Hire a Property Manager or Self-Manage Calculator

Hiring includes two costs: a monthly management fee charged as a percentage of collected rent, and a leasing fee charged once per new tenancy. The leasing fee is spread across the average tenancy length you enter, so it appears as a monthly equivalent.

Self-managing includes three costs: your hours, valued at a rate you choose; your mileage, at seventy cents a mile as a rough vehicle cost; and any difference in vacancy at turnover.

The vacancy difference can have a large effect. If a manager re-leases a property eleven days faster than you do, at a rent of two and a half thousand dollars that is nearly a thousand dollars per turnover. Both figures are inputs you control, and setting them equal removes that difference. When interviewing managers, it is reasonable to ask how long their recent turnovers took.

The break-even hours figure shows the number of monthly hours at which both paths cost about the same, based on your inputs.

What is left out: the legal and financial risk of eviction mistakes, fair housing compliance in screening, and the value of not being the tenant's direct contact. These are real considerations that this calculator cannot put a number on. On the other hand, an owner with one stable long-term tenant nearby may spend very few hours, and for them a fee may buy little.

Understanding the Estimate

Is this calculator biased toward hiring Ambriel?

Every input is yours to change. If you set the turnover days equal and use a modest hourly value, the calculator will often show self-managing costing less. That can be the right answer for an owner with one nearby property and a long-term tenant.

How many hours does self-managing a single rental take?

It varies. A quiet month with a long-term tenant may take very little time, while a turnover month can take much more once you count showings, screening, the move-out inspection, cleaning and repairs, and lease paperwork. Estimating from quiet months alone can understate the annual total.

What does a leasing fee usually cover?

It often covers marketing and photography, showings, application processing, screening, lease preparation, and the move-in inspection. Fees and services vary by company, so ask each manager what their leasing fee includes.

When do owners usually consider hiring a manager?

Common reasons include living far from the property, owning several units, or facing an eviction. Distance makes your hours more expensive, more units make the work continuous, and an eviction carries legal requirements that many owners prefer to hand to a professional.