Overview: Property Managers
A property manager runs your rental for you. They find and screen tenants, sign the lease, collect rent, send out repairs, inspect the unit and do the paperwork when someone moves out. Nearly all of it follows the tenancy law of your province, and those rules change at each border.
Deposits show how much. Ontario lets a landlord take a rent deposit and a key deposit, but no damage or pet deposit. British Columbia allows a capped damage deposit, plus one for pets. Quebec lets a landlord ask for nothing up front but the first month's rent. Ontario also makes most landlords, and the firms that work for them, use its standard lease.
Licences depend on the province too. British Columbia and Alberta license rental managers through BCFSA and RECA. Ontario licenses condo managers through the CMRAO. Own a rental here but live abroad? The firm that collects your rent must hold back tax for the CRA.
Our listings show what each management company states on its own website. Use the province and city lists to find managers who cover your rental's street.
What property management costs in Canada
Compare annual fees for the same service scope. A percentage of rent can exclude leasing, inspections and maintenance coordination.
| Service | Planning budget | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| An individual rental property | ||
| Ongoing rental management | 8%–10%% of contract-defined monthly rent | Routine management of one long-term residential rental unit under an agreed percentage plan.The monthly rent base defined in the agreement; confirm whether it means rent collected or rent due. Confirm collected rent versus rent due, vacancy treatment and any monthly minimum. A minimum replaces a lower percentage charge; it is not added on top.What this estimate coversIncludes in this budget: Routine rent collection, owner reporting and maintenance coordination Budget separately or confirm: Tenant placement, property repairs and contractor invoices; Applicable tax; any separately agreed minimum monthly charge |
| Flat monthly management | C$140–C$200per rental unit per month | One long-term residential rental unit on a routine monthly plan; tenant placement is priced separately unless explicitly bundled.Repairs and contractor invoices are extra. Compare included leasing, inspections and monthly minimums.What this estimate coversIncludes in this budget: Routine management for the stated unit Budget separately or confirm: Repairs, utilities and taxes; Leasing and inspections unless the chosen plan includes them |
| Tenant placement, rent-based fee | 50%–100%of one month of agreed rent | One successful long-term tenancy placement; percentage fee option.one month of the agreed rent, not annual rent monthly management; extra paid advertising, credit reports or legal work unless included A separate leasing event; it may supplement management or be purchased on its own.What this estimate coversIncludes in this budget: Advertising coordination, screening, viewings and lease preparation as agreed Budget separately or confirm: Monthly management; Extra paid advertising, credit reports or legal work unless included |
| Additional property inspection | C$100–C$250per inspection | One additional routine inspection outside the visits already included in the contract.specialist inspections, travel outside service area and repair work Add this only when it is needed and is not already included in the agreed package.What this estimate coversIncludes in this budget: Site visit and routine condition report Budget separately or confirm: Specialist inspections, travel outside service area and repair work |
| A condo or strata corporation | ||
| Condo or strata management | Scope-based quoteper unit per month | Whole-building agreement with unit count, meeting schedule and service scope.reserve contributions; building operating costs Building size, meetings, on-site staffing and financial administration determine the contract. Request one total annual fee and the additional-service schedule.What this estimate coversIncludes in this budget: Agreed corporation administration Budget separately or confirm: Reserve contributions; Building operating costs |
What one year could cost
Assumptions:
- Illustration: C$2,000 rent is collected in each of 12 months
- One new tenant is placed; placement is charged separately
- The percentage plan applies and no monthly minimum overrides it
C$24,000 annual collected rent × 8%–10% = C$1,920–C$2,400 for management. One placement at 50%–100% of C$2,000 adds C$1,000–C$2,000.
Combined illustrative fees: C$2,920–C$4,400 with applicable tax and separately billed extras to be confirmed.
Not included:
- Repairs, contractor invoices and separately billed inspections
- Vacancy and any enhanced plan fees
What changes the price
- Rent collected versus rent due, vacancy charges and monthly minimums
- Leasing, renewal, inspection and termination charges
- Maintenance markups, project supervision and emergency attendance
Ask before accepting a quote
- What would your total fees be for one year with one tenant change?
- Which rent amount is the percentage applied to, and do you charge during vacancy?
- Are maintenance invoices marked up, and what spending needs my prior approval?
Separate the manager fee from property expenses
- Repairs, utilities and reserve contributions are property costs, not the management fee
- Ask for a fee schedule covering renewals, inspections, project work and contract termination
Canadian context
Rental management and condo or strata management have different responsibilities; compare agreements for the same province and property type.
Planning amounts in Canadian dollars. Published tax treatment varies; confirm applicable taxes and the final total in your written quote. Rows can be different services, alternative packages or separately priced extras. Add only work that is needed and not already included in your quote.
Frequently asked questions
What does a property manager actually handle?
Ads, screening, the lease, rent, repairs, inspections and a statement each month. They also serve notices and prepare cases for your province's housing tribunal. That's the Landlord and Tenant Board in Ontario, the RTB in British Columbia and the TAL in Quebec. Ask who speaks for you at a hearing. A hard case may need a lawyer or, in Ontario, a licensed paralegal.
I live abroad. What does my manager owe the CRA?
Tax off the top of your rent. When the owner lives outside Canada, the person who collects the rent must hold back non-resident tax on the full amount and send it to the CRA. You and your manager can ask the CRA to let them hold back tax on net rent instead. Then you must file a special return for that year. Skip the withholding and the manager faces interest and penalties.
What happens to the tenant's deposit?
Your province decides, and the rules are far apart. Ontario bans damage and pet deposits, so a manager can hold only a rent deposit and a key deposit. Quebec lets a landlord ask for just the first month's rent. In British Columbia, a landlord can't keep any of a deposit without the tenant's okay in writing or an order from the RTB. The landlord has fifteen days from the tenancy's end or getting the tenant's address in writing, whichever is later, to return it or file a claim.
Does a property manager need a licence?
It depends on where the rental is. In British Columbia, a rental manager needs a licence from BCFSA and must work under a licensed brokerage. In Alberta, RECA licenses property management as its own field. Ontario licenses condo managers through the CMRAO. Look the firm up on the regulator's public list by name. A trade group logo shows who they pay dues to, not what they're allowed to do.
Which lease form does my manager have to use?
In Ontario and Quebec, the government's form. Ontario makes most landlords, and the firms that act for them, use the standard lease for new tenancies. If a tenant asks for it in writing and doesn't get it in time, they can hold back a month's rent. Quebec requires the TAL's lease form, and the tenant must get a copy within ten days. In other provinces, read the manager's own lease before a tenant signs it.
Is block or strata management the same job?
No. Condo and strata managers work for the owners as a group and answer to the board. They look after shared areas, budgets, reserve funds and bylaws. The licences differ too. Ontario's condo managers need one from the CMRAO, British Columbia licenses strata managers through BCFSA, and in Alberta, RECA licenses condo managers under a separate brokerage. Ask which licence covers the job you're hiring for.
