The real cost of a property manager
On a home renting for $600/week, an 8.5% management fee is about $51/week (~$2,652/year) before GST — before letting fees, inspection charges, or maintenance mark-ups.
TenancyIQ Starter is $14.99/mo GST inclusive for one property. Same tools whether you have one rental or seven — no percentage of rent, ever.
| Typical PM | TenancyIQ | |
|---|---|---|
| Ongoing fee | 7–10% of weekly rent | From $14.99/mo flat |
| Example @ $600/wk | ~$51/wk (~$2,652/yr) | $14.99/mo (~$180/yr) |
| Who decides | Agency (with your brief) | You — drafts ready to approve |
| Lock-in | Often fixed contracts | Month-to-month, cancel anytime |
What you keep when you self-manage with TenancyIQ
- Centrix tenant checks — live today from $15, no monthly plan required
- Listing page, viewing registrations, and digital applications in one funnel
- MBIE / Tenancy Services bond lodgement, status sync, refunds and top-ups
- RTA-aligned Notice Wizard, Healthy Homes tracking, and rent ledger
- Tenant portal for documents, maintenance, and messaging
- IRD-ready expenses, mileage, and rental tax summary
TenancyIQ is not a property manager. You stay the decision-maker — we give you the NZ-built system so evenings aren't spent hunting PDFs and notice templates.
From screening to a live tenancy
Most landlords screen in one place, then copy names, bond, and dates into a spreadsheet — or pay 7–10% of rent to an agency. TenancyIQ takes the applicant you approved into applications, bond, notices, and the rent ledger.
| Rent tracker + spreadsheet | TenancyIQ |
|---|---|
| Agency fee of 7–10% of weekly rent, every week | Flat subscription from $14.99/mo GST incl. — no cut of rent |
| TradeMe or Facebook leads — ad hoc screening, references by phone or skipped | Public listing page, viewing registrations, application link, and live Centrix checks |
| Retype rent, bond, and dates from the PDF for each tenancy | Upload or forward your agreement — AI proposes fields, you confirm once |
| Bond lodged separately — status checked manually on Tenancy Services | Online bond lodgement, status sync, and refund or top-up from the record |
| Bond and dates in one tool; notices and compliance elsewhere | One record powers notices, Healthy Homes, and your rent ledger |
| Compliance when you remember; Healthy Homes notes scattered in folders | Property Health Check flags arrears, bond, insurance, and HHS gaps — with evidence and expiry dates |
| Notices drafted from scratch or retyped each time | Notice Wizard with one-tap AI drafts — 90-day, rent increase, breach, and more |
| Inspection notes written by hand after the walkthrough | AI drafts room condition notes from inspection photos — you review before saving |
| Rent increase timing guessed from calendar notes | Rent increase advisor: 12-month window, market guide, draft notice ready |
| Tribunal evidence hunted through email and downloads | Bundled evidence packs from ledger, notices, and maintenance |
| Tax-time export only — mileage and portfolio view elsewhere | IRD categories, mileage claims, and rental tax summary PDF in one place |
| Switching means re-entering a year of rent and expenses | Import your myRent expense report PDF — mapped to categories, no re-keying |
Already with a property manager? Keep them while you set up TenancyIQ, then cancel when ready. Prefer your current letting workflow? Upload signed agreements and myRent expenses to run the tenancy properly here.
Switching is straightforward
- Start the 30-day free trial — no credit card. Add your properties and upload signed agreements when you have them.
- Run both in parallel — keep your current manager while you set up ledgers, compliance, and tenant contacts in TenancyIQ.
- End the agency when you're ready — give notice per your management agreement, transfer the bond record, and keep self-managing on a flat fee.
Prefer to start with screening only? Run a Centrix check from $15 — then bring the tenancy onto the same record.
Related reading
- Property management rates NZ — fee ranges and what self-managing means
- Pricing — Starter, Growth, and Empire (all features on every plan)
- Features — full catalogue from bond to tribunal evidence packs
Leave the percentage fee — self-manage from $14.99/mo
Starter from $14.99/mo — 30-day free trial, no credit card required.
Fee examples are indicative only, based on common NZ market quotes for a $600/week rental at 8.5% management. Compare quotes from licensed professionals for your property and region. TenancyIQ GST-inclusive starter price shown for comparison; agency fees are often quoted exclusive of GST.