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Compare Perth property management quotes on total annual cost, not the headline percentage.

Enter the figures from your competing quote and see what it actually costs across a year, including the line items that rarely make the front page. One property, your numbers, about a minute.

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What the tool compares
Line itemTheir quoteLocal
Management rateyour figureshown
Letting feeyour figureshown
Advertising packageyour figureshown
Condition reportyour figureincluded
Final bond inspectionyour figureincluded
Routine inspectionsyour figureshown
Lease renewalyour figureshown
EOFY and title searchyour figureincluded
Year 1, with setupcalculatedcalculated
Year 2 onwardscalculatedcalculated
Averaged per yearcalculatedcalculated

Choose how per-tenancy costs are handled: spread across the average length of a tenancy, or kept separate so year one and year two stand on their own. Figures shown for the other agency are the ones you enter, and we make no claims about any other agency. Some agencies also apply their percentage to gross collections including water, gas and electricity, which can change the picture considerably.

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13 days median to lease

Most fee comparisons stop at the headline percentage.

That is the number designed to win the comparison. The real cost sits in everything underneath it, and it usually only shows up once you are twelve months in and reading a monthly statement.

Open the comparison tool Talk it through with Daria
  • Enter the headline figures from your quote
  • Add the per-tenancy and admin charges
  • Choose how long you expect a tenant to stay
  • See year one, year two and the averaged cost, side by side

Why year one and year two are different numbers.

A letting fee is not an annual cost. It falls once, when a new tenant is signed. So does the advertising package, and so does the ingoing condition report.

Spread those across a single year and you have quietly assumed your tenant moves out every twelve months. That makes every agency look more expensive than it is, and it penalises whichever one charges more for letting even if their tenants stay for years.

There are two honest ways to handle it, and the tool does both.

Compare year one against year two. Year one carries the setup: the letting fee, advertising, photography, the ingoing report. Year two is the ongoing cost with a tenant already in place. Two clean numbers, no assumptions. This is the fairest comparison if you are about to lease a vacant property, because year one is the number you will actually pay first.

Or spread the setup across the average length of a tenancy. If a tenant stays two years, the letting fee costs half as much per year as it does spread over one. Set the tenancy length you actually expect and the tool divides the per-tenancy costs across it, which gives you a single averaged figure you can compare like for like.

The assumption you make about tenancy length is the whole ballgame, which is why the tool asks you for it rather than deciding for you. It is also why retention is worth more than a point of management fee: a tenant who stays three years instead of one removes two letting fees and two marketing campaigns from your costs entirely.

What property managers charge in Perth.

Published industry guides put Perth residential management fees between 7 and 11 per cent of rent collected, plus GST, with most agencies clustering between 8 and 9.5 per cent. One 2025 industry figure put the national average at 8.49 per cent.

That spread is not really about quality. Higher-volume franchise offices tend to sit toward the top. Boutique and specialist agencies sit across the whole range, because their cost base is structured differently.

For the detail behind each charge, our guide to Perth property management fees works through them line by line, and the true cost of property management covers what never reaches an invoice at all.

  • Management fee

    Charged on rent collected. Ask whether it also applies to water, gas and electricity reimbursed by the tenant.

    Quoted up front
  • Letting fee

    Payable each time a new tenant is found. In WA this commonly runs two to three weeks rent.

    Per tenancy
  • Advertising and marketing

    Photography, portal placement, floor plan, signboard. Sometimes bundled, sometimes billed at cost plus.

    Per tenancy
  • Property condition report

    The ingoing report decides bond disputes, so its quality matters considerably more than its price.

    Often extra
  • Final bond inspection

    Charged at the end of a tenancy by many agencies, usually alongside an outgoing report fee.

    Often extra
  • Routine inspections

    Sometimes included, sometimes billed per visit. WA law allows up to four in any twelve months.

    Varies
  • Lease renewal

    A fee for preparing the paperwork when a good tenant stays on.

    Often extra
  • Administration and end of year

    Monthly admin, postage and petties, technology or portal fees, EOFY statements, title searches. Industry guides commonly put these at $300 to $600 or more per year.

    Often extra

Price is the easiest thing to compare, and the least likely to matter.

Five things decide how the next two years actually go. None of them appear on a fee schedule.

