Philadelphia Property Management
What Will Property Management
Actually Cost You?
Get a personalized estimate in 3 quick steps — no signup, no sales call required.
Estimates are based on TrustArt Realty's published fee schedule. Actual costs may vary.
TrustArt Realty offers transparent, flat-rate property management in Philadelphia with no hidden fees. Monthly management fees start at 6–8% of collected rent (minimum $85/month), with discounts for larger portfolios. Use this calculator to estimate your startup costs, monthly management fee, and annual spend — based on your property's rent, size, and condition.
What Affects Your Property Management Cost?
Several factors push costs up — and several bring them down. Know these before you run your estimate.
📈 What Drives the Price Up
🏚
Poor property conditionMore work orders = more $29 coordination fees. Aging systems break more often and cost more to manage year over year.
🔑
High tenant turnoverEvery lease-end triggers a new leasing fee (one month's rent, min $750). Properties with frequent turnover pay that fee repeatedly.
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Eviction situationsEviction oversight adds attorney coordination, court costs, extended vacancy, and a re-leasing fee — often $3,000–$8,000 all-in.
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Large renovation projectsContractor invoices over $1,500 carry a 15% project management fee on top of the contractor cost. Plan capital projects accordingly.
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Philadelphia compliance gapsMissing rental license, unresolved L&I violations, or inadequate insurance require extra coordination — and city fines can reach $300–$600 per violation.
📉 What Brings the Cost Down
✨
Well-maintained propertyNew builds and recently renovated properties average 2–3 work orders per unit per year vs. 12–15 for aging ones — a difference of hundreds annually.
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Larger portfolio (6+ units)Your rate drops from 8% to 6% automatically at 6 units across all properties. On $10,000/mo in rent, that's $200/mo in savings.
🤝
Stable, long-term tenantsTenants who renew ($200 renewal fee) cost far less than a turnover, which triggers a full leasing fee plus re-key and move-in inspection.
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Already licensed & compliantA current rental license, valid COI, and no open violations mean zero compliance setup costs — saving $250–$500 upfront.
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Bringing existing tenantsOccupied properties skip the leasing fee at onboarding — $750–$1,400+ less in startup costs compared to a vacant property.
What Owners Like You Typically Pay
Three real-world scenarios. Run your own estimate below to get personalized numbers.
🏠
Single-Family, Vacant
1 unit · $1,400/mo rent · Good condition
Mgmt fee (8% tier)$112/mo
Est. maintenance coord.~$12/mo
Onboarding + leasing fees$1,499
Reserve deposit (refundable)$500
Est. First-Year Fees~$3,138
🏘
Duplex, Already Occupied
2 units · $1,200/mo rent · Fair condition
Mgmt fee (8% tier)$192/mo
Est. maintenance coord.~$44/mo
Onboarding fee$199
Reserve deposit (refundable)$500
Annual lease renewals$400/yr
Est. First-Year Fees~$3,575
🏢
Small Portfolio
6 units · $1,100/mo rent · Good condition
Mgmt fee (6% Pro rate)$396/mo
Est. maintenance coord.~$72/mo
Onboarding feeCustom quote
Reserve deposit (refundable)$1,000
Annual admin + renewals~$1,350/yr
Est. First-Year Fees~$6,972+
1
Property
2
Status
3
Add-Ons
Step 1 — Your Property
Tell us about your rental portfolio
1
Count each rentable unit — a duplex = 2, a triplex = 3, etc.
🏷 Newbie Tier — 1 to 2 Units
Management rate: 8% of collected rent, minimum $85/month.
$
Enter the current or expected rent for a typical unit in your property.
Step 2 — Property Status & Condition
This affects your startup costs and maintenance estimate
This estimates your typical maintenance coordination activity.
Step 3 — Optional Add-On Services
All optional — select anything you're interested in
Your Personalized Estimate
Based on your inputs — see full breakdown below
💳
One-Time Fees
—
to get started
📅
Est. Monthly Cost
—
per month
📊
Est. First-Year Total
—
all-in estimate
One-Time Startup Costs
Monthly Recurring Costs
Annual Items (billed yearly)
5-Year Cost Projection
Year 2+ / Year
—
5-Year Total
—
5-Year Avg/Year
—
* Year 2+ assumes tenants remain in place. A new leasing fee applies each time a unit turns over.
⚠️ Estimate notes: Maintenance figures reflect TrustArt's $29 coordination fee per work order only — actual contractor invoices are separate and vary by repair. A 15% project management fee applies to contractor projects over $1,500. Monthly costs assume a tenant is in place. No management fee is charged while your property is vacant.
✅ Everything included in your management fee
Rent collection & ACH deposits by the 15th
Monthly owner statements & year-end tax forms
24/7 emergency maintenance hotline
Owner & tenant online portals
Lease enforcement & eviction oversight
Premium listing on Zillow, Apartments.com & more
Full tenant screening (credit, criminal, employment)
Professional photos & video virtual tour
🛡 Our Guarantees — Included at No Extra Cost
No management fee while your property is vacant
No leasing fee until lease is signed & rent received
Free re-lease if tenant breaks lease in first 12 months
Free re-lease if we place a tenant who needs eviction in year 1
Talk to a Property Manager
Send us your estimate and we'll reach out to walk you through next steps — no commitment required.
Units: —
Rent/unit: —
Monthly est.: —
Startup est.: —
Please fill in your name, phone, and email.
or
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✅
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Prefer to call? (267) 929-1500Why Some Property Managers Cost More — and Why Some Cost Less
Not all property management fees are equal. Here's what you're actually buying at each price point.
