Property Management Fees
Property management fees in Brighton: what landlords actually pay in 2026
Property management fees in Brighton and Hove typically run 12 to 16 per cent of monthly rent inclusive of VAT for full management, with let-only or tenant-find charged separately at around one month’s rent or a fixed fee. Brighton sits among the more expensive markets outside London, driven by strong tenant demand, a large student population across the two universities, and a high concentration of licensable houses in multiple occupation. The headline percentage is only part of the cost, because the city’s licensing regime adds a compliance layer that few other English cities match.
This guide covers what Brighton agents actually charge, how the city’s HMO and selective licensing schemes shape the work, and when self-managing makes financial sense. For the generic mechanics of how management fees are structured across the UK, the full guide to UK property management costs is the place to start. This page focuses on Brighton.
What Brighton property managers charge
Full management in Brighton and Hove is commonly priced between 12 and 16 per cent inclusive of VAT, with some south-coast agents quoting 16 per cent before VAT, which works out at around 19 per cent once VAT is added. The examples below are representative of Brighton and Hove agents and show how the management fee sits alongside the setup and let-only charges.
Agent type | Management fee | Let-only / setup |
|---|---|---|
National estate agent | 14 per cent inclusive of VAT | Start-up fee £395 plus VAT |
Regional lettings agent | Around 12 per cent inclusive (full), 7.2 per cent rent processing | Tenant introduction around three weeks’ rent |
South-coast agency | 16 per cent plus VAT (around 19 per cent inclusive), 12 per cent rent collection | Let-only one month’s rent plus VAT |
As elsewhere, the percentage rarely captures the full bill, because inventory, check-in and check-out, and contractor mark-ups sit on top. Always ask for a full written schedule of fees before instructing an agent, and confirm whether each figure includes or excludes VAT, since a 16 per cent fee quoted before VAT is materially higher than a 16 per cent inclusive fee.
Brighton’s licensing regime: the local cost few landlords price in
Brighton & Hove operates one of the more active property licensing regimes in England, and it bears directly on the cost and complexity of managing a let here. As of 2026 there are three schemes a Brighton landlord may fall under. Mandatory HMO licensing applies nationally to any HMO housing five or more people in two or more households, with a Brighton five-year licence fee in the region of £840 to £1,090 depending on the property. Additional HMO licensing applies citywide to smaller HMOs of three or four occupants sharing amenities, a scheme the council reintroduced after an earlier version ran from 2012 to 2023. Selective licensing applies to all privately rented homes, not just HMOs, in named wards including Kemptown, Moulsecoomb and Bevendean, Queens Park, and Whitehawk and Marina, with a proposed expansion to further wards subject to government approval.
The practical effect is that a large share of Brighton lets need a licence of some kind, and a licence brings conditions on safety, management standards and documentation that the council can enforce. Because designations change and the selective licensing footprint is expanding, confirm your property’s current position directly with Brighton & Hove City Council before letting. The selective licensing definition explains how these schemes work and what a licence requires.
How Brighton differs from Cardiff and Wales
Brighton is in England, so the Renters’ Rights Act 2025 applies here in full, including the abolition of Section 21 and the move to assured periodic tenancies from 1 May 2026. This is the opposite of a Welsh city such as Cardiff, which runs on the separate Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016. A landlord with property in both England and Wales should treat the two regimes as distinct. The Renters’ Rights hub covers the English position in full; this page does not reproduce it.
What pushes Brighton fees up or down
Location and tenant profile drive most of the variation. The premium flats and houses of the Hove seafront, Brunswick and Seven Dials sit at the upper end of agent margins, where tenant expectations are high. The student and young-professional districts of Kemptown, Hanover and Elm Grove see frequent turnover, which means more letting, inspections and cleaning, and several of these areas also fall within licensing schemes that add a compliance premium. Older Victorian conversions, common across Hanover and Clifton Hill, need more oversight for damp and shared-building issues. The quieter suburbs of Fiveways, Preston, Withdean and Patcham see longer tenancies and lower churn, while the more affordable areas of Portslade, Moulsecoomb and West Blatchington carry lower rents, so a percentage fee bites harder proportionally on yield. Brighton’s strong tourist market also makes short lets common, and agents charge a premium for the intensive turnarounds, cleaning and guest communication involved, with local planning and licensing rules around short lets worth checking carefully before pursuing that route.
