Average Property Management Fees for Vacation Rentals

A vacation rental fee may be billed for a variety of reasons. Property management fees, on the other hand, are fees collected to cover the expenses of the specific property management services offered to the homeowner.

Learn how to calculate property management costs so you can understand how you are being paid for management on a property you own.

What is Vacation Rental Property Management?

Vacation rental property management is the oversight and organization of vacation rental properties including everything from managing reservations, housekeeping, and maintenance, to branding (marketing) and looking out for the needs of the visitors.

Breakdown of Property Management Fees

While the industry standard for fees is between 25 and 30 percent of the rental price, the costs levied by vacation rental property management businesses differ. They differ depending on the firm and the property's location. The range for the is between 10% and 50%.

The kind of property and the amount of work you want them to accomplish are both influenced by the fee. While this is only a concept, all fees should be discussed with the business before beginning work.

The many kinds of vacation rental property managers are aware of the costs that are acceptable to them.

It's essential to be aware of the fees that vacation rental property management companies charge as it will help you make an informed decision.

Initial Fees

Working with property managers has upfront costs, similar to when you register for something, you have to put some money down.

These start-up costs are standard fees that include everything from public relations and marketing to the paperwork necessary to sign up the properties as clients.

This can help you get established with your vacation rental business for free or a token.

Flat-fee Pricing Structure

Some property managers use a flat-fee pricing model, which offers a single price for the management of the property all year long. Depending on what each party believes to be the best course of action, the price is decided upon by both.

Additionally, the kind of property and its location have a significant impact on the flat cost. The flat-fee vacation rental property management rates are frequently based on the rent rates and the property's fair market worth.

Management Fees

Management fees are collected for cleaning, upkeep, and advertising costs incurred by the manager throughout the course of operating the property.

These fees will guarantee that the company keeps taking care of the property and employing the necessary property management technologies.

This cost may range from 10% to 50% (rough estimate) or even more of the average monthly income.

A professional management business will have a higher fee. However, many owners think that this is worthwhile if they can keep the property maintained and rented to vacation rental visitors while taking clear profits from the top.

Vacation Rental Property Management Fee Calculation Model

It depends on the management firm how much to bill for its services. However, in general, managers utilize one of three widely used methodologies to determine their management fees for vacation rental properties:

Guaranteed income model

In the guaranteed income model, even in the months when there are few or no reservations for the property, the property management nevertheless pays the homeowner a set monthly rate.

With the help of this strategy, property owners are guaranteed a passive income every month of the year.

The downside of the guaranteed approach is that your income will remain constant during every season. Any earnings over the agreed-upon rate are paid to the administrator or management firm.

Fixed-rate model

If you choose a fixed-rate payment structure for your manager, both you and the management will agree on a monthly set, flat cost. No matter how many reservations the hotel receives during a given month, this cost does not change.

This may not appear to be the best plan of action in the off-season. However, during peak season, you will keep all earnings above the management charge for your vacation rental property that you pay.

The drawback of this fee structure is that separate, additional management costs are sometimes added on top of the set fee, raising the overall cost.

Commission model

The monthly commission you, as the property owner, will pay to the management company under the commission model is based on a percentage.

This is a well-known pricing structure because the monthly charge is based on the revenue generated by your rental over the previous month.

How Management Fee is Calculated on a Rental Property?

It is crucial to understand upfront which service charges are billed in addition to the management fee and which are not.

A property manager may give you a very inexpensive monthly quote but then include a number of additional costs that will be added on top of that.

A property manager, on the other hand, might estimate a fairly large monthly price, but it includes all services.

The following services could be part of the monthly management fee:

Marketing services

Property managers who specialize in vacation rentals focus their careers on keeping up with market changes and understanding the STR market.

As a result, they are knowledgeable on how to effectively market a vacation rental, when to alter prices, which platforms to utilize for marketing, and how to draw in the right kind of visitors for your property.

Some managers may include this service as one of their monthly costs for managing vacation rental properties, while others might offer it as an extra service.

Ask your manager if you would prefer to have this service removed, but first consider whether you have the time and resources to market your property on your own.

Cleaning services

Each time visitors check out of the property, the place needs to be cleaned. Cleaning costs could be included in the monthly amount charged by some vacation rental managers. This implies that you will be footing the bill for the cleaning services.

Certain property managers might include a cleaning cost in the rent and charge visitors extra for cleaning. Before employing a manager, make sure you are aware of the cleaning costs and fees structure as well as how it will be paid.

The cost of cleaning will vary based on the size, location, and amenities of the property.

Maintenance and repair services

The monthly fees that managers charge for managing vacation rental properties typically include maintenance costs. This is due to the fact that repairs and maintenance frequently need to be completed promptly and on short notice.

Visitors will anticipate that problems will be resolved quickly if there’s a gas leakage, or a pipe bursts; otherwise, they might not leave a positive review.

If a manager charges a maintenance fee, be sure to ask them exactly what maintenance it covers. Find out if they have their own maintenance team or if they outsource, and if the fee covers all necessary repairs for the month.