  • Properties per manager

    The single biggest predictor of the service you get. A manager carrying 150 to 300 properties is triaging by whoever shouts loudest, while a book of 50 to 100 leaves room for attention before something becomes a problem. Ask for the number, not a description.

    Ask for a figure
  • Whether you are locked in

    Many Perth agreements run a fixed term with liquidated damages on early exit. Ask the term, the cost of leaving and the notice required. Our guide to switching property managers covers how a transfer actually works.

    Read the term
  • When rent reaches you

    Some agencies disburse the day rent clears. Others batch monthly, so your money sits in trust for up to four weeks. Across a year that is real working capital you are lending to your agent.

    Same day or batched
  • What an inspection report looks like

    Ask to see a real one with the addresses removed. A magistrate compares ingoing and outgoing evidence side by side, so the quality of the record is the quality of your protection. Consumer Protection WA explains what it is used for.

    Ask to see one
  • Who approves maintenance

    Find out the approval threshold, whether quotes are obtained above it, and whether invoices pass through at the amount the tradesperson charged. In Western Australia, marking up trade invoices is not standard practice.

    Ask directly

Leases, renewals and how long tenants stay.

Retention matters more than most owners expect, and the reason is arithmetic. Every turnover costs a letting fee, a marketing campaign and a vacancy window. On a Perth median rental that is comfortably more than a full year of the difference between a competitive management rate and an expensive one.

Most Perth tenancies are written as fixed terms of six or twelve months, and twelve is the common default. A twelve month term gives you a rent review at the anniversary and a clean decision point if the tenant is not the right fit.

A point that catches out a lot of owners. In Western Australia a fixed-term agreement does not automatically end on its expiry date. Under the Residential Tenancies Act 1987, either party must give at least 30 days written notice of termination. Without that notice, the tenancy continues. REIWA explains the renewal and termination process in full.

Renewals are usually agreed for another six or twelve months. If you intend to increase the rent while the tenant stays on, it has to be negotiated before the current lease ends and recorded in writing. There must be at least twelve months since the last increase, and tenants must be given at least 60 days written notice on the prescribed form. A renewal that drifts past the anniversary without a review is income you do not get back. Consumer Protection WA sets out the rules.

REIWA data had Perth house rents closing 2025 at a record median of $700 per week, with units at $680, and median days to lease sitting around 16 days. A tight market flatters everyone. Almost any agency leases a well-presented property quickly right now, which makes days on market a weak test of who is good. The differences show up later, in arrears handling, inspection quality and how a difficult tenancy gets managed. Choose for the harder year, not the easy one.

Nine questions to ask before you sign.

Ask every candidate the same nine and put the answers side by side. An agency that will not answer in writing has told you something.

"How many properties does my manager hold?"A number, not an adjective. And what happens when they are away.
"Is there a fixed term, and what does leaving cost?"Notice period and any early exit charge, in writing.
"When is rent disbursed?"Same day, twice monthly, or end of month batch.
"Does the fee apply to reimbursements?"Water, gas and electricity recovered from a tenant are not rent.
"What is charged when a tenant moves out?"Outgoing report, bond inspection, file close-off, re-letting.
"Can I see a real inspection report?"Addresses removed. Look at the photographs, not the tick boxes.
"What is the maintenance approval threshold?"And are trade invoices passed through at the amount charged.
"How are rent reviews handled?"Diarised against the twelve month rule, or left until renewal.
"Who is accountable if compliance is missed?"Smoke alarms, RCDs, pool barriers, and what happens when a booking slips.

Frequently asked questions.

