How much do property managers charge in Brisbane?

When landlords ask me how much property managers charge in Brisbane, I always give the same answer: it depends on which number you're looking at. The fee you see in the agency's brochure is almost never the fee you actually pay.

Most Brisbane agencies quote a management fee of 8–9% of weekly rent. Some discount operators advertise 6–7%. On the surface, the difference looks small. On a $650/week property, the gap between 7% and 9% is about $676 per year. But once you account for the fees that aren't in the headline rate, the real difference is often three to four times larger.

This article breaks down every fee category Brisbane landlords should understand before signing a management agreement — and what questions to ask before you do.

The management fee: what it actually covers

The management fee is a percentage of your rent collected each month. It covers the agency's core services: rent collection, disbursements to you, handling routine maintenance requests, and general landlord communication. In Brisbane, the typical range is 8–9% for established agencies, with some franchise groups sitting at 8.8%.

What the management fee does not include — in most agencies — is everything else.

The fees most agencies don't headline

Beyond the management fee, Brisbane landlords routinely pay additional charges that are buried in the management agreement's fee schedule. These include:

• Letting fee — charged when a new tenant is placed. Typically 1–2 weeks' rent ($650–$1,300 on a $650/week property). This fee applies every time a tenancy ends and a new tenant is found.
• Lease renewal fee — charged when an existing tenant renews their lease. Usually $100–$175 per renewal. On a two-year tenancy this applies once; on rolling one-year renewals it compounds.
• Routine inspection fee — some agencies charge $55–$85 per inspection, four times per year. That's $220–$340 annually before any maintenance costs.
• Maintenance coordination fee — a percentage (typically 5–10%) added to every trade invoice when the agency arranges maintenance on your behalf. On a $500 plumbing job, that's an extra $25–$50 on top of the trades cost.
• Administration fees — end-of-month statement fees, EOFY summary fees, postage fees, and tribunal representation fees, which vary by agency.

What does the real total look like?

Let's model a $650/week Brisbane rental property with a typical large agency versus an all-inclusive fee structure:

The headline management fee difference is about $370. The real total difference is about $1,600 per year — and that's before accounting for years where the letting fee applies again due to tenant turnover.

How to compare agencies properly

When you're shopping for a Brisbane property manager, asking for their "management fee" will not give you a useful comparison. Instead, ask for the full fee schedule and work through these specific questions:

• Is the letting fee charged on every new tenancy, including renewals where the tenant leaves and re-signs?
• Do you charge a lease renewal fee for existing tenants staying on?
• Are routine inspections included in the management fee, or charged separately?
• Do you add a percentage to maintenance invoices?
• What administration fees apply at month-end or year-end?

A good agency will answer every one of these questions clearly and in writing. If you receive vague answers or are told fees vary "depending on the situation," treat it as a red flag.

What "all-inclusive" actually means

At Fortune Key, we publish a complete fee schedule — and our management fee is designed to be genuinely all-inclusive. Our 7.7% flat management fee covers management, letting, lease renewals, routine inspections, and maintenance coordination. There are no additional charges outside the published schedule.

This isn't just a pricing decision — it's a service philosophy. When your manager's income isn't tied to tenant turnover (letting fees), they have no incentive to preference finding a new tenant over retaining a good existing one. Aligned incentives produce better outcomes for landlords.