Property managers take care of a property for investors who don’t live nearby or don’t want to manage the property personally. They can collect rent, handle maintenance requests, find qualified residents, and more. They also enable you to buy real estate outside where you currently live, which means you can invest in areas with high growth potential. One such market is St. Louis, MO, where home prices were up 9.5% from last year. As of June 2022, the median home price was $230K.
The cost of hiring a property manager largely depends on where your property is located, alongside factors such as the property type and the number of services offered.
To help you understand what to expect in terms of leasing and property management fees in St. Louis, we put together this article comparing six property management companies in the area and the various fees they charge.
Before we begin, it’s important to know there are instances when a property manager (specifically, Evernest) might not be a great fit for you. In this video, we lay out a few ways to know for sure:
Table of Contents
You will first encounter a leasing fee when working with a property manager. A leasing fee usually covers the work of finding a resident for the rental property. This could include any of the following:
You might use a property manager only during leasing, opting to handle ongoing management once a resident is placed.
Leasing fees can be fixed, but they are usually calculated as a percentage of the first month’s rent. The average leasing fee in the St. Louis area is generally 50-100% of a month’s rent.
Some companies will offer a lower leasing fee with a more premium membership tier, including Evernest and the Kunkel Wittenauer Group.
Company | Leasing Fee (% of first month’s rent) |
St. Louis Property Management | 100% |
Kunkel Wittenauer Group | 50-100% |
Evernest | 0-50% |
Amoso Properties | 100% |
Mogul Realty | 100% |
Smart Rentals | 100% |
Most property managers will charge a fee to manage your rental on an ongoing basis. In this case, the cost will depend on the services included — the more hands-on you want your property manager to be, the higher the fee.
A property management fee will either be charged as a flat monthly rate or as a percentage of your monthly rent. These fees vary based on rental rate, property type, and service scope.
In St. Louis, flat fees generally run between $100 and $ 180, whereas percentage fees range from 8% to 10%.
Company | Management Fees |
St. Louis Property Management | 10% or $120 max per unit |
Kunkel Wittenauer Group | 8% |
Evernest | 8% or $89-179 |
Amoso Properties | $94-124 |
Mogul Realty | 10% or $100 max per unit |
Smart Rentals | 10% |
Your property manager may also take care of maintenance and general property upkeep. This may be less expensive than handling these concerns on your own because most property managers will have partnerships with local vendors and contractors that allow them to negotiate a lower price.
Most property managers will require you to keep a minimum reserve repair fund on hand to cover the cost of any specific repairs. Your property management agreement will specify the minimum amount you must keep in your reserve repair fund.
When an existing resident wishes to renew their lease, your property manager will charge a lease renewal fee to cover the costs of negotiating and completing lease renewal documents. This fee can also be charged as a flat fee or as a percentage of rent. Some property managers may also waive lease renewal fees.
In St. Louis, lease renewal fees generally range from $100-250.
Company | Renewal Fees |
St. Louis Property Management | $150 for 12 month’s lease |
Kunkel Wittenauer Group | $150 |
Evernest | $0-200 |
Amoso Properties | $275 for 12 month’s lease |
Mogul Realty | Information not available |
Smart Rentals | Information not available |
Your property manager may charge a specific vacant unit fee if your unit is left vacant. They may also charge their regular property management fee instead of a specific vacancy fee.
At Evernest, vacant units are subject to our monthly management fee. That covers the cost of monthly inspections while the vacant property, providing you with peace of mind.
While it’s not common, unfortunately, you may inevitably find yourself in a situation where you’ll need to evict a resident. A property manager can handle evictions for you. Sometimes evictions are included in the monthly management fee. Other times, these will be charged as a separate fee.
At Evernest, eviction protection is included in our Platinum pricing plan, but landlords can also purchase an eviction protection plan as an add-on for an annual rate of $200.
Company | Eviction Fees |
St. Louis Property Management | Included in the monthly management fee |
Kunkel Wittenauer Group | Included in the monthly management fee |
Evernest | Included in the Platinum plan or available as an add-on for $200 |
Amoso Properties | Included in the monthly management fee |
Mogul Realty | $400 |
Smart Rentals | Included in the monthly management fee |
Further reading: How To Navigate The Eviction Process As A Landlord
A property manager will typically handle all routine inspections for you. Inspections are essential for ensuring that your rental is well-maintained by your resident and for identifying problems before they become costly repairs.
In St. Louis, inspections are generally included with the leasing or monthly property management fees, whereas additional inspections are available for a flat fee.
Company | Inspection Fees |
St. Louis Property Management | Move-in/move-out included, $100 per additional inspection |
Kunkel Wittenauer Group | $125 annual property inspection |
Evernest | Move-in inspection included $0-149 annual property inspection |
Amoso Properties | Information not available |
Mogul Realty | Included in the monthly management fee |
Smart Rentals | Information not available |
Some companies will charge you an early termination fee if you terminate your contract with your property manager early. These fees can vary greatly, so take note of this in your contract before you sign.
At Evernest, we think you should be able to stop working with us if you are dissatisfied. It’s our 100% Happiness Guarantee.
Many of the above fees were included as ranges because several factors can influence the final cost of property management fees. Here are some examples of factors that can affect your costs:
If you’re ready to start investing in the St. Louis market, it’s time to find a property manager to help you build your business and achieve the desired outcomes. Evernest is dedicated to providing hassle-free property management. It’s our mission to assist in giving our property owners a consistent return on investment!
Let us prove it to you. We guarantee that we will find a qualified resident for your St. Louis rental property in 21 days or less, or your first two months of management with us are free.
Ready to get started? Send us an inquiry today. >>
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All claims resulting from an industry-wide audit done by our in-house team. If we missed something or have provided incorrect information, please let us know at [email protected].
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