Property management for rental portfolios in Columbus
RL Property Management manages 700+ single-family and small multifamily units for Columbus investors. Pricing is flat per door, the leasing fee is $0, and larger portfolios get a substantial discount quoted in writing.
The short version
- Flat per-unit pricing, published: $117 to $184 per unit per month
- Published investor pricing: 10% off at 5 to 9 units, 15% off at 10 to 19 units, 25% off at 20 to 39 units, custom from 40 units
- $0 leasing fee, so cost per door does not spike on a turn
- 700+ units under management, in-house maintenance since 2013
- Published scorecard: 20 days on market, 96% collected by the 5th, 72% renewal rate
- Owner funds disbursed on the 10th, with every invoice in the portal
What does a Columbus portfolio actually cost to manage?
On published per-unit pricing, the middle plan is $137 per door per month, or $1,644 per door per year. A percentage manager on the portfolio average rent of $1,653 costs roughly $132 to $165 per door per month, and then bills about $827 again every time a unit turns. At scale the leasing fee is the line that actually decides the year, because a portfolio always has units turning.
Below is the annual management line at three portfolio sizes, before any portfolio discount is applied. Turns are estimated from our own 72% renewal rate, so roughly 28 percent of units turn in a year.
| Doors | Us, Plan Two | Typical 8% plus placements | Typical 10% plus placements |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 doors | $16,440 | $18,321 | $22,281 |
| 25 doors | $41,100 | $45,389 | $55,289 |
| 50 doors | $82,200 | $90,778 | $110,578 |
Our column is exact at published per-unit pricing and goes down with a portfolio discount. The comparison columns are illustrative, calculated at the portfolio average rent of $1,653 with a half-month placement fee on each estimated turn. They describe common Columbus market rates and are not a quote from any named company.
The more you own, the less you pay per door
Pick your portfolio size. The rate is in writing here, before you ever talk to us.
- $0 leasing fee
- $250 lease renewal
- $1,500 repair approval limit
- Full screening and rent collection
- Monthly statements and owner portal
- The highest approval limit, so routine repairs get done without a call to you first.
- $0 leasing fee
- $250 lease renewal
- $750 repair approval limit
- Full screening and rent collection
- Monthly statements and owner portal
- A middle approval limit, so you hear about more of the spending.
- $0 leasing fee
- $250 lease renewal
- $350 repair approval limit
- Full screening and rent collection
- Monthly statements and owner portal
- The tightest approval limit, plus HOA and association support.
We take serious investors seriously.
At this size the right number depends on your mix of properties, where they are, and how much of the work you want off your plate. We build it around your portfolio rather than a table.
Own 5 or more units?
| Units you own | Plan One | Plan Two | Plan Three |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 to 4 (standard) | $117 | $137 | $184 |
| 5 to 9 units (10% off) | $105 | $123 | $166 |
| 10 to 19 units (15% off) | $99 | $116 | $156 |
| 20 to 39 units (25% off) | $88 | $103 | $138 |
| 40+ units | Custom pricing | ||
Discounts apply to monthly management. There is still no leasing fee on any plan, at any size.
Or call our investor line, (614) 212-6903.
What should an investor look for in a manager?
Six things, and all six are checkable before you sign. If a manager cannot show you these, the pitch is the product.
Cost per door that does not move
A flat fee is the same number in a year when rent rises and in a year when it does not. A percentage fee compounds with every increase, and a leasing fee spikes it every time a unit turns. Ours is $0.
One fee schedule, entirely public
Every charge that can appear on an owner statement is published, including the situational ones. You can model the operating expense line before you speak to anyone here.
Operating numbers you can audit
Days on market, turn time, renewal rate, occupancy, collection rate and repair close time are all published with their definitions, and refreshed. Not a testimonial, a number.
In-house maintenance
Technicians on payroll at $84 per hour plus a $15 trip charge, with no minimum charge and materials at cost. Vendor work carries a 15% project fee capped at $450.
Renewals are the strategy
Because placing a resident earns us nothing, keeping a good one is the only thing that pays. The portfolio renewal rate is 72%, and a renewal costs an owner $250 against a full turn.
Consolidation without a gap
Moving several properties off one or more managers is a scheduling problem, not a paperwork problem. We plan it against your lease dates and termination clauses before anyone gives notice.
