What a property manager does, and what we charge for it
A property manager markets your rental, screens applicants, collects rent, coordinates repairs, inspects the property, handles compliance and files evictions. RL Property Management does all eight in Columbus for a flat $117 to $184 per unit per month.
The short version
- Flat $117 to $184 per unit per month, not a percentage of rent
- $0 leasing fee on all three plans
- $0 startup fee on an occupied unit
- Median 20 days on market, median 12 days to turn a unit
- 96% of rent collected by the 5th
- Owner funds disbursed on the 10th of each month
- 700+ units under management across 25 Central Ohio communities
- Managing single-family homes and small multifamily properties since 2013
What does a property manager actually do?
Eight jobs, and owners usually hire out because two or three of them have gone wrong. Each one below has its own page with the process, the numbers and the parts that go sideways.
Marketing and leasing
Photos, syndication, showings and a signed lease. $0 leasing fee on every plan.
A vacant unit costs a month of rent every month it stays vacant.
Tenant screening
Credit, criminal, income, rental history and eviction record, applied the same way to every applicant.
One bad placement can cost more than a year of management fees.
Maintenance
In-house labor at $84 per hour plus a $15 trip charge, materials at cost.
The 11pm call about a furnace is the reason most owners hire out.
Rent collection
Rent due the 1st, late fees after the 5th, your money on the 10th.
Chasing a late payment is the part of the job owners hate most.
Owner reporting and accounting
Monthly statements, a real-time owner portal, and year-end tax reporting.
A shoebox of receipts in March is not an accounting system.
Inspections
Quarterly interior and exterior inspections on every managed unit.
Damage found at move-out is damage you are paying for yourself.
Evictions
Filed in Franklin County, managed end to end for $199 plus $273 in hard costs.
A resident who stops paying in month three is a legal problem, not a conversation.
Compliance
Ohio landlord-tenant law, fair housing, local registration and insurance requirements.
The rules that cost you money are the ones you did not know existed.
What is included in the monthly fee, and what is not?
The monthly fee covers the labor of running the property: leasing, screening, rent, coordination, reporting, inspections and compliance. It does not cover physical work on the building, and no flat fee ever could. Here is the honest line between the two.
| Billed separately | Amount | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Property photography | $250 to $450 | Not covered by the $0 leasing fee. Billed at vendor cost plus our standard markup, by property size, on new vacant units and units that have had major cosmetic work. Existing photos keep being used at no charge while they still represent the property, and the photos are yours to keep. Effective October 1, 2026. |
| Lease renewal | $250 | Charged to the owner on the date the lease renews. |
| Maintenance labor and materials | $84 per hour plus $15 per visit | Materials at cost. There is no minimum charge on a work order. |
| Vendor project management | 15% of vendor cost | Applies to vendor costs up to $3,000, capped at $450 per project. Waived on insurance claim work. |
| Eviction | $472 typical | $273 in hard costs plus $199 to manage the case. A setout, if one is needed, adds more. |
| Maintenance reserve | $350 to $1,500 per unit | Held on your account so routine repairs do not wait on a funding request. It stays your money. |
Photography is the one owners are most often surprised by, so we say it plainly: it is not part of the $0 leasing fee. Everything else that can appear on an owner statement is on the pricing page.
Which decisions do you still make?
You set the plan, and the plan sets one number: how much repair spending we handle before we call you. Above that limit, nothing gets spent without your approval, except a genuine emergency where waiting would make the damage worse.
Per-item repair approval limit, at $117 per unit per month.
Per-item repair approval limit, at $137 per unit per month.
Per-item repair approval limit, at $184 per unit per month.
Rent pricing, renewals, capital work and any decision to sell stay with you. We bring the recommendation and the numbers behind it.
What happens when we do not perform?
Five commitments that cost us money when we fall short. They are in the Client Handbook, not just on this page.
Owner funds disbursed on the 10th
Rent is disbursed electronically on the 10th of each month. It takes about 2 to 3 business days to reach your account.
Management fees credited after 60 days of vacancy
If a property has been listed for rent longer than 60 days, we proactively credit management fees back to your account.
No trip charge minimum
There is no minimum charge on maintenance work, and materials are provided at cost.
Project management fee waived on insurance claims
If you hire us to manage a property or casualty insurance claim, the 15% project management fee is waived on that work.
Pet damage covered above the deposit
If an approved pet causes damage beyond normal wear and tear and the cost exceeds the security deposit, we cover the difference up to $4,000.
How do you know a manager is doing the job?
Ask for numbers, and ask how each one is measured. Ours are published and dated. Median days on market is measured 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.
Scorecard as of September 2026.
Questions owners ask before hiring a manager
What does a property manager do?
A property manager runs the rental so the owner does not have to. That means eight jobs: marketing and leasing the unit, screening applicants against one written standard, collecting rent and enforcing the lease, coordinating maintenance and emergency repairs, inspecting the property on a schedule, keeping the books and issuing owner statements, handling Ohio landlord-tenant and fair housing compliance, and filing an eviction when a resident stops paying. RL Property Management does all eight for a flat $117 to $184 per unit per month.
What is included in the monthly management fee?
Listing and syndication, showings, full applicant screening, lease preparation, rent collection and late notices, owner statements and portal access, maintenance coordination, 24/7 emergency response, quarterly inspections, and compliance work. Placing a resident is included at $0. Maintenance labor, materials, lease renewals at $250, photography at $250 to $450, and eviction costs are billed separately.
How much does a property manager cost in Columbus?
RL Property Management charges a flat $117, $137 or $184 per unit per month depending on the plan. Most Columbus managers charge 8% to 10% of collected rent plus roughly half a month of rent each time the unit is leased. The full fee schedule is published on our pricing page.
Do I still get called at 2am about a furnace?
No. Emergency response is included in the monthly fee and residents call us, not you. After-hours labor is billed at a multiplier: 2x on weekday evenings and Saturdays, 3x on Sundays.
What kinds of property do you manage?
Single-family homes and small multifamily properties. We manage 700+ units across 25 Central Ohio communities in Franklin, Delaware, Fairfield, Licking, Union, Madison and Pickaway counties.
What happens if my property sits vacant?
If a property has been listed for rent longer than 60 days, we proactively credit management fees back to your account. You are not paying a full management fee on a unit we have not been able to lease.
What insurance do you require?
A Rental Dwelling Policy or Commercial Policy carrying at least $1,000,000 in liability coverage, with RL Property Management named as an additional insured. If proof of that coverage is not on file we charge $20 per unit per month until it is.
Can I hire you for only one part of the job?
No. The services on this page are sold as one management relationship, because they depend on each other. Screening standards only hold if the same team enforces the lease, and inspection findings only get fixed if the same team runs maintenance.
Last verified September 2026. Reviewed by Peter Lohmann, Principal Broker and CEO.
Where to go next
- Pricing and the complete fee scheduleEvery charge that can appear on an owner statement.
- Marketing and leasingHow a unit gets listed, shown and leased at a $0 leasing fee.
- MaintenanceRates, approval limits and how emergencies are handled.
- Our scorecardThe numbers above, with how each one is measured.
- Client HandbookThe full operating document behind these services.
Start with what your property should rent for
A free rent evaluation gives you the number and the plan to get there. No obligation, and no pressure to sign anything.