The Rental Wire / Tools & guides
Property management fee calculator
Compare two management quotes, including monthly fees, leasing, renewals and repair markups.
How much does property management cost?
A monthly percentage rarely tells you the full cost. A quote may also include a minimum, a leasing fee, renewals, repair markups and setup charges. This calculator puts two fee schedules against the same rent and tenant-turnover assumptions.
There is no single national fee to use for every rental. Get the written schedule for the property and services you need. Flat monthly pricing exists too: Mynd’s Sacramento pricing is one example of a base fee alongside separate leasing and renewal charges. Use your own quotes here, not a provider’s advertised headline as a market average.
The calculation
Annual management = max(monthly rent × fee rate, monthly minimum) × billed months
Add new-lease fees, renewal fees, repair markups and other annual fees. The first-year total also includes setup. The next comparison row removes setup while keeping the same activity; it is not a forecast that next year will have the same tenant changes.
Why a lower percentage can cost more
At $2,000 rent and 11 months collected, Quote A charges 8%, a $1,000 leasing fee, $200 of repair markup and $100 setup: $3,060 in year one. Quote B charges a flat $175 for those 11 months and $750 for leasing: $2,675. Quote B costs $385 less even though its monthly base fee is higher.
Questions to ask before signing
- Is the base fee charged on rent collected or rent due? What happens during vacancy or nonpayment?
- Does a monthly minimum still apply in vacant months? How are partial months billed?
- What is included in leasing and renewal fees? Are there guarantees with conditions?
- Which repairs attract a markup, and what spending needs your approval?
- Are inspections, notices, cancellations or account closure billed separately?
Price is one input. Compare service scope, communication and the manager’s local coverage too.
Using the comparison
Can I compare a flat fee with a percentage?
Yes. Enter 0% and use the monthly minimum field for the flat amount. Select whether that amount is charged for collected-rent months or all 12 months.
Does this include vacancy fees?
Add vacancy-specific charges to Other annual fees if they are not captured by the selected billing basis. The model does not reconstruct every contract’s partial-month or minimum-fee rules.
What is the effective percentage?
First-year management fees divided by annual rent collected. It includes setup and leasing. It is not the percentage written in a management contract. With no rent collected, the percentage is unavailable.
How should I compare self-management?
Use the optional time fields to put a value on your hours, separate from cash fees. Hiring a manager may still require your time. Repair bills, leasing work, software and other self-management costs need their own comparison.
Put the fees into the property’s budget
Check cash flow after management, financing and other costs. The quote figures do not transfer automatically.
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