fees that property mng companies charge

[Edita D.]

Hey guys,
from my research I learned different property mng companies charge different fees.
What do you guys think of a LEASING fee? I strongly believe it should be incorporated in management fees. PMs are getting, say, 100/month for 12 months for my property, that's 1200$, why should I be paying another $ for them to lease the place? I pay for the advertisement 100$ and referral fee which is usually 350$. On top of that some companies want to charge LEASING fee of like 400$. WHAT?!?!?!?!?
It seems like a rip-off to m. I don't mind paying the one-time set-up fee, since they have to physically go to the property and take pics and videos, but paying EACH time a leasing fee between tenants?
What do you guys think?

[Jon Holdman]

What any of us think fees should be and what they actually are are different questions. If anything, I think the 10% of monthly rent is a rip off. The leasing process is where I spend more time than anything else.

But, yes, leasing fees are common. I've seen them as high as a full month.

Between this and your other posts, I really think you should consider selling your distant properties. All this stuff you're dealing with is just par for the course. Alternatively, spend some time where the properties are located and interview people in person. You have to take online reviews, whether about hotel rooms, restaurants or PMs, with a grain of salt. The most likely person to speak up is the unhappy one. And their unhappiness may or may not be justified. Unrealistic expectations are as big a source of unhappiness as real problems. And positive reviews can easily be shills.