Newcastle Property Management Fees and Charges - A Comparison

As a landlord, it can be difficult getting an understanding of the cost of property management fees in Newcastle. Most real estate agencies and service providers are comfortable providing numbers such as how many new management agreements they've signed in the past month, or the percentage of their properties which are occupied. But there is little transparency around cost.

We'll cover this in detail below, including an example comparison of typical property management costs from a Newcastle real estate agency compared with our own fee structure. 

So, what are property management fees in Newcastle?

We must start by saying that cheapest is not best. While we are proud to offer a highly competitive rate significantly below many Newcastle property managers, this is not an area we focus heavily on promoting. We pride ourselves on being the most accessible and easy to work with property management business in Newcastle, regardless of the cost. 

Right, enough preamble. Down to the details. 

The cost you see most often communicated (if any at all!) is the property management fee or simply the management fee. This is a percentage of the weekly rent received for a rental property which is then taken by the property manager as payment for their services. 

For example, if a property management business offers a 7.5% management fee, and your property rents for $450 per week, the business takes $33.75 per week as payment, and you may receive $416.25 per week in income from your rental property. However, read on. There are often additional costs ongoing which are not as clearly communicated...

To be transparent, Carnelian Property Management offers a management fee of 6.6%, even less in some instances where multiple properties are managed for a single landlord. 

Over a month, the difference in management fees between various property management businesses may seem relatively minor. Also, it should be noted that the fee is tax deductible. However, these differences can mean a lot to investors carefully managing tight cash flow, and can add up to a few hundred dollars over the course of a year.

What property management costs are there other than the management fee?

Very importantly, make sure you are fully aware of any additional costs you will be charged in having your Newcastle rental property managed. While the management fee may be clearly promoted (though it often isn't), you need to look deeper. Following are just some of the areas where additional fees can creep in, beyond what is covered by the management fee:

• Signage - is there a cost to have a sign installed on location at the rental property (either a signage fee or a travel fee to transport and install the sign)? Carnelian Property Management does not charge for this and will install signage on location at your rental property.
• Photography - is photography charged as an extra cost? 
• Advertising - what does the property management business charge for advertising, including listing on domain.com.au and realestate.com.au? We offer a one-off flat rate of $185 to cover photography, copywriting and listings on both of these primary services.
• Lease preparation fee - is there a cost to prepare the lease for your property? Some agencies charge as much as $50 for this. We charge $33. 
• Lease renewal fee - when an existing tenant renews their lease with you, will you be charged? Often a real estate agency will charge one week rent to renew an existing lease. Carnelian Property Management charges for a lease preparation fee only ($33). 
• End of year financial statements - is there a cost for preparation of end of year financial statements? Some businesses charge $50 for this. Carnelian Property Management does not charge to provide a detailed end of year statement covering the financials of your property as managed throughout the year. 
• Monthly admin fee - is there a monthly administration or office expenses fee? Typically, a real estate agent may charge around $6 per month for this. Carnelian Property Management does not charge a monthly administration fee. 
• Maintenance fees - is there an additional cost to manage any maintenance required for your property (excluding the actual cost of repairs)? Carnelian Property Management includes arrangement of maintenance services at no additional cost.  ​

An example comparison of Newcastle property management fees and charges

Bringing it all together, following is a breakdown of ballpark costs from a typical property management business in Newcastle, compared with Carnelian Property Management. Cost comparison is based on a landlord renting a property for $450 per week and renewing the lease to the same tenant after the initial lease period (e.g. after one year).

Description of Cost	Alternative Property Management	Carnelian Property Management
​Management fee	$1,620 per year ($135 /mth)	​$1,416 per year ($118 /mth)​
Signage	TBC	$0
​Photography	TBC	​$0
​Advertising	$200	$185
​Leasing preparation fee	​$50	$33
Initial leasing fee	$450	$450
Leasing renewal fee	$450	​$33
End of year statements	$50	$0
Monthly admin fee	$72 per year ($6 /mth)	$0
​TOTAL	​$2,892.00	$2,117.00

In summary, you could save around $700-$800 per year having your property managed by Carnelian Property Management. Importantly, the majority of costs are "hidden" within the extras you are charged beyond the management fee itself. 

Want to change property managers?

If you're not happy with the level of transparency, communication, and attentiveness of your property manager, regardless of cost, please contact us now. We'd love to meet and talk through your situation and how we can help make your investment experience as enjoyable as possible for you. 

Want to take action now? Switching property management is easy, and by filling out a simple letter template we can take care of the process for you, saving a potentially uncomfortable conversation with your existing property management business. ​​​​

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