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Property Manager vs Self-Manage Calculator
Compare the all-in annual cost of using a professional property manager versus self-managing. Includes management fee percentage, placement fee amortized over tenancy length, extra vacancy risk, and your own time cost.
typically 8-12%
if slower to re-let
Annual cost with PM
$3,174
Annual cost self-managing
$5,232
PM premium (positive = PM costs more)
-$2,058
PM fee component
$2,484
Your time cost
$4,680
How the math works
Property managers typically charge 8-12% of collected rent plus 50-100% of one month's rent as a placement fee at each turnover. Self-managing saves the fees but costs your time and often creates more vacancy (slower to re-let, harder to screen from out of state). Model both in apples-to-apples dollars to decide.
Self-management makes sense for owners near the property with time and tenant-screening experience. Full-service PM is worth it for out-of-state investors, owners with many properties, or those with high-value hours. Hybrid arrangements (leasing only, maintenance only) can split the difference.
How to Use
- Enter the monthly rent and typical PM fee percent.
- Enter the placement fee charged at each new lease.
- Set your average tenancy length — spreads placement fee annually.
- Enter extra vacancy percent you'd experience self-managing.
- Enter your monthly time commitment and hourly rate.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a property manager typically do?
Full-service PMs handle marketing, showings, screening, lease signing, rent collection, maintenance coordination, and evictions. Lite plans might do just leasing. Fees scale with scope.
What's a typical PM fee?
8-10% of collected rent is most common for single-family. Small multifamily runs 6-8%. Placement/leasing fees of half to one full month per new tenant are standard on top.
Does self-managing really save money?
Depends on your time value and vacancy risk. For a $2,300 rent, 9% PM fee ($2,484/yr) plus half a month per turnover (~$460/yr amortized) is ~$2,944/yr. If you self-manage in 6 hours/month at $65/hr ($4,680), PM is cheaper.
Can I mix and match?
Yes. Many owners self-manage when stable, then hire a leasing-only service ($500-$1,500 flat fee per lease) for turnovers, or hire a maintenance coordinator only. Hybrid is often the best ROI.
Related Calculators
Property Management Fee Calculator
PM fee calculation only.
Tenant Placement Fee Calculator
Leasing fee standalone math.
Rental Property Calculator
Full rental P&L.
Vacancy Loss Calculator
Cost of extra vacancy.
Rental Cash Flow Calculator
Monthly rental cash flow.
Tenant Turnover Cost Calculator
All-in turnover cost.
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