Free Tool
Free Property Management Cost Calculator
Compare the true cost of going DIY, hiring a property manager, or using Tenby. See where your time and money actually go.
Your Portfolio
Your Time
Industry average: 8-15 hrs for self-managing landlords
What could you earn doing something else?
Property Manager Rates
Industry average: 8-12%
Charged per new tenant placement
Annual Management Cost
You save vs Property Manager
$5,113.50/yr
Hours saved per year
336 hrs/yr
Tenby Growth
$12/mo
PM Monthly Fees
$750.00
Hours Saved / Month
28 hrs
What Tenby automates (so you don't have to)
Rent collection & tracking
Saves ~2-3 hrs/mo
Late fee calculation
Saves ~1 hr/mo
Tenant screening
Saves ~2 hrs/vacancy
Lease compliance checking
Saves ~1-2 hrs/lease
Expense categorization
Saves ~2-3 hrs/mo
Maintenance triage
Saves ~1-2 hrs/mo
Communication tracking
Saves ~1 hr/mo
Tax package preparation
Saves ~8-15 hrs/yr
5-Year Management Cost
DIY
$132,500.00
2,400 hrs of your time
Property Manager
$62,287.50
$12,457.50/yr incl. leasing fees & oversight
Tenby
$36,720.00
$12/mo + 720 hrs of your time
What You Get
| DIY | PM | Tenby | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual cost | $26,500.00 | $12,457.50 | $7,344.00 ($12/mo + your time) |
| Hours saved / month | 0 | 38 hrs | 28 hrs |
| Rent collection | Manual / Zelle | Included | Auto + late fees |
| Tenant screening | DIY ($40/app) | Included | In-app |
| Legal compliance | Self-research | Basic | AI + 50 states |
| Expense tracking | Spreadsheets | Basic reports | Auto-categorized |
| Tax preparation | Manual | PM reports only | One-tap Schedule E |
| Maintenance triage | You decide | PM handles | AI-prioritized |
| Lease analysis | None | None | AI compliance |
| You stay in control | Yes | No | Yes |
Your Pricing Flexibility
Because Tenby costs less than a PM, you have room to price competitively — even in soft markets — without sacrificing your bottom line.
Rent flexibility per unit
$85.00/mo
5.7% below market
Annual flexibility
$5,100.00
across 5 units
In a soft market, you can drop rent by $85.00/unit and still net the same as charging full price with a property manager.
Tenby gives you PM-level automation at 59% of the cost — while you stay in control.
Self-managing? Get the toolkit that replaces a property manager
The exact checklists and automations that let landlords keep the 8-10% fee. Plus early access to Tenby.
This free tool is brought to you by Tenby — AI-powered property management for independent landlords. No sign-up required.
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