Ask five Baltimore property managers what they charge and you'll hear "eight percent" or "ten percent" five times. That's the headline number. It's rarely the whole cost. Owners end up paying for a stack of fees, and the stack is what decides your net income.
The fee stack, line by line
| Fee | Typical in the Baltimore area | What to ask |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly management | 8–10% of rent | Is it charged on rent collected or rent due? |
| Leasing / tenant placement | 50–100% of one month's rent | What's included: photos, showings, screening, the lease? |
| Lease renewal | $150–$300 | Does it include a rent review? |
| Setup / onboarding | $0–$250 | Is it charged once or per unit? |
| Vacancy fee | $0–$100/mo | Why would you pay when there's no rent? |
| Maintenance markup | 0–15% on every invoice | Is the markup disclosed on the invoice? |
| Technology / admin | $0–$15/door/mo | What does it actually pay for? |
| Eviction coordination | $200–$500 + attorney | Who files, and who attends court? |
The monthly percentage is easy to compare. The rest of the stack is harder to compare, and it's where most of the difference comes from. A 10% markup on maintenance can quietly cost more over a year than a one-point difference in the management fee.
A worked example: $1,850 rowhouse
Take a three-bedroom rowhouse renting for $1,850 a month, with $1,400 a year in routine maintenance. Assume one tenant turnover every three years, or about 35% of years.
- Manager A at 8%, 100% leasing fee, 15% maintenance markup, $10/mo tech fee: roughly $1,776 + $648 + $210 + $120 = $2,754 a year, before vacancy.
- Manager B at 10%, 50% leasing fee, no markup, no extras: roughly $2,220 + $324 = $2,544 a year.
The manager with the lower headline rate costs more. Vacancy usually matters even more than fees. Every vacant week on that house costs about $427 in lost rent, so a manager who re-lets two weeks faster saves more than any fee difference.
Compare managers on total cost and days vacant, not on the headline percentage.
What we charge
We publish our fees in full: 9% of rent collected (nothing when there's no rent), 75% of one month's rent to place a tenant, $200 per renewal, no setup fee, no vacancy fee, and 0% markup on maintenance. You can run your own numbers on the pricing page and compare against any quote with our net-to-owner calculator.
Five questions that reveal the real cost
- Is the management fee charged on rent collected or rent due?
- Do you mark up maintenance invoices, and do I see the vendor's original bill?
- What fees do you charge that aren't on your pricing page?
- What is my approval limit for repairs, and can I get a second bid?
- What were your average days on market for leases last year?
A good manager will answer all five without hesitating. If a manager won't put the answers in writing, that tells you something.