Short answer: The true cost of property management is the monthly management fee plus every one-time and event-driven fee in the agreement: tenant placement, lease renewals, repair overhead, inspections, setup and eviction coordination. In the Sacramento area, published monthly fees run from flat amounts near $89 to 8% to 10% of rent.
By Gary Burmaster, Realtor and property manager at All Inclusive Realty Group. Updated October 25, 2026.
Most owners compare the monthly number and stop there. That is the line that shows up first in every quote, so it is the easiest to compare. It is also the least complete. The rest of the cost sits in the fee schedule, and it only shows up when something happens: a tenant moves out, a lease renews, a water heater fails, an inspection is due. This guide walks through every piece, shows the math on a sample rental, and ends with the questions that turn a quote into a real number.
The monthly management fee usually pays for the routine work: collecting rent, paying the property's recurring bills, answering tenant calls, coordinating repairs and sending you statements. At All Inclusive Realty Group, our published full-service fee is 8% to 10% of monthly rent, and it covers 24/7 maintenance coordination, rent collection with direct deposit to the owner, eviction coordination, legal compliance, and monthly and year-end financial reporting, with an owner portal for financials, work orders and documents. Owners receive direct deposits by the 10th of each month, with statements four times a month.
Read the included list line by line for any company you are considering. Two managers can both say "full service" and mean different things. One may include move-in inspections and online marketing in the monthly fee. Another may bill each of those separately.
These are the fees that create the gap between the quote and the real cost. Expect to see some or all of them in any California management agreement:
Use your own rent, your expected turnover and the published fees. Here is the math on a sample Sacramento home renting for $2,400 a month, using an 8% monthly fee and a 75% placement fee. The numbers are an illustration, not a quote.
| Cost item | How it is calculated | Year one |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly management | $2,400 x 8% x 12 months | $2,304 |
| Tenant placement | 75% of $2,400, once when a new tenant signs | $1,800 |
| Repair overhead | Your repair spend x the overhead rate in your agreement | Depends on repairs |
| Renewal | 25% of $2,400, in years the tenant renews instead of moving out | $600 when it applies |
| Vacancy fee | $0 at AIRG | $0 |
Two things change the picture over several years. First, placement fees only hit when a tenant turns over. A tenant who stays three years means one placement fee in three years, not three. Second, the cost of an empty month is often larger than any fee on the list. At $2,400 a month, every week a home sits empty costs about $558 in lost rent ($2,400 divided by 4.3 weeks). A manager who fills a home two weeks sooner can cover a large share of a year's fees in that one turnover.
On the monthly line, a flat fee is often cheaper for higher-rent homes, and a percentage fee is often cheaper for lower-rent homes. For example, Peak Residential publishes an $89 monthly management fee for a house on its own pricing page, and Ziprent publishes $150 per month per unit. A percentage fee moves with your rent, so it rises when rent rises.
The monthly line is still only one line. Flat-fee companies often publish separate fees for placement, renewals and inspections. Peak, for example, lists a placement fee of 40% of one month's rent, a $125 renewal and a $75 inspection for a house on the same page. Compare the full schedule, not the headline.
From managing Sacramento rentals for more than 20 years, these are the ones we see owners overlook when they compare quotes:
Ask each company for its full fee schedule and its management agreement, then fill in the same worksheet for both:
Add the dollar amounts for a three-year period. That is the number to compare, and it usually tells a different story than the monthly fee alone.
Published Sacramento-area fees cover two models. Flat-fee companies publish monthly amounts such as $89 for a house (Peak Residential) or $150 per unit (Ziprent). Percentage companies publish ranges such as 8% to 10% of rent (AIRG and Utopia Management). Your total also depends on placement, renewal and repair fees.
Usually yes. Most managers charge placement once, when a new tenant signs a lease. At AIRG it is 75% of the first month's rent for full-service clients and 100% of the first month's rent for leasing-only clients.
Some do. AIRG's published vacancy fee is $0, so the management fee applies only while the property is occupied. Ask every company you interview whether they charge during vacancy.
Yes, many managers add an overhead or service percentage to vendor invoices for coordinating the work. The rate varies by company. At AIRG it is set in your management agreement and every charge appears on your statement.
Often, especially with more than one property. AIRG publishes a portfolio discount for 5 or more units and waives setup for 3 or more units. Get any negotiated fee written into the agreement.
Want the real number for your rental? Start with what your home should rent for. Get a free rent check and a real person will reply the same business day with a rent figure based on comparable Sacramento rentals and the notice the law requires before you change it.
Fees for other companies were read from each company's own website on October 25, 2026 and can change. Confirm current fees directly with any company before you sign. This article is general information, not legal advice.