Property management fees, explained

Whether you're working out what management will cost on a property you're about to rent out, or checking whether your current agency is charging more than it should, the headline percentage is only part of the story. Here's a plain-English breakdown of every fee a Queensland landlord pays — then a free calculator to turn it into your real annual cost.

What you're actually paying for

A property management fee is rarely a single number. Most agreements bundle a recurring commission with a handful of event-based and fixed charges. These are the line items to look for on a Property Management Agreement (PMA) or a monthly statement:

Management fee (commission): A percentage of the rent collected — the headline number most landlords quote. It pays for rent collection, arrears chasing, repairs coordination, day-to-day tenant management and trust accounting.
Letting fee: Charged each time a new tenant is signed — covers advertising the property, processing applications, reference checks and preparing the lease. Usually quoted as a number of weeks' rent.
Marketing / advertising: Photography, portal listing upgrades and a signboard when the property goes back on the market. Often a separate per-tenancy charge on top of the letting fee.
Lease renewal fee: For preparing a fresh fixed-term agreement when an existing tenant stays on. Charged each time a lease is renewed.
Routine inspection fee: Some agencies charge per routine inspection on top of the management commission; others include them. Inspections happen at intervals set in the lease.
Admin, statement & sundry fees: Smaller fixed charges — monthly admin or postage, an annual or end-of-financial-year statement fee, and any technology or marketing levies. Individually small, they add up across a year.

What's typical?

Fees vary between agencies and depend on the property, the rent and how much work is involved — so treat these as general Queensland ranges to sanity-check against, not a quote:

Management commission — commonly around 7–9% of rent (plus GST). Regional and outer-Brisbane markets like Ipswich often sit at the higher end.
Letting fee — typically 1–2 weeks' rent per new tenancy.
Marketing — roughly $100–$300 per new tenancy for photos, listing and signboard.
Lease renewal — often around half a week to one week's rent, or a flat fee.
Routine inspections — where charged, a per-visit fee; QLD properties are usually inspected every 4–6 months.
Admin & statement — a small monthly admin fee plus an annual / EOFY statement charge.

The cheapest headline percentage isn't always the cheapest agency once the event-based and fixed fees are added in. That's exactly what the calculator below works out.

What's your current agency actually costing you?

Most landlords know their management percentage. Few know their real annual cost — letting fees, inspections, marketing and renewals all add up. Add your numbers below to see the full picture.

Tip: most fees are listed in your Property Management Agreement (PMA) or itemised on your monthly statements. If a field doesn't apply, leave it at $0.

Annual recurring cost

Management fee
Monthly admin
Annual statement
Inspections
Lease renewals
Other
Annual recurring cost

per year, every year, before any tenant changes over.

Five-year view

over 5 years, assuming one new tenancy in that period.

Assumes rent stays flat and one new tenancy in the 5 years. Actual cost will be higher if rent rises or turnover is more frequent.

Where it goes

Want a custom quote for your property?

We don't publish a one-size-fits-all rate. Our pricing depends on your property's weekly rent, portfolio size, and what's involved in managing it. Tell us about your property and we'll come back inside one business day with a written quote — including everything above as line items, not buried in fine print.

Get a written quote →

Calculations are estimates based on figures you enter. Actual fees may include GST and one-off charges not captured here. Always check your Property Management Agreement.