How much does a holiday rental management company charge, and how do you choose one you can trust?
Holiday rental management fees: how companies charge, what the percentage includes, what is charged on top and how to choose a company you can trust.
· By the Orilla Host team
“How much will you charge me?” is the first question every owner asks us. It is a good question, but the useful answer is not just a percentage: it is what the percentage includes, what it is calculated on and what is charged on top. In this article we explain how holiday rental management companies charge, how to compare offers without getting lost, and how to choose a management company you can trust for your flat in Jerez or the Bay of Cádiz.
How much does a company charge to manage a holiday flat?
Many holiday rental management companies work with a percentage of booking income, plus VAT. The percentage varies by company, and some combine a lower percentage with fixed charges. As a concrete example, ours is 15, 20 or 25 % + VAT depending on the plan. So rather than focusing on a single figure, ask each one for its rates in writing and compare them using the same example.
There is a reason the percentage varies so much: not every company does the same work. One that only publishes the listing and answers messages cannot be compared with one that also cleans with its own team, sets prices every day, handles the guest register and sends you a monthly report.
Two details change the final figure a lot:
- VAT. Fees are almost always quoted “+ VAT”. At 21 %, 15 % + VAT is 18.15 % in total; 20 % + VAT is 24.2 %; and 25 % + VAT is 30.25 %.
- The base. Calculating the percentage on everything the guest pays is not the same as calculating it on what is left after Airbnb’s or Booking’s commission, or with or without the cleaning fee. Always ask for an example with figures.
How much does an independent holiday rental manager charge?
Besides companies, there are independent managers (sometimes a neighbour or acquaintance who looks after several flats). They also tend to charge a percentage, or a fixed amount per booking or per month. They can be a good option if the flat is simple and the person is trustworthy, but it is worth asking:
- Who cleans, and who stands in when they are ill or on holiday.
- Whether they invoice and give you a report of income and costs.
- Who is registered as responsible for the flat with the Junta de Andalucía and who reports guests’ details.
- What happens if something breaks or a neighbour complains at midnight.
The convenience of a local manager is real; the risk is that everything depends on one person.
How much does it cost to manage an Airbnb?
Managing “an Airbnb” is usually charged like any holiday flat: a percentage of what you earn from bookings. The difference is that Airbnb already takes its share: most hosts pay a single 15.5 % fee deducted from their payout, according to its service fees page.
In other words, two different commissions come out of each booking: the platform’s and the management company’s. Do not mix them up when comparing.
How much does an agency charge to manage a holiday rental?
Holiday rental management agencies usually offer two levels of service, and the price depends on which one you choose.
Full management
You can forget about the flat: the agency handles the listing, photos, pricing, guest messages, check-in and check-out, cleaning, laundry, maintenance and the legal side. This is the one usually charged as a percentage of booking income, plus VAT.
How we do it at Orilla Host: with the Completo plan we take care of all of that. The guest pays the cleaning fee with every booking, our Hola Limpio team cleans, and it costs you nothing. Hotel-quality bed linen and towels with laundry are part of the Premium plan.
Partial management
You handle one part (for example, the listing and messages) and the agency another (for example, cleaning and keys). It may be charged per service: an amount per changeover, per check-in or per clean.
What is usually included and what is charged on top
| Item | Usually in the percentage | Sometimes charged on top |
|---|---|---|
| Listing and texts on the platforms | ✓ | |
| Daily pricing | ✓ | |
| Guest messages | ✓ | |
| Check-in and check-out | ✓ | Late check-ins |
| Cleaning after each guest | ✓ (to the guest or the owner) | |
| Laundry and bed linen | ✓ | |
| Professional photos | Sometimes | Set-up fee |
| Repairs and materials | ✓ (at cost or with a mark-up) | |
| Guest register and paperwork | Sometimes | ✓ |
| Monthly report | Sometimes |
What matters is not that something is charged separately, but that you know before you sign and that it is itemised in every payout.
How we do it at Orilla Host: cleaning is paid by the guest through their cleaning fee and done by Hola Limpio; laundry is included in the Premium plan; supplies, owners’ association fees, IBI property tax, insurance and repairs are the owner’s, always with their approval.
How to compare management offers
Ask every company for the same simulation: “If my flat takes €X in a month from three bookings, how much reaches my account, and why?” That shows you at once the base for the percentage, VAT, cleaning, laundry and any fixed charges.
Compare what has no price tag but does have value, too:
- When you get paid. One payout a month? With a report?
- Who holds the money. Are you paid directly by the platform, or does the company collect it?
- Who cleans. Their own team or subcontracted, and how can you check the flat is left right?
- What it costs to leave. Lock-in, penalties and who keeps the listing’s reviews.
Red flags
Some phrases and conditions deserve a second look:
- “We guarantee you €X a month.” Nobody can guarantee demand. If they do, read the conditions that come with it.
