPropertyManagement.com

What Kinds of Fees Do Property Managers Charge?

Property managers charge one-time fees, monthly fees for regular tasks, and then as-needed fees to cover irregular activities (such as finding a new tenant).

One-Time Property Management Fees

Some property management fees are charged only once. One-time fees are usually charged at the beginning or end of your contract with a given company. They include contract setup or onboarding fees and contract termination fees.

Ongoing/Regular Property Management Fees

Most property management fees include ongoing or regular charges. Regular property management fees cover the expected labor and expenses that are required to oversee and maintain properties, as well as managing tenants or tenant-related duties.

Regular property management fees include:

  • Late payment fees
  • Repair or maintenance fees
  • Reserve fund fees
  • Property update fees
  • Inspection fees
  • Eviction fees
  • Lease renewal fees
  • Services provided fees
  • Pet fees

Other Property Management Fees

While most property management fees are predictable, some are only occasionally needed. Rarer property management fees cover less frequent labor or expenses incurred by your property manager in the course of their duties as stipulated by your contract.

Less common property management fees include:

  • Vacant property oversight fees
  • Tenant-occupied unit fees
  • Property leasing and/or advertising fees
  • Eviction or collection fees
  • Bill pay fees
  • Unpaid invoice fees
  • Property sale commissions
  • Lease violation fees
  • Returned check fees
  • Extra duties fees

Property manager costs   on iPropertyManagement.com

Contract Setup/Onboarding Fee

Contract setup or onboarding fees are common one-time fees usually between $100 and $300. They cover the cost of setting up a new account with a property management company.

But in reality, it’s an unnecessary fee. If a property management company looks good aside from a contract setup fee, try to negotiate this fee down to less than $300. Most paperwork filing for a new client doesn’t cost that much to handle.

Furthermore, make sure that the onboarding fee is not charged per rental tenant. If the clause states the onboarding fee is per tenant, look for a different management company, as that can become exorbitant if you have many units.

Property Leasing/Tenant Placement Fees

Leasing fees are often flat fees of $300-$500. However, they may also charge a percentage of the first month’s rent for the unit. They cover associated costs to market or advertise vacant units, as well as:

  • Screen tenants
  • Show prospective tenants the unit
  • Make lease paperwork for future tenants
  • Performing move-in inspections

Property leasing fees are only charged when the property manager has to fill a new unit. These fees are acceptable, but be careful they’re not exorbitant or your property manager will be incentivized to rotate through tenants.

To avoid being taken advantage of, you should negotiate your property leasing fee to be:

  • The same no matter how long it takes to fill a vacant rental unit.
  • Only chargeable if the property management company finds a new tenant – if you find a new tenant, you don’t need to pay the fee.

Lastly, have your attorney consider the possibility of incentive clauses. For example, you might include a clause in the management contract that gives you a full refund for the property lease fee if the new tenant breaks the lease or is evicted within one year of moving in.

Standalone vs. Ongoing Placement Costs

Some property management companies only offer standalone tenant placement services. These companies don’t provide the ancillary services/duties of traditional management companies. Instead, they only fill empty rental units for one-time fees.

Other management companies only fill empty units with tenants if you contract for an ongoing business relationship with them.

note

Costs between both types of services are often different. Generally, standalone tenant placement fees from management companies are higher ($500 and up). In comparison, tenant placement fees for management companies whose services you contract continually are typically lower (closer to $300).

Property manager costs   on iPropertyManagement.com

Repair & Maintenance Fees/Reserve Funds

A repair reserve fee is usually around $1,000-$3,000, and it’s an acceptable fee type for almost all investors. It is used to cover the cost of repairs or maintenance tasks as they occur.

The majority of property management companies have a network of trusted contractors, such as plumbers, pest inspectors, carpenters, and more. They employ these contractors to fix damaged items in the properties they oversee, take care of pests like rodents or cockroaches, and more.

But, property management companies do not pay for these contractors out-of-pocket. Instead, they pass most of the costs of maintenance or repairs on to you, the property owner. Such an arrangement is fair and acceptable, provided that the repair and maintenance reserve fund is used for those duties.

How Are Repair Fees Calculated or Decided?

Many property managers will markup the repair or maintenance costs they incur to turn a profit. This is typically at a rate of 10%-20% depending on the company and type of repair job. For example, if you have a repair job that costs $100, the company takes $110-$120 from the repair reserve. Markups more than this are unacceptable.

Your property management contract may outline the repair and maintenance fees form in different ways:

  • You authorize every repair deduction from a shared account between you and the property manager. If you trust your property management company, this is not necessary.
  • You are only notified for account withdrawals or repairs if they are over a certain cost, such as $1,000.
  • You authorize the property manager to use the repair cash account as they please. This is obviously only acceptable if you trust the property manager explicitly.

Your contract might specify that a certain amount of money has to remain in the account at all times. Or it may not require an account at all. In the latter case, your property manager will simply bill you for the extra charges for necessary repairs that month at the end of each billing cycle.

Property manager costs   on iPropertyManagement.com

Contract Termination Fee

Termination fees can range from $50-$1,000—or in rare cases, even more. They are typically only charged if the homeowner ends the contract earlier than specified. In that case, a termination fee can be called for—just be sure that it isn’t exorbitant. If you want to end a relationship at the end of your contract, a termination fee is unreasonable.

It all boils down to reading the contract and knowing what you’re getting into.

Vacant Property Oversight Fees

Vacancy fees may cost anywhere from $100 per month of vacancy per unit to much more. They cover the cost of maintaining and protecting vacant units. Fees are more common if the property management company charges you based on a percentage of monthly collected rent.

