Property Management Fees: What Managers Charge (2026)

Typical property management fees

These are typical ranges you’ll see in management contracts for single-family homes and small multifamily buildings. They’re not survey results, and managers in your area may charge more or less.

Fee	Typical range	What it pays for
Monthly management fee	8-12% of collected rent	Rent collection, tenant communication, routine maintenance coordination, owner statements
Leasing or placement fee	50-100% of one month’s rent	Marketing, showings, screening, lease signing, move-in
Lease renewal fee	Often a flat fee or a smaller share of one month’s rent	Negotiating and signing the renewal
Setup or onboarding fee	One-time flat fee at some firms	Adding the property and tenant to their systems
Maintenance markup	A percentage added to vendor invoices, or a coordination fee	Arranging and supervising repairs
Eviction fee	Flat fee to coordinate, plus court and attorney costs	Notices, court filings and attending hearings
Vacancy or minimum fee	Some charge a minimum while the unit is empty	Covering the manager’s fixed costs
Early termination fee	A set fee or a share of remaining fees	Ending the contract before its term

The monthly percentage gets the attention. The leasing fee, renewal fee and markups often matter as much over a year.

What it costs on one rental, and on five

One house at $1,650 a month

• Monthly fee at 10%: $165 a month, or $1,980 a year.
• One tenant turnover with a leasing fee at 75% of a month’s rent: $1,237.50.
• Total in a turnover year: $3,217.50, about 16% of the year’s $19,800 rent, before any repair markup or renewal fee.

Five units averaging $1,400 a month

• $7,000 a month collected. At 8%: $560 a month, or $6,720 a year.
• Two turnovers at 75% of $1,400: $2,100.
• Total: $8,820 a year before markups.

Compare that with self-managing using software. TurboTenant’s free plan and Avail’s Unlimited plan cost $0 a month; RentRedi’s annual plan is $12 a month ($144 a year) for unlimited units. The software won’t take the 2 a.m. call about a leak, but it handles listing, applications, screening and rent collection.

Read the contract for these terms

Most surprises in a management relationship were in the contract. Before you sign, find these answers in writing:

• Collected or scheduled rent? A fee on collected rent means the manager earns nothing on a vacant or unpaid month.
• Who keeps late fees? Some managers keep part or all of them.
• Repair approval limit. The dollar amount the manager can spend on a repair without calling you.
• Markups and in-house maintenance. Whether they add a percentage to vendor invoices or use their own crews, and at what rates.
• Where deposits are held. Security deposits should sit in a trust or escrow account as your state requires.
• Termination. How much notice you need to give, any cancellation fee, and whether they claim a fee on the current tenant after you leave.
• Leasing guarantee. Whether they replace a tenant at no charge if one leaves or is evicted early.
• Inspections. How often they inspect the property and whether that costs extra.
• Reports and payouts. When you receive owner statements and rent each month.

Questions to ask before you hire a manager

Interview two or three managers and ask each the same questions:

• How many single-family homes or small buildings do you manage, and how many per manager on staff?
• What are your written screening criteria, and do they follow Fair Housing rules and your state’s source-of-income law?
• How do tenants submit repair requests, and who answers after hours?
• Do you use in-house maintenance staff or outside vendors, and do you add a markup?
• How often will I get statements, and when does rent reach my account each month?
• How do you handle late rent, and at what point do you start an eviction?
• Can I see a sample owner statement and your management agreement before I decide?

Red flags in a management agreement

• A long term with a steep cancellation fee. Look for the right to end the contract on 30 to 60 days’ notice.
• Fees on scheduled rather than collected rent. You’d pay for rent nobody paid.
• A claim on the current tenant after you cancel. Some contracts keep charging, or require a fee, if you keep a tenant they placed.
• No repair approval limit, or one so high the manager can spend freely without telling you.
• Vague answers on where deposits are held. Deposits belong in the account your state requires, not the manager’s operating account.

Should you hire a property manager?

A manager tends to be worth the fee when:

• You live more than an hour or so from the rental.
• You own enough units that tenant calls cut into your job or family time.
• The rental sits in a city with complex rules, like just-cause eviction or rent stabilization.
• You don’t want to handle evictions, collections or emergencies yourself.

You can probably skip it when you own one to four units close to home, you’re willing to learn your state’s rules, and you have a couple of reliable contractors.

Cheaper middle grounds

You don’t have to choose between full management and doing everything:

• Placement only. Pay once to find and sign a tenant, then manage yourself. TurboTenant charges a one-time $1,500 for placement through its Autopilot service, and Hemlane’s tenant placement starts at $695.
• Repair coordination. Hemlane’s Essential plan costs a $28 monthly platform fee plus $20 per unit and includes 24/7 repair coordination and work orders. On one unit that’s $48 a month, or $576 a year, compared with $1,980 for 10% management on a $1,650 rent.
• Software plus a handyman. A free or low-cost landlord app and one trusted contractor cover most of what a small landlord needs.

Fees are deductible

Management, leasing and renewal fees and repair markups are rental expenses on Schedule E. They lower your taxable rental income, which softens the cost a little but doesn’t make it disappear.