How much rental management costs in Portugal
Full management costs 12% of the rent + VAT per month, from Tagus Property, in the municipalities of Lisbon, Oeiras and Cascais, with a minimum of €150 + VAT per month.
It is a monthly fee, charged while the property is let, and it covers everything a landlord has to do: tenant, lease, receipts, inspections and surprises. Below is the arithmetic, and the most expensive confusion in this market, explained.
A management fee and a letting commission are not the same thing
They are two different services with two different prices, and this is where most owners misread competing proposals:
| Management fee | Letting commission | |
|---|---|---|
| What you pay for | Running the tenancy day to day | Finding and installing the tenant |
| How much | 12% of the rent + VAT (minimum €150) | One month’s rent + VAT (minimum €1,500) |
| How often | Every month, for as long as it lasts | Once, at the start |
| When it starts | When the tenant pays the rent | On signature of the lease |
| Already have a tenant? | Straight into management | Does not apply |
The arithmetic, on a €1,800 rent
No small print: this is what comes out of the rent each month.
- Monthly rent€1,800
- Management fee (12%)€216
- Fee with VAT (23%)€265.68
- Yours, every month€1,534.32
- Letting commission, if a tenant must be found (once)€2,214
The rent is paid straight into your account: it never passes through us. The fee is invoiced separately.
What the 12% covers
Day-to-day management
- We hold the keys to your property: building door, flat door, letterbox and remote controls
- Single point of contact for the tenant throughout the tenancy
- Dealing with the building management, and attending one annual owners’ meeting
- Access to our network of trusted contractors for maintenance
- Remote coordination of small problems and breakdowns reported by the tenant
- Check-out inspection at the end of the lease, compared against the check-in inventory, and settlement of the deposit
Administrative management
- Rent increase letters, applying the annual coefficient published in the official gazette
- Lease renewal, handling objections to renewal and meeting the legal notice periods
- Filing the end of the lease with the Portuguese tax authority
- Keeping track of the property insurance and energy certificate validity
Financial management
- Rent receipts filed electronically with the Portuguese tax authority, in your name
- Monthly monitoring that the rent is paid
- Reminders to the tenant when payment is missed
- The documents we hold that you need for your rental income tax return
- Liaising with an accountant, on request
Also included at no extra cost: access to the Tagus Rentals landlord portal for the whole term of the agreement, with rents, expenses, documents, the property calendar, the inventory and the status of maintenance requests.
What the letting commission covers
When a tenant has to be found, the letting service comprises:
- Market appraisal of the property and setting the rent, with advice on preparing it
- Professional photography and, where relevant, a virtual tour or video
- Listing on the main property portals and on our own channels
- Screening enquiries, scheduling and running the viewings, without you having to be there
- Collecting and checking candidates’ proof of income and guarantees, which then go to you to decide
- Checking the property paperwork and drafting the lease
- A check-in inspection with a simple photographic inventory of the interior, annexed to the lease
- Registering the lease with the Portuguese tax authority
What is not included
- Finding a tenant: that is the letting commission above, one month’s rent + VAT, paid once
- Legal follow-up and lawyer’s costs in case of default
- The services listed in Annex A of the management agreement, provided only at your request and with prior approval, billed at the rates set out there
See the Lisbon management service in detail →
Would you rather do it yourself?
The software costs €19/month and handles the admin: rents, receipts imported and filed in place, watched deadlines and a tenant portal. The legwork stays with you.
See software pricing →Talk to the Tagus Rentals team
By email or phone. We usually reply within one business day.
Frequently asked questions about fees
Are there minimum fees?
Yes. The management fee has a minimum of €150 + VAT per month, and the letting commission a minimum of €1,500 + VAT. Above €3,500 of rent, the part above that amount is charged at 10% instead of 12%.
What is the 12% charged on?
On the rent actually received each month. If no rent comes in during a month, there is no management fee to pay for that month.
Why does the percentage carry VAT?
Because it is a service, taxed at the standard 23% rate. If you are VAT registered you may be able to deduct it: check with your accountant.
Is the letting commission always due?
Only when a tenant has to be found. If your property already has a tenant, you go straight into management and there is no letting commission.
Do you manage outside these municipalities?
No. The service with a team on the ground is provided by Tagus Property and is limited to the municipalities of Lisbon, Oeiras and Cascais: we only take on what we can visit. The software works for property anywhere in the country.
What about short-term lets?
We do not do them. We work only with long-term rentals, which follow different law, different taxation and a different kind of management.
What could your property earn?
Tell us where it is and what it is like. We reply with a well-founded rent estimate and the exact proposal for your case.
Request a free estimate →Tagus Property rates (licence AMI 13266), in force in 2026, for long-term rentals in the municipalities of Lisbon, Oeiras and Cascais. These are not market rates, and they do not apply to agencies using the Tagus Rentals software. The final proposal depends on the property and the scope of service.