Some property managers claim that keeping vacant properties in good condition is hard work. In many cases, they are right. Vacant properties can attract rodents or squatters and generally need to be maintained regardless.

But that extra work should be covered by property leasing fees (see more below). If a property management company insists on a vacancy fee, make sure you know how that money will be used. A minor vacancy fee can be acceptable if:

  • That money will be provably used to protect the vacant unit (i.e., by installing special locks or hiring pest inspectors).
  • That money will be used to upgrade the vacant units.
  • That money will only be used to repair damage from delinquent tenants in the past, so it will be collected and saved for that occasion.

That said, many property management companies don’t charge any money if a unit is vacant. This is the most desirable arrangement for you as an investor. After all, one of your property management company’s responsibilities is to fill the vacant units as quickly as possible, especially if the company relies on rent collected to earn money itself.

Property manager costs   on iPropertyManagement.com

Eviction or Collection Fees

Eviction fees are typically between $200 and $500 per eviction. However, the cost of eviction fees can vary depending on expertise, sheriff’s fees, and more. The fee typically covers the labor and paperwork that comes with removing a tenant.

Eviction can be a messy and complicated process. Furthermore, all evictions have to go through local courts. If you and your property manager decide one tenant needs to be kicked out, the property manager will likely handle the eviction process which may include:

  • Speaking with the tenant and providing them with warnings
  • Contacting the sheriff’s department
  • Filing legal paperwork
  • Attending court proceedings

Eviction fees are fine and necessary in most cases. Property managers have to work hard and act quickly so that you (and they) can continue receiving rental income.

Eviction Insurance

Typically between $50 and $100 per month, eviction insurance is intended to cover the larger costs of evicting a tenant later. In theory, this averages the cost of an eviction out over time instead of giving you an invoice with the full amount all at once.

In general, this is a better idea if you have many tenants and an eviction is likely to happen at some point. With a single tenant, the odds of an eviction are much lower and the only result of this fee is the property management company holding onto your money.

 

Property manager costs   on iPropertyManagement.com

Inspection Fees

Inspection fees cover the cost of inspectors to look over your unit(s). Some property management companies will include this at no cost, and perform them every six months or so. Otherwise, it may be up to you to pay for inspections, but in exchange for a lower monthly management bill.

These inspections are often conducted every 3-6 months but can vary based on local real estate laws.

Lease Renewal Fees

Lease renewal fees are usually $200 or less per year. They cover reviewing existing leases and making changes as needed. This charge is an acceptable fee if your landlord does enough work to justify it.

However, some property managers don’t charge lease renewal fees whatsoever. Other property managers charge a percentage of monthly rent for each lease renewal. You should avoid it or negotiate your way out of it at all costs.

Theoretically, a lease renewal fee pays for the paperwork and labor needed to update existing leases, send that information to existing tenants, etc. This does take a bit of time, but not much. In general, lease renewal fees should be low and flat, if present at all. Aim for a lease renewal fee of less than $200.

Property manager costs    on iPropertyManagement.com

Bill Pay Fees

Bill pay fees are usually $50-$300 per month. They cover the cost of paying all bills for your property including your mortgage, homeowner’s insurance, and HOA fees (if applicable). You should not accept these fees if you are handling your own bills.

For example, if you only own one single-family home to rent, it shouldn’t be too difficult for you to pay the mortgage for that property (plus any other associated fees) in addition to your own home.

Bill pay fees become more common and necessary as you add properties to your portfolio. Read your contract carefully and ask the property manager whether you can strike this clause from the contract if you don’t need it.

tip

Check with your financial institution and ask about automatic bill pay. Many banks, mortgage companies, and even utility companies often offer automatic payments so you don’t have to worry about physically paying the bill or paying someone else to.

Lease Violation Fees

Tenants incur occasional lease violation fees whenever they violate or disobey a clause/provision on their leases. Lease violation fees can be anywhere from $25 to several hundred dollars, depending on the nature and severity of the lease violation. Your property manager should never receive any money from a lease violation fee. If they insist on a lease violation fee, walk away from the deal.

It doesn’t make any sense for a property manager to receive lease violation fees (or a commission of those fees) for the same reason it doesn’t make sense for them to make money from late payment fees: it actively incentivizes bad property management.

If a property manager gets money each time a tenant violates their lease, they are incentivized to:

  • Make leases with confusing languages or clauses, making it more likely tenants will accidentally violate their leases
  • Mismanage tenants, leading to more lease violations and more money for them

While you can charge a lease violation fee, you should receive the money, not your property manager. You cannot trust the work ethic or lease-writing abilities of a property manager who insists on including lease violation commissions or monetary penalties.

Returned Check Fees

Returned check fees are usually between $25 and $50 and are charged when a check bounces and the property manager has to find the tenant and get a new check.

You should only pay the fee if the property manager does this work, not you.

Be wary of property managers with contracts that demand you pay them a fee each time a check bounces. Technically, there’s little reason for a property manager to make any money from a bounced check – they aren’t losing any money since you pay them, not tenants directly.

Extra Duties Fee

Some property management contracts list miscellaneous or “extra duties” fees, which cover any extra labor not explicitly listed in the contract. Extra duties fees can range from as little as $50 per month to several hundred dollars per month. They are acceptable if they are not too high but are not necessary.

It’s a good idea to make sure that any services not explicitly listed in a contract are still listed as “extra duties.” This clarity of understanding prevents property management companies from feeling obligated to do things they did not agree to and prevents you from being taken advantage of.

tip

 Have your attorney look over the property management contract and determine if all parts of the contract are fair, legal, and in your best interest.