How is the portfolio performing?
Every unit under management, as of September 2026. Publishing the definition matters as much as publishing the number, because days on market can be measured four ways and three of them flatter.
Days on market is defined as: Median days from the date a unit is listed to the date a lease is signed, across all units leased in the trailing 12 months. Full methodology and history.
Can you manage for an out-of-state investor?
Yes, and most of what makes remote ownership work is unglamorous: reporting you can read without calling, approval limits that let routine work proceed without you, and inspections with photographs so condition is something you can see rather than something you are told.
- A real-time owner portal with every statement and the invoice behind each charge
- Direct deposit on the 10th, about 2 to 3 business days to appear in your account
- Quarterly inspections with photographs, so you see condition without flying in
- Repair approval limits you set by plan, so routine work does not wait on your time zone
- A custom lease reviewed by legal counsel and kept current with Ohio landlord-tenant law
- Eviction handled locally through the Franklin County Municipal Court when it is needed
The repair approval limit is the setting that matters most to a remote owner: Plan One at $117 carries a $1,500 per-item limit, Plan Two at $137 carries a $750 per-item limit, Plan Three at $184 carries a $350 per-item limit. A higher limit means fewer approvals reach you, which is usually what a remote owner wants.
Can you carry a portfolio at scale?
700+ units under management across 25 communities, managed since 2013, by a team of 30, with maintenance technicians on payroll rather than subcontracted for every work order.
Scale matters to a portfolio owner for one reason: a manager who is at capacity solves their staffing problem with your vacancy. Ask any manager you are considering how many doors they run per portfolio manager and per technician, and ask what happens to that ratio when they add you.
Investor questions
Do you manage rental portfolios in Columbus?
Yes. RL Property Management manages 700+ single-family homes and small multifamily properties across the Columbus metro, and portfolio owners are the core of the client base. Any property that does not require on-site staff is in scope.
Do you discount management for a larger portfolio?
Yes, and the rates are published. Monthly management is 10% off at 5 to 9 units, 15% off at 10 to 19 units, 25% off at 20 to 39 units. From 40 units the pricing is custom, built around your mix of properties. There is no leasing fee at any size.
Why is pricing custom above 40 units?
Because at that size a table stops being accurate. Forty units in one suburb and forty scattered across five counties cost very different amounts to run, so we price the actual portfolio rather than publish a floor that fits nobody.
What is my real cost per door?
On the middle plan the management line is $137 per door per month before any portfolio discount, plus $250 when a lease renews. Placing a resident is $0. A manager charging 10% of an average $1,653 rent runs about $165 per door per month, plus roughly $827 each time a unit turns.
Can you manage for an out-of-state investor?
Yes. Out-of-state owners get the same portal, the same monthly statements with invoices attached, quarterly inspections with photographs, and direct deposit. The repair approval limit on your plan is what decides how often a decision needs your time zone.
Can you take on a portfolio that is currently with another manager?
Yes, and that is a common move. The work is in the timing: termination clauses, lease dates, deposit transfers and where the resident sends rent on the first of the month. We build that plan before notice is given, not after.
Will you advise on a property I am about to buy?
We do not perform buyer inspections. We can advise during due diligence on medium and large multifamily, and we offer a pre-signature inspection on property you already own at $300, waived from the onboarding fee if a management agreement is signed.
What reporting do portfolio owners get?
Monthly statements per property and consolidated across the portfolio, year-end reporting for your accountant, and a live portal showing rent received, every expense and the invoice behind it.
What are the operating numbers?
As of September 2026: 20 median days on market, 12 median days to turn a unit, 72% lease renewal rate, 91% portfolio occupancy, 96% of rent collected by the 5th and 6 median days to close a repair.
Last verified September 2026. Reviewed by Peter Lohmann, Principal Broker and CEO.
Where to go next
- Get a portfolio quoteWhere the discounted number gets put in writing.
- The full fee scheduleModel the operating expense line before you call.
- Switching property managersConsolidating off one or more managers.
- The published scorecardThe operating numbers, with definitions.
- 2026 Columbus rental market reportMarket data behind the underwriting.
Tell us what you own, get a number in writing
Investor pricing is published through 39 units. Above that, bring your addresses and current statements and we will price the whole portfolio.