- Long lock-in with a penalty. A good service does not need to tie you in.
- No monthly report, or a report without a breakdown of commissions, cleaning and costs.
- Unlicensed flats. A company that suggests advertising without a registration number exposes you to fines.
- Repairs without your approval. There should be an amount above which they ask you first.
- Vague answers to “what is the percentage calculated on?”.
How do you choose a holiday rental management company you can trust?
This is the checklist we suggest you take to every meeting:
- Licence. They only work with flats registered in the Andalusian Tourism Register and show the number in every listing. More on our page about the tourist licence in Andalusia.
- No lock-in, or an easy way out with reasonable notice.
- Transparent pricing: percentage, base, VAT and extras in writing, with a worked example.
- A monthly report with bookings, income, commissions, cleaning, costs, fees and your payout.
- A local team that knows your street and building, and can be at the flat the same day if something happens.
- Reviews from other owners and from guests. Ask whether you can speak to an owner who already works with them.
- One named contact person, not a form.
- Good relations with the owners’ association: clear house rules and informed guests. We explain it in holiday flats and the owners’ association.
Our case: Orilla Host
So you can compare us with the same yardstick, this is how we work. If there are no bookings, we don’t charge. Our commission is calculated on what we receive for the nights: the amount the platform pays, after its commission and without the cleaning fee. There are three plans, all plus VAT and with no lock-in (30 days’ notice; confirmed bookings are honoured):
| Plan | Commission | Who it is for |
|---|---|---|
| Esencial | 15 % + VAT | You live nearby and look after keys and cleaning |
| Completo (the one most owners choose) | 20 % + VAT | You want to hand everything over |
| Premium | 25 % + VAT | You live away or want hotel level |
- Esencial includes listings on Airbnb, Booking and Vrbo, dynamic pricing and calendar, guest support 24/7 in Spanish and English, guest registration (SES) and a monthly report and payout.
- Completo adds check-in and check-out, Hola Limpio cleaning after every check-out, coordinated maintenance, legal registration, a basic welcome kit and an annual profitability meeting.
- Premium adds hotel-quality bed linen and towels with laundry, full amenities and welcome, a monthly preventive check, priority maintenance and a quarterly strategy.
- Cleaning is paid by the guest through the cleaning fee on every booking, which covers the Hola Limpio work. With Completo and Premium, cleaning between guests costs the owner nothing.
- Set-up costs €149 + VAT, one-off (professional photography, listings on every channel and a welcome guide). Supplies, owners’ association fees, IBI property tax, insurance and repairs stay with the owner, and any cost over €50 is approved with you first.
An example with numbers: of the €459 the guest pays, you keep €256.20
1-bedroom flat, 4 nights at €100, Airbnb booking, Completo plan:
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| The guest pays (€400 for the nights + €59 cleaning) | €459.00 |
| Airbnb commission (15.5 %) | −€71.14 |
| Hola Limpio cleaning | −€49.86 |
| Orilla Host commission (20 % of €338) | −€67.60 |
| VAT on the commission (21 %) | −€14.20 |
| The owner receives | €256.20 |
For the same booking, the owner would receive €276.65 with Esencial (15 %), €256.20 with Completo (20 %) and €235.75 with Premium (25 %). With Esencial the owner cleans and also keeps the cleaning fee (€49.86 net). By channel, with the Completo plan: Airbnb €256.20, Booking €257.72 and, once direct bookings arrive on orillahost.com, €298.08.
Why is the cleaning fee €59 and not €50? Since 13 October 2026 Airbnb charges hosts in Europe a single 15.5 % fee on the whole booking, cleaning included: €50 ÷ 0.845 ≈ €59. It is an indicative example: it does not include supplies, owners’ association fees, IBI property tax, insurance or the owner’s own taxes.
You will find all the details on our pricing page. And if you want to know first what your flat could earn, try the income calculator or read how much a holiday flat earns in Jerez.
Sources
- Airbnb, service fees for hosts.
- Booking.com for Partners, understanding your commission.
- Junta de Andalucía, holiday rentals (viviendas de uso turístico) (in Spanish).
This article is general information. Market percentages are indicative: each company sets its own terms, which you should check in writing before signing.
Frequently asked questions
Does the management percentage include VAT?
Usually not. Fees are quoted as a percentage plus VAT (21 % in Spain). 20 % + VAT works out at 24.2 % in total of the amount it is calculated on.
What is the management fee calculated on?
It depends on the company: it may be what the guest pays, what is left after the platform’s commission, or another base. Ask for it in writing, with a worked example, before you sign.
Who pays for cleaning?
It is usually charged to the guest as a cleaning fee in the booking, or taken from the owner’s payout. Ask how each company does it and how it shows in the monthly report.
Can I leave the management company if I am not happy?
That depends on the contract. Some companies may require a minimum term; others, like us, only ask for notice (30 days in our case). Read it before you sign.