How Much Could An All-Inclusive Fee Save You?
If you're weighing up property managers on their headline percentage, you're comparing the wrong number. A low management fee that comes wrapped in extra charges for inspections, lease renewals, tenancy setup and maintenance call-outs can end up costing you more over a year than a single all-inclusive fee that covers everything from the start.
Key takeaway
All-inclusive means one number, not a dozen invoices. What you're quoted is what you pay.
The headline rate is only half the story
Many property management quotes look competitive at first glance - a lower percentage than everyone else's. But read the fine print and you'll usually find a list of "additional" charges which could include things like admin fees for paying rates or insurance, a charge for each routine inspection, another for lease renewals, sometimes even a fee just to send you your statement. None of these show up in the headline rate. All of them show up on your invoice.
What all-inclusive actually means at Birds Nest
We built our pricing the opposite way around. One fee covers tenant screening, routine inspections, compliance checks, rent collection, reporting, day-to-day communication. Most importantly, we don’t clip the ticket for maintenance repairs, what you’re quoted is what you pay. Everything a well-run tenancy needs, without a second invoice landing in your inbox. If something falls outside that, we tell you before it happens, not after.
The one cost that sits outside it is a letting fee, charged once at the start of each new tenancy: one week's rent plus GST. That covers advertising your property, running viewings, and properly checking every applicant - credit history, criminal record and references included. It's the only other fee you'll see, and you'll know about it upfront, not find it buried partway through the year.
Why predictability beats a lower headline number
When you're comparing property managers on price, the total matters more than the headline rate. A fee model that adds charges as the year goes on makes it hard to know what your property really costs to manage, and harder to budget properly. An all-inclusive fee means you know your cost for the year on day one. No surprise invoice in month seven. No hesitating before you call your property manager because you're worried it'll cost you extra. Just one predictable number, and a team that looks after your property as though it were their own.
Comparing property managers? Look at the total, not the rate
If you're weighing up property managers here in Christchurch, ask for the full list of charges, not just the percentage. Add up what a typical year would actually cost - inspections, lease renewals, admin fees. That's the number that tells you what you're really paying. Check out our How do I compare property managers article which breaks down the key things to consider.
