Property Management Company: Run This Math Before You Sign
20 to 25% commission to manage your rental for you. On €15,000 a year, that is €3,000 gone. Here is the real calculation, and when a management company is genuinely the right call.
Right now, everyone on social media wants to start an Airbnb management company. Almost nobody talks about the other side of the contract: the owner, the person who signs, hands over the keys, and watches 20 to 25% of their revenue leave every single year.
Before you sign with a management company, there is a calculation to make. Not a back-of-the-envelope guess. The real one, over 1 year, 5 years, 10 years.
This article does it with you in 5 minutes.
How much does a short-term rental management company really take?
The typical grid we see on the European market in 2026 (rates vary by country, so compare with the quotes you receive):
| Type of company | Commission on revenue | Cleaning fees |
|---|---|---|
| Premium (national or international brand) | 20-25% | Re-invoiced to the guest |
| Local company | 18-22% | Re-invoiced or included |
On top of that, you sometimes find:
- Setup fees (€200 to €500)
- A guaranteed minimum fee even when the property does not book
- A commitment period (often 12 months minimum)
The real calculation on your property
Let's take a concrete case. A mountain studio at €90 a night, 50% occupancy over the year:
With a management company at 22%:
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Gross annual revenue | €16,425 |
| Management commission (22%) | −€3,614 |
| Platform commission (Airbnb 14% on 80% of revenue) | −€1,840 |
| Cleaning costs not passed on (estimate) | −€300 |
| Net in your pocket | €10,671 |
Without a management company, running it yourself with a tool:
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Gross annual revenue | €16,425 |
| Platform commission (14% on 80% of revenue) | −€1,840 |
| Management tool (€35/month × 12) | −€420 |
| Net in your pocket | €14,165 |
Difference: €3,494 a year. That is €17,470 over 5 years.
When a management company is genuinely the right choice
Let's be honest: for some owners, a management company is still the best option. The numbers are not everything. Here are the cases where it makes sense:
- You live far from your property. Handling check-ins, check-outs, breakdowns and surprises from a distance is unmanageable without a local contact.
- You have no time. You have a demanding job and a full life, and your rental is a passive investment by choice.
- You want zero stress. The thought of answering a guest at 11 pm is something you cannot stand.
- Your property is in a saturated market. In a major resort or a capital city at peak season, a good company can make a real difference through its visibility and its network.
If you are in one of these cases, a good management company is an investment, not a cost.
When a management company is NOT the right choice
If you are on site or within 30 minutes of the property, you can:
- Handle keys (or install a key box or a smart lock)
- Handle cleaning (yourself, or by paying a cleaner by the hour)
- Welcome guests in person if you want to
That leaves one single thing the management company does for you: the technical side.
- Syncing Airbnb, Booking.com and your own website
- Answering guest messages
- Blocking dates and adjusting prices
- Handling payments
And that is not a management company problem. It is a tooling problem.
Work out your OTA commissions in 1 minute
Free tool, no sign-up. An instant estimate of what you pay Booking, Airbnb and Expedia every year.
Open the calculator →The alternative: a tool plus a human
The classic mistake is to believe you only have two choices: a management company at 25%, or software where you are on your own.
There is a third way: a service that does the technical work for you, at a fixed price, with no percentage on your bookings. That is exactly why I created BedLink.
In practice:
- I set everything up (listings, calendars, direct booking website, payments)
- You look after your guests (the real ones, the people who actually arrive at your property)
- Fixed price: from €35/month for 1 property, with no setup fee
- 0% commission on your bookings
On the mountain studio above, that gives:
The real calculation to make before you sign
Before you put your signature at the bottom of the contract, ask yourself these 4 questions:
- Am I more than 30 minutes from my property? If yes, a management company may be justified.
- Am I ready to handle guests (messages, the occasional welcome)? If no, a management company may be justified.
- Is my only real problem the multi-platform technical side? If yes, do not sign. You would pay 20% to solve a problem that costs €420 a year to fix with a tool.
- Have I calculated what the management company will cost me over 5 years? If not, do it. That is usually the moment people realize.
Go further
If you want to put an exact figure on what your current booking platforms cost you (and what an alternative could earn you), the commission calculator does it in 30 seconds.
And if question 3 above is the one that applies to you, meaning your only real problem is the multi-platform technical side:
- What is a channel manager, and which one to choose. The tool that solves this exact problem, explained without jargon.
- Airbnb and Booking.com at the same time: avoiding double bookings. The fear that pushes many owners toward a management company, and why it can be solved another way.
- Direct booking website for a guesthouse: what you really earn. The other half of the calculation.
Want to see BedLink for real?
Leave your details and Simon will get back to you within 24 hours by call or message, to give you access to the demo and talk about your situation.
Request the demo →Simon Laurent, founder of BedLink. I set up everything (listings, calendars, direct booking website) for owners of guesthouses, B&Bs and short-term rentals. If you have a question, you can call me directly: +33 6 41 37 67 98.