Property management fees in Brighton

Brighton and Hove is a distinctive rental market which is full of seafront flats, converted Victorian terraces in Kemptown, student housing in Elm Grove and Hanover, and charming suburban homes in areas like Fiveways, Preston, and Hove. While many landlords use agents and property managers, the management fees and hidden costs can significantly reduce your returns. This article explores:

• Common fee types charged by Brighton letting agents / property managers

• Real local examples of agent fees

• Local market factors that influence those fees

• How self-managing with August helps you keep more rental income

What Brighton property managers charge

Here are real examples from Brighton / Hove agents to anchor expectations:

• A national estate agent charges a 14 % inclusive (VAT) management fee plus a start-up fee of £395 + VAT for their full-management service.

• A regional lettings agent outlines a three-option scale of landlord fees:
  • Tenant introduction: ~3 weeks’ rent (inclusive)
  • Tenant introduction + rent processing: ~7.2 %
  • Full management: ~12 % (inclusive)

• An estate agency across the south coast states a full management fee of 16 % (19 % incl VAT), rent collection at 12 % (14 %), and tenant introduction (let-only) at one month’s rent + VAT.

• A local agency provides detailed extra fees: their “full or part managed service” is a percentage of rent (negotiable), plus set fees for check-in, check-out, inventory etc.

From these, you can see full management in Brighton is often priced around 12 % to 16 % inclusive of VAT, and “let-only” or tenant-find services are extra, either one month’s rent or a fixed fee.

Factors that increase or decrease fees in Brighton

Fee differences across agents largely come down to market and property-specific variables:

1. Area and demand / prestige
   Properties in Kemptown, Hove seafront, Brunswick, Seven Dials tend to have higher tenant expectations and agent costs. More interior or peripheral districts (e.g. Patcham, Moulsecoomb, Portslade) may command somewhat lower margins.

2. Property type and condition
   Older conversions or Victorian terraces (common in Clifton Hill, Hanover) often require more oversight (dealing with damp, shared building issues), raising management effort.

3. Turnover / tenant churn
   Student and young-professional zones (Elm Grove, Hanover, near universities) see frequent turnover, which means more letting, inspections, and cleaning.

4. Extent of service included
   A fully “hands-off” approach (emergency repairs, legal handling, compliance oversight) costs more. Rent-collection-only or “supervised landlord” models are cheaper.

5. Portfolio / scale advantage
   Landlords with multiple properties in Brighton / Hove can often negotiate lower rates or waived setup / renewal fees.

6. Void risk and buffer built in
   In less stable zones, agents may implicitly include a buffer for likely voids or unpaid rent, increasing the effective margin.

7. Regulatory and compliance burden
   Agents handling all statutory requirements (gas safety, electrical checks, EPC, licensing) will charge more to absorb that risk and administrative load.

How self-managing with August lets you keep more

By self-managing, you reclaim the recurring “management margin” (e.g. 12 %–16 %) and gain full transparency. Even when you outsource occasional tasks, your overall cost is much lower.

With August, Brighton landlords benefit from:

• Collect rent automatically via Open Banking

• Track compliance tasks and store documents like gas safety and licensing, vital in boroughs like Hackney or Southwark

• Manage tenant maintenance communication in one place

• Handle check-ins, move-outs, and reminders without extra charges

• Avoid hidden mark-ups on maintenance by choosing your own contractors

Even if you occasionally hire professionals for inventory or legal tasks, your ongoing overhead remains far less than using a full agent.

Brighton neighbourhood spotlights and considerations

A few local observations on Brighton areas and how they affect landlord strategy:

• Kemptown, Hanover, Elm Grove — high turnover zones, older properties, more wear and tear. Agency costs stack quickly.

• Hove seafront, Brunswick, Seven Dials — premium flats and houses where agents often quote at the higher end of margin ranges.

• Fiveways, Preston, Withdean, Patcham — quieter, more stable areas with lower churn but more maintenance (gardens, exterior)

• Woodingdean, Saltdean, Rottingdean — more peripheral where travel/time costs may influence agent pricing.

• Portslade, Mile Oak, West Blatchington — more affordable zones, so agent percentages “bite harder” on modest rental income.

In zones where rents are moderate (e.g. £900–£1,300/month), the proportion lost to agent fees can be especially painful — which is where self-management pays off most.