What does a Hausverwaltung cost? WEG and rental management fees in Germany, 2026

The average is not your price

Anyone searching for property management costs in Germany usually lands on a figure of around €30 per unit. It comes from the VDIV industry barometer (VDIV is the German association of property managers): the average fee for WEG management in 2025 was €29.12 per unit per month.

That figure is correct, but it is of little use for the question "what will our WEG pay a new property manager?". Three reasons:

It is a national average. It includes regions with lower wage and office costs as well as southern Germany. In Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg, rates are noticeably higher.

It includes old contracts. Many associations still pay fees agreed years ago without an index clause. New contracts are concluded at considerably higher rates. For 2026, according to the VDIV, managers are planning a standard fee averaging €31.77 (up 9.1%), and an increase of 12.1% for small WEGs of up to ten units. For new mandates, the planned rates are 8.5 to 15.5% above those of existing contracts.

It is shaped by large complexes. A 120-unit complex pulls the average down. The VDIV itself shows the range: from €35.84 for small to €23.56 for large WEGs. For an association with six flats, the average says little.

Finally, the association itself does not consider the level sustainable: the VDIV describes current fees as neither adequate nor forward-looking. The consequences are already measurable: according to the 2026 barometer, 57.1% of property managers want to give up particularly time-consuming mandates and 49.5% unprofitable ones. Small associations are hit first: 31% of managers want to shed smaller properties, and 21% now only accept properties above a minimum size — around 16 units on average.

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Why small WEGs pay more

The price per unit depends on three factors:

Fixed costs per property. The annual statement, budget, owners' meeting, minutes, resolutions register, bank account and communication with the advisory board are needed whether the association has six units or sixty. With six units, the same basic workload is shared among six payers. A rate of €60 net is not a rip-off there but arithmetic: it comes to €4,320 net a year for a complete year of management including the meeting and the statement.

Condition and level of conflict. A building with an ongoing façade refurbishment, two feuding parties and an unclear division plan generates many times the workload of a well-kept new build.

The manager's set-up. A portal, a ticket system, hybrid meetings, documented response times and phone availability cost money. Managers who work on paper and with an answering machine are cheaper and deliver less.

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Benchmarks for new contracts in 2026

The following ranges are our own market observation from quotes in Nuremberg, Fürth and Erlangen, not official statistics. They are above the VDIV figures because those average existing contracts nationwide. They apply to newly concluded contracts and are meant to help you assess quotes.

Service	net/unit/month	gross/unit/month
WEG management, 4–8 units	€50–70	€60–83
WEG management, 9–15 units	€40–55	€48–65
WEG management, 16–30 units	€32–42	€38–50
WEG management, 30+ units	€26–34	€31–40
Unit management (Sondereigentumsverwaltung, single let flat)	€25–35	€30–42
Rental management, apartment building	€21–29 or 4–6% of annual net rent	€25–35
Commercial units	surcharge of 20–50%
Underground/parking space units	€4–12	€5–15

Very small associations with older buildings, a maintenance backlog or open conflicts can be above these ranges too. Many managers also set a minimum fee per property, often in the region of €4,000 to €6,000 net a year. For a WEG with four to six units, this floor determines the price, not the rate per unit.

Important when comparing: check whether prices are quoted net or gross. Management services are subject to VAT. There is 19% between €50 net and €50 gross.

Our own rates for WEG management and unit management are on our pricing page, with the base fee and the complete list of extra fees. For very small associations, we are also at the upper end of the table — for the same reasons.

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Extra fees: the part most people overlook

The base fee covers ongoing management. Anything beyond that is charged separately. Realistically, extra fees (Sonderhonorare) add 15 to 30% to the base fee. Typical items:

Service	Usual charge (net)
Additional owners' meeting	€300–500 flat fee
Attending site visits, court hearings	€80–120 per hour
Supervising maintenance work	3–5% of construction costs
Reminder and collection proceedings	€25–75 per case
Manager's consent to the sale of a flat	€150–300
Certificates (§ 35a EStG, sale documents)	€30–100
Property inspection outside the regular schedule	€100–200
Key, meter and access management	by effort

A quote with a very low base fee and a long list of extras can cost more than a higher base price with a broad scope of services. Ask to see both together and work it out on an annual basis.

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Worked example: a small and a mid-sized WEG in Nuremberg

All amounts net.

Item	WEG with 6 units	WEG with 14 units
Base fee	6 × €60 × 12 = €4,320	14 × €45 × 12 = €7,560
Manager's consents	1 sale: €250	2 sales: €500
Additional owners' meeting	€400	—
Supervising riser replacement (construction costs €60,000 × 4%)	—	€2,400
Arrears process	€100	€150
Total per year, net	€5,070	€10,610
Total per year, gross	€6,033	€12,626
Per unit per month, net	€70	€63

Without the refurbishment supervision, the effective rate for the 14-unit WEG is around €49 net. The example shows two things: small associations pay more per unit, and comparing two quotes on the base fee alone is misleading.

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What can be passed on to tenants?

The property manager's fee counts as management costs and, under § 1(2) no. 1 BetrKV, can not be passed on to residential tenants. That applies both to the WEG base fee and to the unit management fee. Caretaker, cleaning, servicing and insurance costs, on the other hand, can be passed on to the extent agreed in the tenancy agreement.

For owners who let their flat, the manager's fee is, however, a deductible expense against rental income. Owner-occupiers can claim the labour share of household services and tradespeople's work under § 35a EStG — this requires a separate certificate from the property manager.

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How to recognise a sound quote

• The price is stated in the quote, not hidden behind "on request".
• Net and gross are clearly shown.
• Basic services and extra fees are listed separately and in full.
• There is a commitment on response times, not just on availability.
• Fee adjustments are regulated (index or fixed steps) rather than renegotiated every year.
• Proof of professional liability insurance is attached (at least €500,000 per claim and €1 million per year under § 15 MaBV).
• The caseload is disclosed on request: how many units does one full-time employee look after? Figures well above 350 are a warning sign.

How the switch works after that — resolution, deadlines, handover — is explained under changing your property manager.

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Why cheap ends up expensive

The market has a capacity problem, not a price problem. Property managers are overstretched, vacancies go unfilled, and around half of all firms want to get rid of unprofitable mandates. Anyone offering well below market level today pays for it through caseloads that cost quality: late statements, unanswered enquiries, resolutions left unimplemented — or through terminating the contract as soon as a more lucrative mandate comes along.

A price difference of €8 per unit per month comes to around €1,350 a year for 14 units — less than a single legal challenge to a resolution. For small associations, the realistic alternative to an appropriate fee is often not a cheaper property manager but none at all.

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Ravenica works with openly stated prices. You receive the base fee and the full list of extra fees in the quote — not only after signing.