Budget / Discount
The Cheap Option
5–7% headline rate + hidden add-ons
❌Low headline rate hides maintenance markups (often 20–40% on every invoice)
❌No owner portal — paper statements, slow communication
❌Minimal tenant screening leads to higher eviction rates
❌No 24/7 emergency line — you become the backup
❌Effective total cost often rivals "premium" once all fees are counted
⭐ Recommended
TrustArt Realty
6–8% flat · Published fee schedule · No hidden fees
✅Flat rate + publicly published fee schedule — $29 coordination fee per work order, 15% PM fee on projects over $1,500. No surprises.
✅Premium property management portal: real-time owner statements, maintenance tracking, and 24/7 account access
✅Full tenant screening: credit, criminal, employment, rental history
✅24/7 emergency maintenance — we handle the 2am calls
✅No fee while vacant — we only earn when you earn
Boutique / Premium
The Expensive Option
10–12%+ of rent · Higher minimums
⚠️White-glove service and dedicated manager — at a significant premium
⚠️Often $500–$1,000+ setup fees before management begins
⚠️May charge management fee even when property is vacant
⚠️Higher-end contractors = higher repair costs passed to you
⚠️May make sense for very high-value properties ($3,000+/mo rent)
Is Property Management Really Worth It?
An honest look at the math. Management costs money — but so does going without it.
⚖️
One Avoided Eviction
Average all-in cost in Philadelphia
$4,000–$8,000
Attorney fees, court costs, extended vacancy, and re-leasing add up fast. One avoided eviction through better tenant screening pays for 2–5 years of management fees on a single unit.
📅
Faster Vacancy Fill
Professional listings vs. DIY
2–3 weeks faster
Professional photography, Zillow & Apartments.com listings, and pre-screened applicants typically fill units 2–3 weeks faster than DIY — recovering $700–$1,400 in lost rent per turnover.
🔧
Deferred Maintenance Prevention
Catching issues before they escalate
$2,000–$15,000
A $150 fix left unaddressed can become a $5,000 emergency. Regular inspections and responsive coordination catch issues early — before they become capital expenses.
⏱
Your Time, Reclaimed
Self-managing one property
5–15 hrs/month
Screening calls, maintenance dispatch, lease renewals, rent collection, city compliance — self-managing one property takes 5–15 hours monthly. That time has real value, especially as your portfolio grows.
The Verdict: For Most Philadelphia Landlords, Yes — It Pays
At 6–8% of rent, property management typically costs $85–$200/month on a single unit. If it prevents one eviction, shortens one vacancy by two weeks, or keeps you compliant with Philadelphia's evolving rental regulations, it more than pays for itself. Self-management works well for experienced landlords with local contractor networks and the time to manage. Use the calculator above to see your exact numbers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Straightforward answers about Philadelphia property management costs
TrustArt Realty charges 8% of collected rent for 1–2 units, 7% for 3–5 units, and 6% for 6 or more units — with a minimum of $85/month regardless of the percentage. For example, a single-family home renting at $1,400/month would have a management fee of $112/month (8%). Importantly, no management fee is charged while your property is vacant — we only collect when we collect rent for you.
The leasing fee is one month's rent per unit, with a minimum of $750. It covers everything needed to find and place a quality tenant — professional photography, video tours, listings on Zillow and Apartments.com, full tenant screening, and lease signing. You only pay this fee once a lease is signed and the first month's rent is received. There is no upfront marketing fee.
Every maintenance work order carries a $29 coordination fee — this covers TrustArt's time dispatching and managing the repair. For projects where the contractor invoice exceeds $1,500, a 15% project management fee also applies. The actual contractor costs are separate and vary widely. Your property's condition is the biggest factor — a well-maintained property in good condition typically sees 4–6 work orders per unit per year.
For properties with up to 4 units, the onboarding fee is $99 for vacant properties or $199 if tenants are already in place. For portfolios over 4 units, pricing is custom — contact us for a quote. In addition, an Owner Reserve Fund is required — this is your money, not a fee. It is held in escrow to cover urgent repairs without delays and returned to you when the management agreement ends. Reserve amounts are tiered: $500 for up to 3 units, $1,000 for 4–8 units, and $1,500 for 9–16 units. All new properties are also re-keyed at market rate for security.
Yes — our pricing tiers automatically reward portfolio owners. Owners with 3–5 units pay 7% instead of 8%, and owners with 6 or more units pay just 6%. These tiers apply to your total unit count across all properties under management, not per property. This means a portfolio owner with a duplex and a fourplex (6 units total) qualifies for the Pro rate of 6%.
No hidden fees. Our full fee schedule is publicly available and every charge is clearly itemized in your monthly statement. Common recurring fees include the $150 annual admin fee (covers year-end reconciliations and reporting), $200 lease renewal fee per lease, and the $29 per work order maintenance coordination charge. Late fees collected from tenants are retained by TrustArt to cover administrative and collection costs.
Owner disbursements are sent via ACH direct deposit on the 15th of each month (or the next business day if the 15th falls on a weekend or holiday). You'll also receive a detailed monthly statement that same day, breaking down all income, expenses, maintenance invoices, and any fees deducted.
Yes — every landlord in Philadelphia is legally required to hold an active Rental License issued through the city's eCLIPSE portal. Without it, we cannot legally collect rent or file for eviction on your behalf. You'll also need a Commercial Activity License (CAL) and a BIRT account first. TrustArt can handle the entire application for $250 plus the city's L&I fee — or we can walk you through it for free.
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