How much does property management cost in Atlanta? Full-service management for a single-family rental in Metro Atlanta typically costs 8%-10% of rent each month. On top of that, owners usually pay a leasing fee of 50%-100% of one month's rent and a renewal fee that runs anywhere from a flat $300 to half a month's rent. What you actually pay over a year depends less on the percentage and more on setup fees, inspection fees, vacancy fees, and repair markups.
The ranges below come from our own survey of Metro Atlanta competitors' pricing and from the management agreements owners bring to us. Next to each one, we show exactly what 3 Options Realty charges, so you can compare line by line.
Atlanta property management fees at a glance
Fee | Typical in Metro Atlanta | 3 Options Realty |
Monthly management | 8%-10% of rent | 8% of rent collected |
Leasing / tenant placement | 50%-100% of one month's rent | One month's rent |
Lease renewal | $300-$500 flat, or 25%-50% of one month's rent | Half a month's rent |
Setup / onboarding | $100-$300 | $0 |
Fee during vacancy | Varies; some charge minimums | $0 |
Repair markup | Varies; some add a markup or coordination fee | $0, no markups |
Mid-lease property visit | $120-$250 where charged | $150 |
Monthly statements and year-end reports | Usually included | Included |
1. Monthly management fee
Typical: 8%-10% of rent. This fee pays for the recurring work of running your rental: collecting rent, communicating with residents, enforcing the lease, coordinating maintenance, owner communication, trust account administration, and financial reporting.
The percentage matters less than what it's calculated on.
- Scheduled rent is the amount the lease says the resident owes. You pay the fee even when the resident pays late, pays only part, or doesn't pay at all.
- Collected rent is the money that actually comes in. The manager gets paid only when you do.
On a $2,100 home in Cobb County, 8% is $168 a month either way. The difference shows up in the months the rent doesn't come in. Also ask whether any fee or monthly minimum applies while the home is vacant.
At 3 Options: 8% of rent collected. No fee while the home is vacant, because we only get paid when your property is rented.
2. Maintenance and repair costs
Typical: varies. Some managers add a markup or coordination fee to the vendor's invoice. Maintenance is where management costs vary the most, and where owners are least likely to notice.
- Markup: the vendor bills $500, and you're charged $550.
- Coordination fee: you pay the $500 invoice plus a flat service charge.
- Included: coordination is part of the monthly fee, and you pay only the actual repair cost.
Also ask whether the company employs its own maintenance staff. When a manager profits from repairs, it has a reason to send its own crew and to approve more work.
At 3 Options: no markups on vendor invoices and no in-house maintenance staff. We assign licensed, insured vendors based on who is qualified for the job, and you see the actual vendor invoice.
3. Leasing or tenant placement fee
Typical: 50%-100% of one month's rent. This covers finding and placing a new resident. A good leasing fee should include:
- A rental market analysis to set the price
- Photos, listing preparation, and online marketing
- Showings to qualified applicants
- Resident screening: credit, employment, rental history, and criminal background
- Lease preparation and expectation setting
- Property orientation and move-in condition report
If a company advertises a re-leasing guarantee, read what it excludes and who pays for the turnover. A guarantee with carve-outs can cost more than it saves.
At 3 Options: one month's rent. The person who leases your home is the same person who manages it afterward. Residents have one point of contact from the first showing through the lease term, with no handoff to a separate management team.
4. Lease renewal fee
Typical: $300-$500 flat, or 25%-50% of one month's rent. In our survey of Metro Atlanta competitors' published pricing, renewal fees varied more than any other fee.
A renewal fee should cover real work and pay for a real result. The work includes reviewing current market rent, recommending an adjustment, negotiating terms with the resident, and documenting the extension. A renewal that amounts to a form email isn't worth much.
The result matters more. Residents renew when the home is well maintained, problems get fixed quickly, and they're treated well all year. Every renewal saves the owner a turnover. On a $2,100 home, two weeks of vacancy plus a new leasing fee is already more than $3,000, before any cleaning or repairs. A renewal fee is paid only when that outcome happens.
At 3 Options: half a month's rent. The fee covers the market rent review, negotiation with the resident, and a property visit with a condition report before the renewal.
5. How to compare tiered pricing plans
Many Atlanta managers offer tiers. Pay a higher monthly fee and your leasing and renewal fees drop, or the reverse. Some tiers depend on how many homes you own. Tiers make one number look attractive, so the fair comparison is total cost over the time you expect to own the home.
To compare any two agreements, add up three years of:
- The monthly fee, times 36
- One leasing fee, plus another for each turnover you expect
- A renewal fee for each year a resident stays
- Setup, inspection, reporting, and other recurring fees
- Any markup or coordination fee on repairs
Then ask what each plan leaves out. A lower total that excludes renewals, eviction coordination, or repair oversight can cost more the first time something goes wrong.
Is the cheapest property manager the best value?
We're not the lowest-fee option in Metro Atlanta, and we don't try to be. The difference between managers' fees is real, but it's usually smaller than the cost of one bad outcome.
Here's what a fee difference is up against:
- Every extra week of vacancy: about $485
- One placement that ends in eviction: $1,500-$4,000 in eviction costs, plus lost rent, the next leasing fee, turnover costs
- A 15% markup on a single $1,000 repair: $150
The fees in an agreement are predictable. What really hurts an owner's return is vacancy, a bad placement, and repairs that are handled late or marked up. That's where we put our effort: one manager who knows your home from the first showing, vendors chosen because they're qualified rather than to fill a schedule, and no profit on your repairs.
Management models differ, and more than one can work. Some firms run a centralized, app-first model where a team handles issues as they come in, which can be efficient and lower-cost. Others assign one manager to each property. Whichever you choose, ask who handles a problem, and how quickly, when something breaks at 9 p.m. on a Saturday.
