How to Compare Broward Property Management Fees Without Getting Lost in Fine Print

Owners shopping for Broward County property management often start with one number: the monthly management percent. That number matters. It is not the whole bill.

Across Broward County and Boca Raton, many residential managers advertise somewhere in the high single digits to low teens of rent collected. A lower headline rate can still cost more over a year once leasing, renewals, setup, vacancy charges, inspections, and maintenance markups are added. The useful comparison is year-one cost and what is excluded—not a single percent on a landing page.

Damelecia, Inc. publishes three plans for long-term residential management in Broward County and Boca Raton (Silver 8%, Gold 10% and Platinum 12% of rent collected). Gold, our most popular plan, is 10% of rent collected, a one-month leasing fee when a new lease is signed, no renewal fee, no setup fee, no maintenance markup, and $0 management fee in vacant months. Full detail lives on our pricing page.

Why the headline percent is a weak shopping tool

Florida’s residential landlord–tenant framework in Chapter 83, Florida Statutes sets the rules for leases, rent, notices, and habitability. It does not set what a property manager may charge an owner. Those terms live in your management agreement.

That means two managers quoting “8%” and “10%” can produce very different owner statements. Before you switch—or before you sign—ask for the same line items from every company:

1. Monthly management fee — percent of rent collected, of gross rent billed, or a flat dollar amount? Minimums or caps?
2. Leasing / placement fee — percent of one month’s rent, flat fee, or MLS/co-broke structure? Charged only when they place the tenant?
3. Renewal fee — per renewal, or included?
4. Setup / onboarding — one-time charge to open the account?
5. Vacancy — management fee while empty? Separate vacancy fee?
6. Maintenance — pass-through at vendor invoice, or a markup / coordination fee?
7. Inspections and add-ons — annual inspection fees, insurance products, resident “benefit” packages billed to whom?

If a company will not put those answers in writing, treat the marketing percent as incomplete.

What many Broward and Boca managers publish (patterns, not a hit list)

Public pricing pages in this market tend to fall into a few patterns owners will recognize. Fee figures move; always confirm against a written proposal before you sign. This section stays at the pattern level so the comparison stays fair.

Pattern A — Published mid-single to low-double digit % with free renewals.
Some full-service firms publish roughly 8–10% of collected rent, a one-month leasing fee when they place the tenant, no renewal fee, and no management fee until rent is collected. That structure is transparent on the big three lines (management, leasing, vacancy). Owners still need to confirm maintenance markup, inspection fees, and whether commercial or other products sit under the same brand.

Pattern B — Tiered packages (Basic / Full / Premium).
Many Broward managers, including us, publish more than one plan. Compare every tier’s setup, renewal, inspection and vacancy lines, not just the percent. Our three plans are all on the pricing page.

Pattern C — Franchise-style tiers with guarantee menus.
Franchise-branded Fort Lauderdale / Weston operators may advertise management percents below 8% on an entry plan, with setup or vacancy fees on that plan, 100% leasing fees, and renewal fees that drop to $0 only on the top tier. Guarantees (lease-up timing, eviction cost caps, happiness / cancel windows) are real differentiators—read the fine print for who pays resident packages and when the low % still bills during vacancy.

Pattern D — Quote-only pricing.
Several established brokerages say fees depend on the property and will not publish a percent. Many still state no management fee while vacant and nothing due until a tenant is paying. That can be owner-aligned on vacancy—but you cannot compare year-one cost until you have a written proposal.

Pattern E — Relationship / legacy firms without a fee card.
Long-tenured residential managers may emphasize tenure, credentials, and Home Watch without listing percentages online. Ask for the same checklist above; do not assume “no upfront fees” means no leasing or renewal charges.

None of these patterns are automatically “bad.” The risk is signing on a landing-page percent and discovering the rest on the first statement.

Damelecia’s Gold plan (Broward + Boca)

For long-term residential rentals we manage in Broward County and Boca Raton, the published terms are:

Line item	Damelecia Gold plan (standard)
Management	10% of rent collected (Gold)
New lease placement	One month’s rent leasing fee when a new lease is signed
Lease renewal	No renewal fee
Setup / onboarding	No setup fee
Maintenance	No markup — vendor invoice cost
Vacant month	$0 management fee

Illustrative year-one math (not a quote): on $2,500/month collected for 12 months, 10% management is $3,000; plus one leasing fee of $2,500 if a new lease is placed that year; setup/renewal $0 on Gold and no markup on any plan. A competitor advertising 8% with setup, renewal, and inspection add-ons can land in the same band—or higher—once those lines are included. See the worked example on damelecia.com/pricing.

We manage long-term residential only (typically 12-month leases)—single-family, townhomes, condos, and 2–4 unit buildings. Broker of Record: Melecia Johnson, Florida broker license BK3251569.

Extra questions that change the real cost

Association timing. Condo and HOA approval windows can add vacancy even after you approve a tenant. Ask how association packets run relative to screening.

Flood and lease disclosures. Florida requires specific residential flood disclosure language for qualifying leases; Damelecia builds required disclosures into the lease packet. Confirm every manager’s compliance process against current statute language (see Chapter 83 materials on Online Sunshine).

Who answers the phone. A national desk and a Plantation-based team can both say “full service.” Ask who can be on site the same day in your city—Fort Lauderdale, Plantation, Pembroke Pines, Coral Springs, Weston, Hollywood, Parkland, or Boca Raton.

If you are not renting. Second-home care is a different product. Damelecia’s Luxury Home Watch covers Boca Raton and Broward County when you need inspections and oversight without a tenant.

A simple owner checklist before you sign

• Get every fee line in the management agreement, not only the marketing percent.
• Model one turnover year and one renewal year separately.
• Confirm vacant-month billing in writing.
• Confirm maintenance is invoice cost or markup.
• Confirm leasing fee triggers (manager-placed only vs always).
• Confirm renewal fee is $0 or a dollar amount.
• Confirm geo coverage matches your address (Broward and/or Boca).
• Confirm Florida brokerage licensing and who the broker of record is.

Bottom line

In Broward and Boca, the managers who publish clear numbers make comparison easier—and the owners who still run a full year-one spreadsheet win. Damelecia’s offer is intentionally simple: On our Gold plan, flat 10% of rent collected · one-month leasing fee on a new lease · no renewal fee · no setup · no maintenance markup · vacant months $0.

If you want those terms applied to a specific address, call (954) 860-7493 or request a rental analysis from the Broward or pricing pages linked above.