What property management actually costs in Bengaluru — and what you should get for it
Most quotes land between 5% and 10% of monthly rent. The number matters far less than what sits inside it — here is how to read a proposal properly.
If you own a flat in Whitefield and you are tired of being the person a tenant calls about a leaking tap, you have probably asked what a property manager charges. The honest answer is that the headline percentage is the least useful part of the quote.
The going rate
Across Bengaluru, full residential property management is quoted at roughly 5% to 10% of monthly rent. A well-run single 2BHK in a gated community sits near the bottom of that band. A villa with a garden, a borewell, three service vendors and a pool sits near the top, because it genuinely is more work.
Some firms also charge a one-time onboarding fee, and almost all charge tenant-sourcing separately at one month's rent when a unit falls vacant. That second number is the one owners most often forget to ask about, and over a three-year relationship it can exceed the management fee itself.
| Component | Typical charge | Worth questioning if… |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly management | 5–10% of rent | It is under 4% — something is being cut |
| Tenant sourcing | One month's rent | It is charged even on a renewal |
| Onboarding / setup | ₹0 – ₹5,000 one-time | It is charged before any work is done |
| Maintenance coordination | Usually included | There is a markup on vendor invoices |
| Inspection reports | Usually included | They are charged per visit |
What should be inside the fee
A management fee that does not include the following is not really a management fee — it is a referral arrangement with extra steps.
- Being the tenant's single point of contact, so issues do not reach you first
- Structured rent collection with written follow-up and escalation, not just a reminder message
- Transfer to your account on a stated date, with a monthly statement
- Coordinating maintenance through vetted vendors at pre-negotiated rates
- Periodic inspections with dated photographs you can actually look at
- Handling renewal, escalation and a clean deposit settlement at exit
The question that actually separates managers
Ask this: what happens in month two if the rent has not arrived? A weak manager sends a reminder and then calls you. A good one has a written escalation path, has already checked the deposit covers the exposure, and tells you at day five rather than day thirty-five.
Markup on maintenance — the hidden line
This is where the economics quietly change. If your manager marks up plumber and electrician invoices, they have an incentive for things to break. Ask directly whether vendor invoices are passed through at cost. A firm that answers that question cleanly is telling you something useful about the rest of the relationship.
What we charge, and why
We quote inside the 5% to 10% band, priced to the actual workload of the specific property rather than as a flat rate, and we tell you the exact figure before onboarding. Vendor invoices are passed through at cost. Tenant sourcing is one month's rent and only when a unit is genuinely vacant — never on a renewal.