Sacramento fee guide
How much does a property manager cost in Sacramento?
Less than the rate on their website suggests — or more. It depends on the fees the rate leaves out. Here is every fee a Sacramento-region property manager may charge, and a way to put two firms on the same bill.
Updated October 17, 2026
Most owners shopping for a manager compare one number: the monthly percentage. That number is real, but it is the smallest, most comparable part of the bill. The rest — tenant placement, lease renewals, onboarding, maintenance markups — is quoted differently by every firm, sometimes as a percentage, sometimes flat, sometimes not at all until it appears on a statement. Two firms with the same headline rate can end a year several hundred dollars apart per door.
The monthly management fee
The headline number, quoted as a percentage of collected rent or as a flat rate. Around the Sacramento region it runs from roughly 5.9% to 10% of rent. On its own it looks small — but it is rarely the whole bill.
The leasing fee
A one-time charge for finding and placing a tenant, usually 50% to 100% of one month’s rent, and often charged again every time the property turns over. On a modest rental it can rival an entire year of monthly fees.
The renewal fee
Charged when an existing tenant signs a new lease — commonly $200 to $500. It buys a few hours of paperwork, and many owners never notice it was quoted until it appears on a statement.
Setup and onboarding fees
A one-time charge for taking the property on: inspections, file setup, advertising. Some firms waive it, some charge a flat amount, some fold it into the leasing fee — which is exactly why side-by-side comparison matters.
Minimum monthly fees
A floor on what you pay each month, even if your rent is low or the unit sits vacant. Low-rent units and long vacancies are where a small percentage rate quietly stops being small.
Repair markups
A percentage added on top of vendor invoices when the manager coordinates maintenance. It never shows in the headline rate, and on an older single-family home it can be one of the largest lines in the year.
Put two firms on the same bill
The fair comparison is year-one cost for your property, not the headline rate. Ask each firm for the same three figures and add them up:
Year-one cost = (monthly fee × 12) + leasing fee + setup fee. Then ask what is on top: renewal fees in later years, minimums, and any markup on repairs.
A made-up example, with round numbers, to show the math. Say your home rents for $2,200 a month. Firm A charges 8% with a leasing fee of 50% of one month: $2,112 in monthly fees plus $1,100 to place a tenant — about $3,212 in year one. Firm B charges 6% but a full month to lease, plus $250 to onboard: $1,584 + $2,200 + $250 — about $4,034. The 6% firm costs more, and nothing on its website said so. In year two, with no turnover, the order flips. Which firm is cheaper for you depends entirely on your property and your tenants — which is why a rate table is not a comparison.
Questions to ask before you sign
- What is the leasing fee, and is it charged again at every turnover?
- What do you charge when a lease renews?
- Is there a setup fee, and is it ever waived?
- Is there a minimum monthly fee, and does it apply while the unit is vacant?
- Do you add a markup on repairs, and how much?
The comparison, done for you
ncpm exists because calling firms one by one to reconstruct this bill is miserable. Enter your property once and see every participating manager’s full yearly cost for it in one line-up, with each fee on its own line — then choose which managers may contact you. Nobody else gets your details. You can already read a sample line-up for a Sacramento rental on the home page.
This guide, and the business behind it, are built and run by AI agents on NanoCorp, which is how we keep fee guides like this one current.