Published industry guides put Perth residential management fees between roughly 7 and 11 per cent of rent collected plus GST, with most agencies sitting between 8 and 9.5 per cent. Additional charges for condition reports, final bond inspections, lease renewals, statements and administration commonly add $300 to $600 or more per year on top. Always ask for a full written fee schedule, and run both quotes through the comparison tool.
No. The percentage is one line among several. An agency quoting a lower rate may charge separately for ingoing and outgoing reports, the final bond inspection, routine inspections, lease renewals, EOFY statements and title searches, and may apply its percentage to tenant reimbursables such as water as well as to rent. Work out the total annual cost, including the one-off charges that apply when a tenancy starts and ends, before deciding which quote is lower.
The ones owners most often miss are the management percentage applied to gross collections rather than rent alone, ingoing and outgoing property condition report fees, final bond inspection fees, lease renewal fees, monthly administration and postage charges, technology or portal fees, EOFY statement preparation, title search charges and file close-off fees. None of these are improper if disclosed. The problem is when they only appear on a monthly statement after signing.
Both, because they answer different questions. Year one includes the one-off setup costs: the letting fee, advertising, photography and the ingoing condition report. Year two is the ongoing cost with a tenant already in place, and is usually a great deal lower. The common mistake is spreading the letting fee across a single year, which assumes your tenant leaves every twelve months and makes every agency look more expensive than it is. The fair alternative is to divide the per-tenancy costs by the average length of a tenancy. If a tenant stays two years, the letting fee costs half as much per year. Our comparison tool does it both ways so you can see the effect of the assumption.
Most Perth tenancies are written as fixed terms of six or twelve months, with twelve months the common default. Twelve months gives the owner a rent review at the anniversary and a clear decision point if the tenancy is not working, while giving the tenant enough security to settle in.
No. Under the Residential Tenancies Act 1987, a fixed-term agreement does not terminate on its expiry date unless the lessor or the tenant gives the other at least 30 days written notice of termination. If no notice is given, the tenancy continues. This is one of the most commonly misunderstood points in WA tenancy law.
Renewals are typically agreed for a further six or twelve months. If the rent is changing, the increase must be negotiated with the tenant before the current lease expires and the new term and rent recorded in writing, usually on the relevant REIWA form. A renewal handled early protects the rent review. A renewal handled late can push the review past the twelve month mark.
There must be at least twelve months between rent increases, and the tenant must be given at least 60 days written notice on the prescribed form. That makes the timing of reviews a practical matter rather than a formality, because a review missed at the lease anniversary cannot simply be applied later in the year. See Consumer Protection WA on rent increases.
Western Australian law allows up to four routine inspections in any twelve month period, with the required notice given to the tenant. Some agencies conduct the maximum, others fewer. Ask how often inspections are carried out, whether they are charged for individually, who attends, and what the resulting report actually contains.
You sign a management agreement with the incoming agency, which then serves notice on your current agency on your behalf. The notice period is typically 28 days. The incoming agency collects the file, verifies lease, rent, bond and compliance records, lodges the bond transfer and introduces itself to your tenant. You do not have to speak to your old agency. Read our switching guide.
Property management fees on a rental property are generally deductible against rental income, as are letting fees and advertising for tenants. The ATO lists property agent fees and commission among the expenses you can claim an immediate deduction for. Deductibility depends on your circumstances, and the treatment of rental losses is subject to change, so confirm your position with your accountant.
Portfolio size per manager, and who is accountable. Larger agencies achieve scale by loading each manager with 150 to 300 properties, which works until something needs judgement or time. A boutique practice caps the book, commonly 50 to 100 per manager, which means fewer files, more familiarity with each property, and a shorter line to the person who can make a decision. Ask how capacity is managed as the agency grows. More on what separates the best managers.

Keep reading.

Property management fees in PerthEvery charge explained, including the ones that appear only at the end of a tenancy.Read The real cost of property managementWhy the biggest costs are usually the ones that never reach an invoice.Read Switching property managersHow a transfer works in WA, what your tenant sees, and what it costs you.See the switch What separates the best managersThe standards worth testing for, and how to test for them.Read Why tenant experience decides your returnRetention is the quietest lever on yield, and the one most owners overlook.Read Our property management serviceWhat is included as standard, and how a founder-led practice runs day to day.Read The Landlord Control CenterMore than 50 on-demand services for owners, included in management.Explore Fee calculator and comparison toolRun your own numbers, or put a competing quote side by side.Open the tool

References.

Fee ranges are drawn from published Perth property management fee guides current to 2026 and vary by agency. Market figures are from REIWA. Tenancy provisions are summarised from the Residential Tenancies Act 1987 (WA) and are general information rather than legal advice. Nothing on this page is a statement about the fees or practices of any particular agency. Confirm any figure with the agency concerned and seek your own legal, financial or taxation advice where it matters.

See the real numbers, then decide.

Put your competing quote in and the tool does the arithmetic. Or skip it and get a free appraisal: an honest figure, no obligation, no lock-in. If we are not the right fit, we will tell you and point you towards someone who is.

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