How much does property management cost?

By Dogra Estates · Published June 2025

Property management is one of the more useful services a landlord can buy, and one of the easier to get confused about when comparing agents. Headline percentages look similar but often exclude very different things. This article walks through what a proper fully managed service tends to include, how fees are typically structured in West London, and the questions worth asking before you sign.

What a fully managed service usually includes

A fully managed service typically covers the entire tenancy cycle. The letting side handles valuation, marketing, viewings, referencing, right-to-rent checks, deposit registration and the tenancy paperwork. The management side then takes over: rent collection and transfer, routine inspections with photo reports, coordination of maintenance through vetted contractors, deposit administration, tenancy renewals, and keeping the property compliant on gas safety, EICR, EPC and any licensing.

A good managed service means one named point of contact for every landlord — someone who actually knows the property, the tenant, the boiler history and the last inspection. If you find yourself being routed through a ticketing system to a different person each time, that is not full management in any meaningful sense.

Typical fee structures

In West London, fully managed fees are usually quoted as a percentage of the monthly rent, collected monthly, plus VAT. Rent-collection-only (which excludes inspections, maintenance and compliance management) is typically priced lower. Setup or tenant-find fees may be charged separately or included, depending on the agent. There are also fixed-fee agents, though these tend to strip out elements that most landlords quickly want back.

The percentage itself is only part of the picture. The real question is what is bundled in and what is charged as an extra, which is where quotes need careful reading. Our own fee structure is on the sales & lettings page.

What is often charged as an extra

Common extras — none of which are wrong in themselves, but which should be quoted upfront — include tenancy setup fees, inventory or check-in/check-out fees, deposit registration, additional inspections, tenancy renewals, section 21 or section 8 notice serving, contractor coordination charges above certain thresholds, and end-of-tenancy administration. If an agent quotes a headline percentage significantly below the market, the extras usually explain why.

Questions worth asking

• What is the fully-loaded monthly cost for my property, including all standard extras?
• Will I have a single point of contact, or will I be dealing with different people?
• How are maintenance jobs handled, and what is the authorisation limit?
• Which portals do you list on, and what does the marketing include?
• How do you handle rent arrears — what happens on day 1, day 7, day 14?
• How do you keep the property's compliance current, and how are certificates stored?
• What happens at renewal — is there a fee, and how is the rent reviewed?

Where fees can be false economy

The lowest quote is not usually the best value. If tenant vetting is rushed, arrears are chased slowly, or maintenance takes weeks, the difference between a mid-market fee and a rock-bottom fee is often lost several times over in a single year. Property management is one of those services where you get what you pay for — quietly and consistently, over years.

When property management is worth it

Full management is generally worth it if you do not live within easy reach of the property, if you value peace of mind on compliance, if you own more than one let, or if your time is worth more per hour than the fee. Even landlords who could technically self-manage often prefer to hand it over — the value is not just in what gets done, but in what you do not have to think about.

Getting a quote

We are happy to give a straightforward, no-obligation fee quote for your specific property — with all extras spelt out — so you can compare like for like. See property management in Hounslow, property management in Southall, or the main property management page for more on how we work.