The last thing you will want is to have to top up the maintenance fee if it runs out during the month.

Possible Additional Vacational Rental Management Fees

Property management fees are frequently charged in addition to the standard ones by companies who handle short-term rentals. Property managers charge extra fees for services beyond the basic upkeep, housekeeping, and guest management services they provide.

Additional charges could comprise additional fees like:

Booking Charges

This applies when a visitor makes a reservation at your rental using your manager rather than through your listing.

External Amenities Charges

Fees for extras like a garden, a pool, or a hot tub are included in the external amenities expenditure.

Customer Service Fees

This fee can entail managing check-ins and handling guest communications.

Property Management Fees Calculator

It's critical for vacation rental owners to comprehend how a property management agency determines how much of the rental income will go to them.

You must take into account the following elements when calculating average property management fees:

1. The type of property management fees model: percentage-based, flat-fee, etc.

2. The payment scheme they employ: whether they employ guarantee or commission models

3. Additional costs, such as those for cleaning, maintenance, and advertising.

Regardless of the model employed, there is typically a one-time charge to pay the costs of marketing the property to draw in vacation rental customers. This covers all administrative expenditures and marketing expenses, such as the expense of advertising.

You can use the Landlord.net property management charge calculator here if you're still unsure of how to determine your costs.

Before engaging with a property management, it is advisable to make sure you are aware of what you will be paying for.

The majority of experienced vacation rental property managers, however, will provide you a breakdown of all the costs and be able to explain the significance of each one.

Average Airbnb Property Management Fees

It's easy to hire a third party to handle your short-term rental or Airbnb property, right? Once you agree, a percentage will be added to your account for each reservation you make for vacation rentals.

Well, sorry to break it to you but, things aren't always so straightforward.

Each Airbnb management service will have its own view of what constitutes a reasonable price for the various services it provides and how it will bill you for the work it performs. It depends heavily on factors like size, location, requirements, and so on.

For example, according to Upper Key , the typical rates in the sector range from 10% to over 25%.

These are very average for an Airbnb service fee in the UK, however the highest rates might be substantially higher in the United States. Your fees can also be subject to VAT, depending on where you are.

Is Hiring a Third Party Worth it?

Asking yourself the following questions will help you decide whether to hire a property manager and pay the necessary vacation rental property management costs:

• Can I dedicate the time necessary to managing my properties?
• What annual occupancy percentage do I hope to achieve for my rentals?

Owning a few vacation rental homes will make administering and supervising them much simpler than owning several properties.

How much time you have available to devote to handling your listings should also play a role in your decision.

Running a vacation rental business is quite labor-intensive. You might not have as much time to concentrate on your listings if you are already working a full-time job.

In this situation, paying a qualified operator a monthly management charge for the vacation rental property would be a smart move.

Your mind will be at ease because they will take care of all the necessary tasks. If running your vacation rental business is your main priority, you might be able to manage the burden without assistance from a manager.

Ultimately, your rental objectives should also play a role in how you choose a property management provider. You may be able to handle it yourself if you stay in your rental home and therefore only rent it out while you are away.

On the other hand, engaging a manager to oversee all activities makes more sense if your property listings are unoccupied and you want to optimize their occupancy potential.

Questions to Ask When Hiring a Third Party

It's a smart thing for property owners to inquire about the specific services offered by a vacation rental management business before engaging them. You may determine the precise management fees for your vacation rental property by asking specific questions.

Among the inquiries to make are:

• What are the main management services they are offering?
• What additional management solutions are there?
• Which of these are included in the monthly management charge for vacation rental properties?
• Which of these services are separate from the management fee?
• Are there any other administrative fees that I should be aware of?
• Do you charge a fixed monthly management fee or on a commission basis?
• What software and hardware do you employ for managing properties?
• What type of marketing plan will you employ to promote my property?
• How do you approach property upkeep?

• Do you use a checklist when inspecting properties? How frequently do you do so?

• How do you manage visitor reservations?
• How do you manage interactions with visitors?
• What safety precautions will you take to protect my property?
• How will you get in touch with me if there is damage or an emergency?
• How long have you been working as a property manager?
• Please provide me with references from previous and present clientele.

Key Takeaways

The cost of managing a vacation rental varies greatly for a number of reasons. However, the major factors to consider when deciding whether to hire a property management are the services being provided and how those services affect your net revenue.

Make sure the property management agency you select provides value for your money. Contrast the prospective income with the total costs of employing a vacation rental management firm.

Some property managers may even enable you to generate a higher income than you otherwise could.

Also, you can utilize efficient vacation rental property management by employing task automation solutions like Booking Ninjas.

A unified system created by the Booking Ninjas PMS eliminates silos and enables automatic data collecting for your vacation rental service.

Our property management system's integrated AI enables You to take advantage of autonomous data collection and analysis that was previously disregarded.

To learn more about booking Ninjas and how it can make your vacation rental property management more seamless and accurate,