If we turn out not to be worth it, you're not stuck. With our Property Management Guarantee, if we don’t perform you can terminate our agreement.
6. Setup fees and Property Visits
Typical: $100-$300 to set up an account, and $120-$250 per property visit. Setup covers reviewing the existing lease, building the property file, and establishing rent and deposit records. Inspection fees vary with how detailed the visit is.
A useful property visit report produces photos, written notes, and recommended actions. A drive-by is not the same service as a documented walk-through.
Also ask who actually does the visit. Many companies outsource property visits to a third-party inspector. Those reports can be useful, but they can't replace your property manager seeing the home in person and talking with the resident. A manager who has walked the property notices things a checklist misses: how the home is being cared for, whether a small issue is turning into a big one, and whether the resident is likely to renew.
At 3 Options: no setup fee. Detailed move-in and move-out condition reports are included. $150 property visit fee waived for renewals. Property visits are done by your property manager, not an outside inspector.
7. Evictions
Eviction costs depend heavily on the circumstances and the county. In Metro Atlanta, filings go through the magistrate court in the county where the home sits, such as Fulton, DeKalb, Cobb, or Clayton.
Here is what an owner without eviction coverage should expect to pay, based on the cases we handle:
- A case that goes all the way to set-out: $1,500-$2,000
- Off-duty officers to schedule the set-out sooner (optional): add $400-$1,000
- An attorney, if the case needs one: add $500-$1,000
Those figures don't include unpaid rent, turnover repairs, or the leasing fee for the next resident. A difficult eviction can easily cost an owner several thousand dollars.
At 3 Options: our optional Eviction Protection Program costs $30 a month. It pays all eviction costs plus the leasing fee for the next resident.
8. Accounting and year-end reporting
Typical: usually included. Professional management should give you monthly owner statements, income and expense records, and year-end reports your CPA can use.
At 3 Options: monthly financial reporting and annual summaries are included, along with owner portal access.
9. Minimums, cancellation terms, and multi-property discounts
Read the cancellation section of any agreement carefully. A 10% fee with a $150 monthly minimum during vacancy can cost far more than it looks on a lower-rent home.
Be cautious with multi-property discounts. Managing your third home takes the same work as managing your first. When a company discounts per door, the difference usually comes back through thinner service or added fees elsewhere.
At 3 Options: the same price per door, whether you own one home or ten.
Optional owner protection programs
Some risks are worth insuring against rather than paying out of pocket when they happen. We offer these programs as optional add-ons, never bundled into the base price:
Program | What it covers | Cost |
Eviction Protection | All eviction costs plus the next leasing fee | $30/month |
Rent Guarantee | Up to 90 days of rent if a resident defaults | 3.75% of the rent rate |
Resident Damage Protection | Resident damage up to $30,000 | $25/month |
Pet Protection | Pet damage up to $5,000 | No cost; opt in |
Owners who choose all of them can bundle them for a 15% discount. See full details on our pricing page.
What self-managing really costs
Self-managing looks cheaper on paper. The costs just show up in other places:
- Vacancy: two weeks empty on a $2,100 home costs about $1,050. The past 2 years Metro Atlanta has seen a big increase in how long it takes to get properties rented. At 3 Options we have seen the same trend but our average days on market is still below the metro average.
- Turnover: cleaning, paint, and repairs between residents.
- Legal exposure: inconsistent screening, notices, or deposit handling can turn into a court problem.
- Your time: showings, late-rent follow-up, contractor scheduling, and weekend calls.
If professional leasing cuts your vacancy, good screening prevents one bad placement, and maintenance gets handled early, management can protect more income than it costs.
Questions to ask before you sign
- Is the management fee based on scheduled rent or collected rent?
- Is there any fee or monthly minimum while the home is vacant?
- What exactly does the leasing fee include?
- What does renewal cost, and what work does that fee cover?
- Are there setup, inspection, or account closure fees?
- Do you mark up vendor invoices or charge a coordination fee?
- Do you have in-house maintenance staff?
- Will the person who leases my home also manage it?
- What does an eviction cost me, and is there an optional program to cover it?
- Can I cancel if I'm unhappy, and what does it cost?
FAQ: Atlanta property management costs
How much does property management cost in Atlanta? Most full-service managers charge 8%-10% of rent each month. Owners also typically pay a leasing fee of 50%-100% of a month's rent and a renewal fee between a flat $300 and half a month's rent. The total depends on setup, inspection, vacancy, and markup fees.
Is an 8% management fee good in Atlanta? 8% sits in the middle of the Metro Atlanta range. Check whether it's calculated on collected or scheduled rent, and whether the company adds repair markups or vacancy fees that raise the real cost.
What is a normal lease renewal fee in Atlanta? It varies widely. In our survey of Metro Atlanta competitors' published pricing, flat renewal fees ran $250-$500, percentage-based fees ran 25%-50% of one month's rent, and a few plans include renewals.
Are tiered property management plans cheaper? It depends on how long your residents stay. A plan with a higher monthly fee and lower leasing or renewal fees costs more each month, so add up the total over your expected hold before choosing.
Should I hire a property manager for just one rental home? Most of our clients own one to three homes. Management makes sense if you live out of the area, have limited time, or want professional screening and maintenance handled for you.
Get a free rental analysis
The best way to judge what management will cost is to compare it with your home's actual rent potential. We offer a free rental analysis for owners in Atlanta, Marietta, Kennesaw, Roswell, Alpharetta, Smyrna, Sandy Springs, Decatur, and across Metro Atlanta. We'll give you the expected rent, our fees for your specific home, and the risks worth planning for.
