Property Management Fees
Property Management Fees In Adelaide, Explained
No admin fees. No inspection fees. No surprises.What Adelaide property managers charge, what the percentage leaves out, and what Axiom’s all-inclusive management fee covers. We’re investors too, so we quote the way we’d want to be quoted: everything in writing, before you sign.
- Routine inspections a year, with photos
- 4
- Rent payouts every week
- 2
- Days risk-free for new landlords
- 100
- Five-star reviews
- 150+
How Fees Work
The Percentage Is Only Half The Quote
In Adelaide, property management is usually priced as a percentage of the rent collected, plus GST, with a separate letting fee each time a new tenant signs. That headline percentage is what most landlords compare, and it is the least useful number in the quote.
The real cost sits in the extras: a fee for every routine inspection, a monthly administration or sundries charge, a fee for the end-of-year statement, a charge to pay your council rates or water bill. Each looks small. Over a year they can add more than the difference between two agencies’ percentages.
So compare a year, not a rate. Ask each agency to put every charge for twelve months in writing, assuming one new lease and four inspections, and look at the total.
What’s Included
One Management Fee, Everything In It
What Axiom’s management fee covers, next to what is often billed separately elsewhere.
| Service | Axiom’s management fee | Often an extra charge |
|---|---|---|
| Four routine inspections a year, with photo reports | Yes | Yes |
| Monthly and end-of-financial-year statements | Yes | Yes |
| Paying council rates, SA Water and strata for you | Yes | Yes |
| Monthly administration or sundries | Yes | Yes |
| Rent collection and twice-weekly payouts | Yes | No |
| Arrears follow-up and breach notices | Yes | No |
| Maintenance coordination with vetted trades | Yes | No |
| Lease paperwork, bond lodgement and compliance | Yes | No |
“Often an extra charge” reflects fee schedules other Adelaide agencies publish; check any quote you receive. A new tenancy (letting fee and advertising) and a lease renewal are quoted separately, in writing, before you sign.
Comparing Quotes
Six Questions To Ask About Any Agency’s Fees
Put these to every agency you speak to, us included, and ask for the answers in writing.
Is the percentage plus GST?
Most are. Compare like with like, and ask what the percentage is calculated on: rent collected, or rent due.
Is each inspection charged?
Some agencies bill every routine inspection. Ask how many they do a year and what each one costs.
Are there admin or statement fees?
Monthly sundries, end-of-year statements and bill payments are where small charges add up.
What does a new tenant cost?
The letting fee and the advertising, and whether a lease renewal is charged as well.
What happens at SACAT?
If a dispute reaches the tribunal, is attending included, capped, or billed by the hour?
How do I leave?
Look for the lock-in period and the notice to end the agreement. Ours: no lock-in for new landlords, six weeks’ notice.
Cheap Vs Value
The Fee Is The Smallest Cost Of A Rental
Two empty weeks between tenants costs more than a year of difference between most agencies’ fees. So does a tenant who falls a month behind, or a slow leak that becomes a new floor. What you are paying a property manager for is fewer of those weeks and fewer of those surprises.
That is where we put the effort: pricing the rent from current comparable leases, checking applicants carefully, inspecting four times a year with photo reports, and chasing arrears the day they start. Rent is paid out twice a week, so it reaches you within days of the tenant paying.
100 Days Risk-Free
No Lock-In, In Writing
A low fee with a twelve-month lock-in is not a bargain. New landlords who move to Axiom get 100 days to decide. If we’re not right for you, leave with six weeks’ notice, no questions asked.
From Our Landlords
What Landlords Say
Based on 150+ five-star reviews across Google, RateMyAgent and Facebook
Amir is very professional and made the sale of our unit a very easy exercise. Thank you from very happy clients.
Roy Kelly: Amir is very professional and made the sale of our unit a very easy exercise. Thank you from very happy clients.
Fee Questions
Property Management Fees: FAQs
How much do property managers charge in Adelaide?
Most Adelaide agencies charge an ongoing management fee worked out as a percentage of the rent collected, plus GST, and a letting fee when they find a new tenant. On top of that, some add charges for routine inspections, monthly administration, end-of-year statements or paying your bills. The percentage on its own tells you little: ask every agency for a written quote that lists every charge for a year of management, then compare those totals.
What does Axiom’s management fee include?
Rent collection and twice-weekly payouts, four routine inspections a year with photo reports, monthly and end-of-financial-year statements, paying council rates, SA Water and strata on your behalf, arrears follow-up, maintenance coordination, lease paperwork and tenancy compliance. There is no admin fee, no inspection fee and no statement fee.
Are there costs on top of the management fee?
Yes, and we tell you what they are before you sign. When a new tenant is needed there is a letting fee and an advertising package for the portals, and a lease renewal is charged when one is signed. Repairs are paid at the tradesperson’s invoice. That is the full list, quoted in writing with your rental appraisal.
Why don’t you publish your fees?
Because a fee only means something next to the rent and the work involved. A city apartment and a house with a pool are different jobs. We quote after a free rental appraisal, so the number you get is the number you pay, in writing, with nothing added later.
Are property management fees tax deductible?
Generally, yes. Management and letting fees on a rental you hold to earn income are usually deductible in the year you pay them, and your end-of-year statement lists them for your accountant. Check your own situation with your accountant or the ATO.
Can I leave if I’m not happy?
Yes. New landlords get our 100-day risk-free guarantee: no lock-in, and if we’re not right for you, you can leave with six weeks’ notice, no questions asked. After that, the notice period is in your management agreement in plain words.
Is the cheapest property manager the best value?
Rarely. A few weeks of vacancy, a tenant who falls behind or a missed repair costs more than any difference in fees. Compare what each agency does about vacancy, arrears and inspections, then compare price.
Free Calculators
Run The Numbers
Quick estimates to the South Australian rules, worked out from the official sources.
Landlords & investors · Renters
Rent increase calculator (SA)
The change in rent and the earliest date it can apply under South Australia’s 12-month rule.
Landlords & investors
Rental yield calculator
Gross and net yield on an investment property, after management, rates, insurance and vacancy.
Landlords & investors
Investment property cash flow
What an investment costs or earns you each week, before and after tax — including negative gearing.
For illustrative purposes only. These figures are estimates from what you enter and general assumptions; they are not financial, tax or legal advice and must not be relied upon. Seek independent financial advice before making any decision.
Your Quote
Know The Full Cost Before You Sign
Book a free rental appraisal and we’ll put the rent we expect and every fee in writing.
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