Worked example: a Brighton flat at £1,500 a month
For a Kemptown flat let at £1,500 a month on full management at 13 per cent inclusive of VAT, the first-year figures with a single tenant-find look like this.
Cost item | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
Management fee (13 per cent inclusive) | £195/month, £2,340/year | Ongoing monthly charge |
Let-only / tenant-find | around £1,500 | One-off, roughly one month’s rent |
Inventory, check-in and check-out | £200 to £350 | Often charged separately |
First-year total | around £4,100 to £4,200 | Roughly 23 per cent of annual rent |
If the property also needs a licence, the licence fee and any improvement works to meet its conditions sit on top. In a year with no new tenant-find, the recurring cost falls to around £2,400 to £2,700. A flat software subscription covering the same rent collection, compliance and document tasks costs a small fraction of that regardless of portfolio size. The rental yield calculator shows how a fee of that size moves net yield on a Brighton property.
Self-managing in Brighton with August
For Brighton landlords, especially those with a licensable property, self-managing suits software because the compliance burden is exactly what a good platform tracks. August lets Brighton landlords collect rent automatically through Open Banking, track compliance tasks such as gas safety, EICR, EPC and licence conditions, and store certificates and tenancy documents in one place through the document store, with tenant maintenance requests logged and timestamped. In a city where a licence brings management and safety conditions the council can inspect against, keeping that documentation complete is not just tidy administration, it is what keeps a property compliant. Even landlords who outsource the occasional inventory or legal task keep the management margin rather than paying a percentage every month. Landlords who manage this way are often called digital landlords, and the guide to what a digital landlord is explains the model.
See how August handles rent, compliance and documents for self-managing landlords.
Are Brighton property management fees tax deductible?
Yes. Letting agent and management fees are allowable expenses that can be deducted from rental income before income tax, including management fees, tenant-find fees, inventory charges and licence fees. With Making Tax Digital for Income Tax live from 6 April 2026 for landlords with qualifying income above £50,000, keeping accurate digital records of these costs matters more than before. The national guide covers the tax treatment in full.
Frequently asked questions
How much do letting agents charge to manage a property in Brighton?
Full management in Brighton and Hove typically costs 12 to 16 per cent of monthly rent inclusive of VAT, with some agents quoting 16 per cent before VAT, which is around 19 per cent once added. Let-only or tenant-find is charged separately, usually at around one month’s rent or a fixed fee.
Does my Brighton property need an HMO or selective licence?
Possibly. Brighton & Hove runs mandatory HMO licensing for properties with five or more occupants, citywide additional HMO licensing for smaller HMOs of three or four occupants, and selective licensing for all private rented homes in named wards including Kemptown, Queens Park, and Moulsecoomb and Bevendean. Confirm your property’s current position with Brighton & Hove City Council, since the selective licensing footprint is expanding.
Does the Renters’ Rights Act 2025 apply in Brighton?
Yes. Brighton is in England, so the Renters’ Rights Act 2025 applies in full, including the abolition of Section 21 and the move to assured periodic tenancies from 1 May 2026. This differs from Welsh cities such as Cardiff, which are governed by the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016.
Can letting agents charge tenants fees in Brighton?
No. The Tenant Fees Act 2019 bans most fees charged directly to tenants in England, so costs that were once split now sit with the landlord, which is part of why management and setup fees are structured as they are.
Disclaimer: This article is a guide and not intended to be relied upon as legal, financial, or professional advice, or as a substitute for it. August does not accept any liability for any errors, omissions, or misstatements. Every effort was made to be accurate at the time of writing.
Author
August Team
The August editorial team lives and breathes rental property. They work closely with a panel of experienced landlords and industry partners across the UK, turning real-world portfolio and tenancy experience into clear, practical guidance for small landlords.
